French Onion Cheeseburger With Benefits

French Onion Cheeseburger
With Benefits

French onion soup meets an Oklahoma-style onion burger: onion-smashed beef, creamy Gruyère cheese sauce, crispy onions and a butter-toasted Parmesan-crusted bun.

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PREP TIME 25 MIN
COOK TIME 25 MIN
TOTAL TIME 50 MIN
YIELD 4 DOUBLE CHEESEBURGERS

A LITTLE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

French onion soup gives us the blueprint: beef, onions, bread and melted cheese. Here, the beef is smashed directly into paper-thin onions, Gruyère becomes a creamy cheese sauce, and the toasted bun gets a crisp Parmesan crust on the inside.

Then we pile on crispy onions because, well… this relationship comes with crunchy benefits.

CREAMY GRUYÈRE CHEESE SAUCE

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (Havarti is a great alternative)
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Kosher salt, if needed

Method

1. Make the roux. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute without browning.
2. Add the milk. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened.
3. Add the cheese. Reduce the heat to low and add the Gruyère a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Add black pepper and taste before adding salt.
4. Keep warm. Hold over very low heat. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a splash of warm milk.

Crispy Onions

Ingredients

  • 1 large yellow onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Method

1. Soak the onions. Soak the sliced onions in the buttermilk for 10 minutes.
2. Dredge. Combine the flour, salt, black pepper and paprika. Drain the onions, toss in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.
3. Fry. Heat 1½ to 2 inches of oil to 325–350°F. Fry the onions in small batches for 2–3 minutes, until light golden and crisp.
4. Drain. Drain on a rack or paper towels and season lightly with salt while hot.

Onion Smash Burgers & Parmesan-Toasted Buns

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds 80/20 ground beef
  • 1 large yellow onion, shaved paper-thin
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • Unsalted butter, softened, as needed
  • ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Get ready to smash. Heat a flat-top griddle or heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Divide the beef into eight loose 3-ounce balls and the shaved onion into eight piles. Combine the salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and granulated onion.
2. Butter the buns. Butter the cut sides of all the buns.
3. Smash. Place a pile of shaved onion on the hot griddle and set a beef ball on top. Season the beef, cover with parchment and smash firmly to about ¼ inch thick.
4. Cook and flip. Cook until the beef is well browned and the onions underneath have softened and browned. Scrape underneath the patty, flip the beef and onions together, and cook until done.
5. Toast the bottom buns. While the burgers cook, toast the bottom buns buttered-side down until golden.
6. Parmesan-crust the top buns. Place about 3 tablespoons Parmesan directly on the griddle for each top bun. When it begins to melt, press the buttered cut side of the bun onto the cheese. Cook until the Parmesan is golden and crisp, then lift from the griddle and let the crust set.

Build the Cheeseburgers

1. Start with the sauce. Spread Gruyère cheese sauce on the bottom bun.
2. First layer. Add one onion smash patty, crispy onions and another spoonful of Gruyère cheese sauce.
3. Add the benefits. Repeat with the second patty, crispy onions and Gruyère cheese sauce.
4. Finish. Add the top bun with the Parmesan-crusted side facing down. Secure with a steak knife if needed.
MADE IT?
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