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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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.
I spend a lot of time testing out new flavor combos for burgers, and while not all of them turn out to be great, 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. 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 round to make them - weather permitting of course.
Contents:
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: For burgers, I recommend using a high-quality beef that is 90% lean or less. 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. I love them as a burger topping becuase they provide great flavor and they stay on the burger better than raw onions.
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 have 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.
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. I usually do this about an hour before I want to start grilling. This gives the flavors time to meld a bit.
- 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 barbecue tongs to brush the grill with oil. Make sure to do this step before you turn the grill on!
- Cook the burgers: Put the burgers on the grill and let them cook for about 4 minutes. 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!
Meal Prep Tip
You can make the caramelized onions a day or two in advance. I recommend reheating them for about 20 seconds in the microwave before adding them to the burger.
Serving Suggestions
Any type of salad or veggie side works well with burgers. Some of my favorite options include this Miso Glazed Cauliflower, this Watermelon & Feta Salad or this White Bean Salad.
More recipes for the grill
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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
- Heat your grill. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat - about 400°F.
- Make the burger patties. Mix ground beef, Worcestershire, pepper, dried onion and salt in a small mixing bowl. Form into 3-4 burger patties.
- 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.
- Make the sauce. While the burgers are cooking mix the mayonnaise with the Worcestershire sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- 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.
- 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.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
Worcestershire sauce adds great flavour to meat. What a tasty recipe with the combination of cheese and caramelized onions
Janette@CulinaryGinger.com
Two of my favorite things on a burger, caramelized onions and gruyere. Delicious burger.
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Janette - two of my favorites as well!! 🙂
Lisa Huff
OMG I'm drooling! Such a great combo of flavors!
Platter Talk
Gruyere & onions on a burger? Perfect. French Onion soup flavor with a burger. Oh yesssss!!!
Jill
That's what I was thinking, too! YUM!!!!!
Julie
This burger could start it's own modeling agency. It is a thing of beauty. I love using Grand Cru for gruyere, both are amazing.
Betty Davies | Slow The Cook Down
You have stolen my heart with this burger!! Looks sooooo good!
Marlee
I'm just going to pick my jaw up off of the floor. Holy cow!!!!
Karyl Henry
My mouth is watering for this burger...and it's only 9AM! I love gruyere cheese. I must try this recipe out
Jenni
Oh gosh, I could totally face plant into this burger! That cheese! The mushrooms! It looks amazing!!