Caramelised Onion and Cheddar Burgers

Here's a Kiwi take on the famous Oklahoma burgers that feature beef patties piled high with soft and sticky onions.

Gretchen LoweFood stylist and chef
prepare
cook
6 servings
Easy
Caramelised Onion & Cheddar burgers
Gretchen Lowe's caramelised onion and cheddar burgers are the epitome of interactive eating.Gretchen Lowe

This is my husband Blair's take on these moreish burgers, which have become something of a family weekend tradition.

To make your own burger sauce, mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 1/2 cup American-style mustard and 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Store any leftovers in a tightly covered jar in the fridge.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 750g beef mince (minimum 20% fat), shaped into 6 patties
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 medium brown or red onions, very thinly sliced (a mandolin or food processor works well)
  • 6 slices cheddar cheese
  • 6 brioche buns, sliced in half
  • 1 1/2 cups burger sauce
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 cup salad greens
  • Pickles or jalapeños

Instructions

  1. Heat a large frying pan or BBQ plate over a medium-high heat for a few minutes. When hot, add a good drizzle of the oil.
  2. When the oil is hot, working in batches, place 2–3 patties in the pan and smash them with the base of a mug or spatula.
  3. Season patties with salt and pepper, then cover generously with onions — press them in slightly with a spatula or base of a mug as you go. It’s fine if you spill a few onions onto the hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Carefully flip the burger patties. You want to scrape the pan to get everything and may need to carefully use another spoon or spatula to hold the onions onto each patty as you flip. Once flipped, press down on each patty to push the onions further into the meat.
  5. Season the patties again and lay a slice of cheese onto each. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted, and the onions are cooked.
  6. To steam the buns place the top of the bun onto the cheese and patty while still in the pan. Next place the bottom bun upside-down over the top bun to allow it to steam in the onion vapors. About another 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
  7. Transfer the steamed burger bun bases to your plates and begin building your burgers.
  8. Working quickly, add mustard, burger sauce, tomatoes, salad greens and pickles or jalapeños to the base of the bun.
  9. Using a spatula, carefully lift each onion burger patty and top of buns off the pan and place onto the base. Serve immediately.

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