Barbeque Cheddar Burger with Caramelized Onions

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It’s June 1st and I’m officially declaring it summer!

whole-wheat-english-muffin-burger-recipe

I know last weekend was Memorial Day and it should have been the time to share this fabulous burger recipe but I have to say my heart wasn’t in it. It rained/snowed all weekend and it’s difficult to get in the grilling mood when you have to don a beanie and gloves just to go on the back porch.

So to celebrate the fact that the sun is shining in Park City today, here is a recipe for one of my favorite burgers.

I don’t eat a lot of red meat but I do love a good steak and a good burger every once in awhile. In fact, sometimes nothing hits the spot like a burger hot from the grill!

Before I delve into the recipe, lets do a little burger 101.

  1. Lean meat has a time and place but on the grill is not it. Look for ground beef marked 85/15. That’s code for 85% lean, 15% fat. A little fat is good. It will go a long way to flavor your burger and make sure that it doesn’t dry out.
  2. The quality of the meat is important. I always use organic ground chuck if I can find it. Whole Foods almost always has it available and sometimes I can find it at Costco so I’ll buy extra and put it in the freezer.
  3. Handle the ground beef as little as possible. The more you play with it and mix it up, the tougher the burger will be. Tough burger= no bueno.
  4. Make sure your grill is nice and hot before putting the burgers on. Flip them just once. Don’t mess around the burgers. In this case, less is more.
  5. And lastly, for the love of all things burger, DO NOT SMASH YOUR BURGERS WHILE COOKING THEM. Trust me. You lose all the fat and flavor of the burger and the result will be less than desirable.

training-table-bbq-sauce-burger

The highlights of this burger are the caramelized onions and the barbeque aioli. Which is simply code for barbeque sauce mixed with mayonnaise. These few components can be done a day ahead or just before you plan to serve the burgers. Making this a great recipe for entertaining since you can do most of it ahead of time. In fact, you can season the burger and make the patties earlier in the day as well.

As you can see from the pictures, I served this burger on a toasted whole grain english muffin. I had a burger a few years back at a little diner in midtown Manhattan that was served on an english muffin. Ever since, it’s been my bread of choice when making burgers. But feel free to use what you like here.

bbq-cheddar-caramelized-onion-burger

I use sharp cheddar in this recipe. I like the way it balances the sweetness of the bbq sauce and caramelized onions. To add some freshness and crunch to the burger, I added some iceberg lettuce and sliced tomato. Plus the vegetables makes me feel a teensy bit less guilty about eating the whole darn thing!

This burger is big, juicy, messy, filling, and oh so delicious. What every burger should be, don’t you think?

Barbeque Cheddar Burger with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup prepared bbq sauce
  • 1 lb organic ground chuck
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground garlic powder
  • 2 small sweet yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • sharp cheddar cheese
  • iceberg lettuce
  • roma or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 english muffins or hamburger buns

Instructions

To prepare the barbeque aioli, combine mayonnaise and bbq sauce in a small bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine; set aside. To caramelize onions, heat butter in a small saute pan over medium low heat. Add sliced onions and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes until onions are nice and brown but not burnt; set aside. To prepare burgers, combine ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix gently and as little as possible to incorporate spices. Form into 4 patties. Heat grill to medium-high. When grill is nice and hot cook burgers on each side for 3-5 minutes, flipping once. Add sliced cheddar cheese last two minutes of grilling so cheese will melt. Adjust time if you want your burger more well done. While burgers are cooking, toast 4 english muffins. Build your burger: english muffin, bbq aioli, cheeseburger, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, bbq aioli, english muffin. Enjoy!