The flavors of french onion soup were made to be married with a juicy burger in these incredible French Onion Burgers! Onions are cooked low and slow until they’re caramelized and jammy and mixed with ground beef before being grilled to juicy perfection. Then, we top the burgers with gooey brie and arugula before sandwiching them between toasted brioche buns with homemade dijonnaise. These elevated burgers are perfect for your next BBQ!
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The Best Homemade French Onion Burgers
Grilled burgers are one of my favorite foods ever! While I love a simple, classic cheeseburger, sometimes I really want a gourmet, restaurant-style burger. Because I love caramelized onions and french onion soup so much, I knew that combining the flavors of french onion soup with a gourmet burger would be a hit!
These french onion burgers have so much flavor thanks to some low-and-slow caramelized onions, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in the burger mix. After giving them that flame-grilled flavor on the grill, I top them with gooey brie cheese and serve them up on toasted brioche buns with arugula and extra caramelized onions.
If you love a rich and hearty burger, this recipe is for you! French onion burgers are an elevated classic that’s perfect for a backyard BBQ or a dinner party.
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Key Recipe Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities, and method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Onions. The best onions for making caramelized onions are yellow onions because of their higher sugar content.
- Grass fed ground beef. I love using an 85/15 grass fed ground beef for burgers because they have tons of flavor and a good amount of fat. You can use a leaner ground beef if you prefer.
- Dijon mustard. Dijon adds lots of flavor to the burger mix and caramelized onions.
- Dried onion and garlic. Dried onion and garlic add lots of flavor to the burger mix.
- Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce also adds flavor to the burger mix.
- Burger toppings. We make a quick dijonnaise for the burgers and top them with brie and arugula on toasted brioche buns.
How to Make French Onion Burgers
- Â Caramelize the onions. Plan on this being a lengthy process! It takes 45 minutes to an hour to caramelize onions and there isn’t a shortcut but it’s hands-off work that can happen in the background. You can also caramelize the onions up to 3 days ahead of time to cut down on the work.
- Mix the burgers. After you caramelize the onions, mix half of them into the ground beef with the dijon, Worcestershire, dried onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I always use my hands to mix the meat so that I don’t over mix them.
- Shape the burger patties. My trick for juicy burgers is to form the patties a bit larger than the burger buns! Then, make a divot in the center of each patty. As the burgers grill, they’ll shrink a bit and end up uniform in size.
- Grill the burgers. Always make sure your grill is cleaned of debris and that the grates are lightly oiled with cooking spray. Preheat the grill for a full 15 minutes before grilling the burgers over direct heat for just a couple of minutes per side.
- Assemble the burgers. After the burgers come off the grill, top them with the brie so that the residual heat melts the cheese. Assemble the burgers on the toasted brioche buns with the dijonnaise, arugula, and remaining caramelized onions.
What to Serve on the Side
Since these classic grilled cheeseburgers are perfect for a cookout, you’ll need all the yummy sides to serve alongside them!
- My Mom’s Classic Potato Salad
- Doctored Up Baked Beans
- Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Milk and Butter Boiled Corn on the Cob (the best!)
- Lemony Parmesan Grilled Asparagus
- Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Dipping Sauce
- BLT Pasta Salad
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Burger Recipes to Try
- Black Bean Walnut Burgers
- Juicy Chicken Burgers
- Greek-Style Smash Burgers
- Steakhouse-Style Burgers
- Southwest Turkey Burgers
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Homemade French Onion Burgers
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced (a mandolin is best)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Burger Mix
- 1 1/2 lbs grass-fed 85/15 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onions
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Burger Toppings
- 4 brioche buns, toasted in butter
- 8 oz double cream brie, cut into slices
- 2 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter along with the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter is hot and foamy, add the onions and toss well to coat. Cover the pot and let the onions cook for 10 minutes, until they’re starting to wilt. Remove the lid, lower the heat, and add the thyme and some salt and pepper. Continue to cook the onions, stirring every so often, until they’re deeply caramelized. Stir in the dijon and balsamic and set aside.
- Mix the burger meat. Transfer half of the cooled caramelized onions to a cutting board and finely chop them. Transfer the chopped caramelized onions to a large mixing bowl with the ground beef, Worcestershire, dijon, dehydrated onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix the meat so that everything is combined, then divide into 4 – 6oz balls. Form the meat into patties at least 1 inch thick, and a bit bigger than your burger bun (they’ll shrink on the grill). Use your thumb to press an indention into the center of each patty.
- Make the burger sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, dijon, horseradish, and honey and season with salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Prep your grill. Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill until it reaches 450 F. Make sure the grates are brushed clean of debris. Lightly oil the grates to keep the burgers from sticking.
- Grill the burgers. Grill the burgers over direct heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the burgers from the grill and let them rest. While they’re still warm, top the patties with the slices of brie.
- Assemble the burgers. Spread some of the burger sauce on the toasted buns and top with the burger patties. Divide the rest of the caramelized onion mixture between the burgers and top with arugula. Serve right away.
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