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Our delicious French Onion Burgers are loaded with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, melted Gruyère, and a creamy horseradish aioli. Pretty sure these may be the best burger you've ever made at home.
French Onion Burger Will Prob Be Your New Fav
The amount of compliments I get on these French Onino Burgers is insane! The secret is mixing onion soup mix right into the beef, which gives every single bite that deep, savory French onion flavor you can't get from toppings alone. Pair that with sweet caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and that horseradish aioli (seriously, don't skip it), and you've got a homemade burger that blows any restaurant version out of the water.
And if you're already making a delicious burger patty, I HIGHLY recommend you serve these on homemade hamburger buns! The buns even freeze great, so you could make them in advance.
Take advantage of grilling season and try Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Carne Asada Tacos, Chicken Kabobs, and Grilled Pizza!
How to make French Onion Burgers:
Make Horseradish Aioli: Mix ingredients together in a bowl and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator).
Form Patties: Sprinkle onion soup mix over the ground beef and use your hands to gently mix it together (don't over-mix). Divide into 6 equal portions and gently form into ½ inch thick patties that are wider than the burger buns (they will shrink). With your thumb, press a small indentation into the center of each patty.
Carmelized Onions: Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions to the pan in an even layer and leave them until they start to brown. Once they brown on the bottom, stir in sugar and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cook until all browned, about 10-15 minutes.
Grill Burgers: Place patties on a hot grill, on medium-high heat with the indent side up. Close lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom is seared and juices are pooling on top. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes more, until done (130-150 degrees F). Place cheese on burgers during the last minute of cooking then remove to a plate to rest for a few minutes.
Assemble Burger: Toast burger buns, if desired then add a spoonful of aioli on top. Top with burger patty, bacon, caramelized onion, arugula or lettuce, then the top bun. Serve with French Fries, Potato Wedges, Macaroni Salad, or Watermelon Salad!
French Onion Burgers
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Burgers:
- 1 ½ pounds ground chuck*, (80/20)
- 1 Onion Soup Mix, , packet or homemade
Caramelized Onions:
- 2 onions, red, sweet or yellow, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- salt and pepper, , to taste
Toppings:
- 6 slices Gruyere cheese
- 6 slices cooked bacon, , optional
- Baby arugula, , or butter lettuce
- 6 hamburger buns, , brioche
Horseradish Aioli:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, , minced
- 1 dash salt
Instructions
- Make Horseradish Aioli by mixing the ingredients together in a bowl at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 weeks) before assembling burgers.½ cup mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon horseradish, ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, 1 dash salt
- Season and form patties: Sprinkle the onion soup mix all over the ground beef and use your hands to gently mix it into the meat (be careful not to over-mix the meat). Divide into 6 equal portions and gently form into ½ inch thick patties that are wider than the burger buns (as they will shrink). Use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each patty. Cover and set aside.1 ½ pounds ground chuck*, 1 Onion Soup Mix
- Make caramelized onions: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions to the pan in an even layer and leave them until they begin to brown. Once they start to brown on the bottom, stir in sugar and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 15 minutes.2 onions, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, ½ Tablespoon granulated sugar, salt and pepper
- Grill burgers: Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place patties on hot grill, indent-side up. Close grill lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom of the burger is seared and juices are accumulating on top of the burger. Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness (130-150 degrees).
- Add cheese on burgers during the last minute of cooking. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes before assembling.6 slices Gruyere cheese
- Assemble: Toast burger buns if desired and place a spoonful of aioli on the buns. Top with burger patty, bacon, caramelized onions and arugula or lettuce, then top bun.6 slices cooked bacon, Baby arugula, 6 hamburger buns
- Serve with fries, fresh fruit, or a side salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe May 2023. Updated June 2026.
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So good. The aioli should be in a squeeze bottle in fridge. But it’s really the caramelized onions with Gruyère cheese that did me in.
Perfect for a summer grill night – tastes amazing and easy to make
Sooo good!