Decadent French Onion Burger Recipe

It's hard to go wrong with a juicy burger, but some recipes stand out from the rest. Tasting Table recipe developer Leah Maroney shares this decadent French onion burger recipe that is a step above your standard beef burger. Onions aren't an unusual topping for a burger, but this combination of caramelized onions paired with Gruyère cheese adds new levels of richness and umami flavor. Maroney tells us, "I love that this burger is like French onion soup in burger form. It's ooey, gooey, and so loaded with onion and beefy flavor."

Indeed, any fan of French onion soup, with its tender onions in savory broth topped with melty cheese, is sure to love this burger rendition. The juicy beef pairs seamlessly with the sweet onions, and the cheese ties it all together in one satisfying bite. Caramelizing the onions is the longest component of this recipe, but patience is key to the soft consistency and sweet flavor. If you want to cut down on prep time before digging into your burger, Maroney notes that you can caramelize the onions in advance. Alternatively, she adds, "The onions can also be caramelized in the oven in a casserole dish covered with tin foil." Just heat the oven to 375 F and cook them hands-off for two hours.

For this decadent French onion burger recipe, you'll need ground beef, salt, ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, minced garlic cloves, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme sprigs. Next, get mayonnaise, butter, large onions, brioche buns, and sliced Gruyère cheese. 

To properly mimic a French onion soup, Maroney recommends using Gruyère, but says that a basic Swiss or lacey Swiss cheese could be substituted too. "Cheddar could be ok, but it's not traditional," she notes.

Combine the ground beef with the salt, pepper, herbs de Provence, 1 clove of minced garlic, Worcestershire, Dijon, and half of the fresh thyme.

Divide the beef into 4 equal-sized balls.

Smash the balls into 4-inch patties between two sheets of parchment paper and place in the refrigerator.

Whisk together the mayonnaise with the remaining garlic. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan.

Slice the onions into half moons and add them to the saute pan.

Cook the onions on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and caramelized. Set aside.

Heat a griddle or grill on high heat, add as many of the patties as you can comfortably fit, and cook them for 3 minutes without disturbing.

Flip and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 F and both sides are caramelized.

Top each burger with an equal amount of Gruyère cheese and cover until melted.

Butter the brioche buns.

Toast the buns on the griddle until golden brown.

Spread the garlic mayo onto the top of the buns and add the beef patties and caramelized onions to the bottom.

Serve with your favorite fries and enjoy.

These decadent French onion burgers are hearty and filling by themselves, but it's a universally accepted truth that burgers and fries make great companions. Choose your favorite cut of potato, from wedges to matchstick fries, and serve them on the side for a rounded meal. Skip the ketchup and dip them in mayo for a French twist — bonus points if it's a homemade recipe.

If you're looking for another spud to serve besides fries, there are plenty of French potato dishes to choose from that would be perfect with this French onion burger. Try pommes persillade, a crispy potato dish with an herbaceous sauce. Potatoes au gratin with Gruyère would surely elevate this meal to feast territory, while pommes dauphines — small potato puffs — are the starchy side you've been missing out on. Alternatively, consider making a French potato salad with dill, parsley, and a garlic Dijon vinaigrette. 

For a lighter accompaniment, whip up a Parisian-inspired salad with a mixed selection of greens and lettuces and a mustard dressing. If your love for French onion soup knows no bounds, Maroney notes, "Of course you could serve it with French onion soup too!" 

French onion soup might show up on menus across the country, but its current formulation wasn't always ubiquitous. The Romans and ancient Greeks savored an allium-heavy soup several thousands of years ago, and onion soup was a staple during the Medieval Period as well. The simplicity of the ingredients made this soup an easy staple to prepare when rations were low.

A similar soup recipe was included in a 14th-century French cookbook by Taillevent, a popular chef in the French court at the time. His version was made with sliced onions, butter, pea puree, and grape juice. Some accounts suggest the recipe was created by King Louis XV, who found himself hungry and with only a few ingredients on hand — onions, butter, and Champagne. A simple recipe, but the richness of slowly cooked onions tasted like something far more luxurious. Another tale says that Stanislas Leszczynski, Duke of Lorraine, enjoyed the soup at a hotel and brought the recipe back to Versailles, leading to its popularity.

Regardless of the first cook to make it, its presence in Les Halles, a bustling Parisian food market, as well as surrounding restaurants, elevated it to fame. Eventually, a gratinee top was added, giving the soup an appearance more similar to the cheesy caramelized onion version we know and love today.