Learn how to make the best homemade French Burger recipe!
The classic French Burger is one of our family’s favourite recipes to cook at home when craving a tasty vacation to France.
Also known simply as a French Onion Burger, this quick & easy beef burger recipe is ready to serve in under an hour.
You’ll love cooking our flavourful French Burger recipe featuring caramelized onions cooked in brandy, thyme, comte cheese, ground beef, brioche buns, dijon mustard, aioli and cornichon pickles.
Save this story to Pinterest!
History of Burgers
The hamburger first appeared in the 19th or early 20th century.
The modern hamburger was a product of the culinary needs of a society rapidly changing due to industrialization and the emergence of the working class and middle class with the resulting demand for mass-produced, affordable food that could be consumed outside of the home.
Culinary historians suggest that either the Texas, USA or Germany (via the port city of Hamburg) was the first place where two slices of bread and a ground beef steak were combined into a “hamburger sandwich” and sold.
We like to believe the German tale speaks the truth. Minced meat was a delicacy in medieval cuisine as red meat was usually restricted to the higher classes. Russian ships brought recipes for steak tartare to the port of Hamburg during the 17th-century.
During the first half of the 19th-century, most northern European immigrants traveling to the New World departed from Hamburg’s port. New York City was a common destination for ships traveling from Hamburg, and various restaurants offered Hamburg-style steaks to attract German sailors. The steak frequently appeared on menus as a Hamburg-style American fillet.
Shortly after its creation, the hamburger quickly included its typical trimmings such as onions, lettuce, and sliced pickles.
Travel to Europe by Eating A French Burger at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia,Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey and Italy.
What I love most about traveling to France is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The dishes in Paris and Versailles are unique to what you might find on restaurant menus in Normandy, Chateauneuf de Pape, Provence, Epernay, Reims, Dijon and Annecy.
Once back home from a French holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of France and can impress friends and family by making our easy French Burger recipe.
Where To Eat A French Burger
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local burger restaurant that serves a tasty French Burger.
Gourmet burger restaurants often create thematic recipes that showcase the tastes of region cuisine. Texas burgers feature smoked meat and barbecue sauce, Mexican burgers are slathered with guacamole and crumbled queso and French Onion Burgers are sandwiched between petite pickles, homemade aioli and fried onions.
In Toronto you may find these fancy European burgers at French restaurants or gourmet burger shops such as Maison Selby, La Palette, La Societe French Bistro, Le Select Bistro, Cafe Boulud at Four Seasons Hotel, Aloette, Auberge du Pommier, Cluny Bistro, Cafe Cancan, Coffee Oysters Champagne, Chabrol, Union, Wahlburgers, W Burger Bar, Holy Chuck Burger, The Burgers Priest, Great Burger Kitchen or BQM Burger.
My Family Loves A French Burger Feast
My family loves firing up burgers on the barbecue at our home in Oakville and cottage in Muskoka during the summer.
While we love traditional beef burgers, this easy French Onion Burger recipe offers a taste of Paris thanks to flavourful comte cheese, aioli, brandy caramelized onions, fresh thyme, dijon mustard, cornichon pickles and buttery brioche buns.
You can grill French burgers on a barbecue for a smoky and charred texture or simply fry them in a nonstick skillet on the stove.
French Burger Health Benefits
Our homemade French Burger recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of leeks can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Beef is a great source of protein and minerals like iron as well as an excellent source of the amino acid L-carnitine. Beef also features antioxidant glutathione known for its anti-aging benefits.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
Cucumbers are low in calories and high in water content so are great at hydrating the body. To maximize their nutrient content, cucumbers should be eaten unpeeled. Peeling them reduces the amount of fibre, as well as certain vitamins and minerals.
Rich in energy-boosting manganese and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, thyme may help keep your blood and immune system healthy.
French Burger Tips
This yummy French Onion burger is quick and easy to make at home. We’ve included a few tips for first time burger makers!
- Our French Burger patty is made with medium ground beef as the fat gives the meat flavour. You could also use lean ground beef or a mixture of minced beef, pork or veal.
- We’ve flavoured the beef patty with fresh thyme but you could also use French chives or tarragon.
- We like to keep our French burger simple but you could jazz up your sandwich by adding peppery arugula lettuce and sliced tomato.
- We’ve used sliced vidalia onions in this recipe but you could also use French shallots or Spanish onions.
- Our caramelized onions are flavoured with Worcestershire sauce and brandy. We suggest using a high quality French cognac but you could substitute for a fortified wine like sherry, sweet vermouth or marsala.
- Our burger features one of our favourite cheeses from France called comte, you can substitute for another cheese that melts well like brie, camembert or gruyere.
- We like using slightly sweet brioche buns when making these burger but you could also use regular hamburger buns.
What To Serve with French Onion Burgers
We love serving this homemade French Burger recipe with a fresh salad or crispy sides.
If you’re hosting a burger dinner party or potluck to a crowd pair with some of our favourite side dishes such as Jalapeno Poppers, Mexican Queso, Onion Rings, Nachos and Sweet Potato Fries.
For a healthier dinner option we suggest pairing burgers with fresh salads like Egyptian Salad Salata Baladi, Lebanese Eggplant Fatteh, Vegan Citrus “Rojak” Singapore Salad, Vegetarian Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad with Beetroot & Pine Nuts, Laos Papaya Salad Tum Mak Hoong, Roasted Beetroot Salad with Grapefruit, Canadian Salad, Garlic Lemon Chickpea Avocado Salad and Cherry Pecan Kale Salad.
After dinner why not dazzle your guests with one of our popular desserts such as Oat Flour Cookies with Chocolate Chips, Dark Chocolate Lindt Lindor Cookies, Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe, Cinnamon Babka For Chocolate Lovers, Turmeric Pumpkin Spice Indian Cake, Jordgubbstårta Gluten Free Swedish Strawberry Meringue Cake, Rhubarb Strawberry Dutch Baby German Pancakes, Flaky Swedish Rhubarb Cherry Pie or Creamy Lemon Angel Pie.
You May Also Enjoy Reading…
- Brandy Manhattan Cognac Cocktail Drink Recipe
- Easy Healthy Vegetarian French Onion Soup Recipe
- Creamy Apple and Pear Pork Normandy
- Crispy Gruyere Grilled Cheese Recipe
- How To Make Tartiflette Reblochon
- Thai Red Curry Prawn Burger Recipe
- Easy Frozen Burgers In Air Fryer Recipe
- Pineapple Plantain Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burger Recipe
- Swedish Sandwich Cake: Easy Homemade Smorgastarta Recipe
- How To Make a Christmas and Thanksgiving Turkey Cranberry Sandwich
- White BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Jalapeno and Pickles
How To Make The Best French Burger Recipe
French Burger
Equipment
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- French knife
- Skillet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over low heat; add onions. Simmer 30-45 minutes to caramelize and develop a deep golden colour. Add brandy and Worcestershire Sauce, simmer and stir until alcohol has cooked off and the flavours combine, 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, hand blend thyme with the ground beef, form into four patties and season both sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Brush cut sides of buns with butter and pan sear or grill to golden brown.
- Pan sear or grill patties 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and top each with caramelized onions and Comté cheese. Continue to cook another 4-5 minutes until the burger reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
- ASSEMBLY: On the top of each bun slather with mayonnaise and dijon mustard. On the bottom bun squirt ketchup and place sliced pickles. Using a spatula, gently slide the onion and cheese topped burger patties over the pickles. Sandwich the burger together by gently pressing the top bun onto the burger patty. Serve hot with frites.
Nutrition
Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, Dobbernationloves will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.
Save this story to Pinterest!
