Caramelized Onion & Gruyère Burger
Nothing beats a burger hot off the grill! This one is topped with caramelized onions and melted Gruyère for an extra pop of flavor!!
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While I try to eat healthy as often as possible a juicy burger has got to be one of my favorite indulgences! I just love a nice juicy burger topped with gooey melted cheese! When I’m eating out I’m a big fan of the classic cheeseburger, however, when I make burgers at home I like to switch it up a little bit.
When you’re cooking at home it’s a great opportunity to try different flavor combinations. This Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Burger is one of my favorites! It has some classic flavors – it’s a bit like French onion soup meets burger.
Personally, I think the best way to cook a burger is on the grill. Grilled burgers just seem to taste better, don’t you agree?? There’s something about that slightly char-grilled taste that is amazing. And while a grilled burger is certainly a summertime classic, I often fire up my grill all year around to make them – weather permitting of course.
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The key to a great burger is using high-quality ground beef. Then you’ll add some tasty seasonings to the meat and top it with cheese and other yummy things. In this case, those other yummy things would be the caramelized onion burger topping.
Recipe Ingredients + Substitutions
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: Any high-quality beef that is 90% lean or less is what I recommend for burgers. Using leaner beef in burgers helps minimize flare-ups on the grill.
- Gruyere cheese: The nutty flavor of gruyere creates a nice balance to the caramelized onions. Swiss cheese can be used as a substitute.
- Brioche buns: The buttery texture of these buns works well with the caramelized onions and gruyere cheese.
- Worcestershire sauce: This sauce gives the burgers a unique pop of flavor.
- Caramelized onions: Ideally you want to make these from scratch before you start your burgers.
- Spices: dried minced onion, ground pepper, seasoned salt
- Pantry staples: mayonnaise
Notes from the Kitchen
- Caramelized onions make a great burger topping – they provide excellent flavor and because they are cooked, they stay on the burger better than raw onions.
- I like brioche buns for this burger because they are a bit lighter than a traditional hamburger bun and toast nicely. You can always use a regular hamburger bun or whole-grain roll.
How to grill burgers on a gas grill
- Make the burger patties. Mix ground beef, Worcestershire, pepper, onion and salt in a small mixing bowl. Form into 3-4 burger patties.
- Preheat and clean the grill. Next, you want to preheat the grill to 400°F. If your grill grates are well seasoned you don’t need to oil them before adding the burgers. If you are worried about the burgers sticking take a paper towel and dip it in a bit of olive or avocado oil. Use your barbeque tongs to brush the grill with oil.
- Cook the burgers: Allow the burgers to cook for 3-5 minutes on the first size. As tempting as it is, don’t press down on them with your grill spatula. You don’t want to squeeze all the juices out of the burger! After you flip the burgers you’ll cook them for an additional 3-4 minutes until they reach the desired doneness. You can use a timer as a guide however be sure to check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer, which should read at least 160°F. Like ovens, grill temperatures vary so cooking time on your grill may be slightly different.
- Let the burgers rest: Once they reach the desired temperature, the burgers need to rest for a few minutes. Then add the rest of your toppings and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make them a day or two in advance. I recommend reheating them for about 20 seconds in the microwave before adding them to the burger.
Recommended Tools
Instant Read Thermometer – I love using this fork-style thermometer when I’m grilling. It’s easy to read the temperature and the handle is long enough that you won’t accidentally burn yourself on the hot grill. If you use a Weber Grill, you can use the iGrill technology that is built into many of their grills. It’s a great way to easily monitor the temperature of anything you are grilling.
Serving Suggestions
Any type of salad or veggie side works well with burgers. Some of my favorite options include:
-
Miso Glazed Roasted Cauliflower
-
Zucchini Noodles with Pesto
-
Tuscan White Bean Salad
-
Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad with Quinoa
More recipes for the grill
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Grilled Chicken Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce
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Caramelized Onion & Gruyère Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- 3-4 ounces Gruyère (thinly sliced)
- ¾ cup caramelized onions
- 3-4 brioche buns
- ¼ cup olive oil mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
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Heat your grill. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat – about 400°F.
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Make the burger patties. Mix ground beef, Worcestershire, pepper, dried onion and salt in a small mixing bowl. Form into 3-4 burger patties.
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Cook the burgers. Place the burger patties on the preheated grill and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the desired doneness. The internal temperature should be 160° on an instant-read thermometer.
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Make the sauce. While the burgers are cooking mix the mayonnaise with the Worcestershire sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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Finish the burgers. Turn grill to low and top each burger with a slice of cheese. Place brioche bun halves sliced side down on the grill away from the heat. Close the grill and let buns toast and cheese melt for 1-2 minutes.
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Assemble the burgers. Remove everything from the grill. To assemble the burgers, spread the bottom half of each roll with the mayo mixture. Top with a burger patty and then add the caramelized onions. Top with remaining roll half and serve immediately.
Notes
This post was originally published in September 2016. It was updated in August 2024 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.
