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These brown sugar caramelized onions for burgers are rich, sweet, and savory. They are the ultimate topping for a juicy burger. Easy to make ahead!
If you’ve ever wondered what makes a truly great burger, I’ll tell you: it’s the caramelized onions. Specifically, these caramelized onions for burgers, made with brown sugar and a splash of beef stock for a rich, deeply savory-sweet topping that takes any burger from good to absolutely incredible.
I am obsessed with caramelized onions. Like, I could eat them straight out of the pan with a fork, no burger required. But when you pile them onto a juicy burger with melty cheese? That is a whole different level of delicious. This is one of those recipes I come back to again and again, and once you try it, you’ll understand why.
The secret is twofold: brown sugar to give the onions a beautiful caramel glaze, and a bit of beef stock stirred in at the end to deepen the flavor. It’s simple, it’s a little extra, and it is absolutely worth it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Ground Beef – for the best burgers you want to use something that has some fat in it. I use 85/15 when making burgers.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt & Pepper
- Onions
- Olive Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Beef Broth – you can use prepared beef broth, but I used better than bouillon base for this and mixed with water according to the package directions to make 1/2 cup.
- Hamburger Buns
- Sliced Cheese – use whatever your favorite cheese is. For this I used Colby Jack, but Swiss, Cheddar, Gouda…pretty much anything is delicious!
Caramelized Onion Burgers
Ingredients
Burgers
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Caramelized Onions
- 2 large white onions, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 slices cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the onions and brown sugar. Stir to evenly coat the onions. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are cooked down, tender, and a deep golden brown color. You want them to be a deep brown color from the sugars, not from a high heat that sears the onions.2 large white onions, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- Once cooked down, stir in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, increase heat to medium high. Cook until the liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup beef broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine all of the ingredients for the hamburgers. Mix well, and form into 4 equal size patties.1 pound ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place patties on the grill, and cook for 5-6 minutes per side. Place slices of cheese on each burger during the last 2 minutes of cooking. If you would like the buns toasted, place them on the grill during the last 2 minutes of cooking as well.4 slices cheese
- To serve top, each bun with a cheeseburger patty, a slice of bacon, and about ¼ cup of the caramelized onion mixture.4 hamburger buns
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Caramelized Onion Burgers
Caramelizing Onions
- Start with the onions. Thinly slice two large white onions. The thinner the slices, the more evenly they’ll cook down.
- Add the brown sugar early. Unlike classic caramelized onions where you just let the natural sugars do the work, here you add brown sugar right at the start. It coats the onions and helps them develop that gorgeous deep-golden color and lightly sweet, almost candy-like flavor. This is what makes them so incredible as a burger topping.
- Cook low and slow. Medium heat, about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Don’t rush it. The onions need time to cook all the way down and turn a deep, rich golden brown. If they start to stick, you can add a tiny splash of water or oil.
- Finish with beef stock. Once the onions are beautifully caramelized, you stir in beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, then turn up the heat and let it all absorb. The result is a deeply savory, glossy, incredible onion mixture that is the best topping for burgers.
Burgers
- Shape burgers. Mix together ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until well combined. Divide into 4 equal balls and shape into a hamburger patty.
- Grill. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Add the hamburger patties, and let them cook for about 5 minutes per side. Add a slice of cheese and cook for another minute until it is melted.
- Serve. Place the cheeseburger on a bun and top with those delicious caramelized onions for burgers. Add bacon, garlic aioli, mayo, big mac sauce, or whatever toppings you like!
Tips For The Best Caramelized Onions for Burgers
- Use a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet. More surface area = more contact with the pan = better browning. Cast iron works great here.
- Don’t walk away. Caramelized onions need stirring every few minutes to prevent burning, especially once the brown sugar is in the pan.
- Make them ahead. Caramelized onions reheat beautifully. Make a big batch on Sunday and use them all week — on burgers, over pork chops, in grilled cheese, on pizza.
- Season at the end. Salt draws out moisture, so hold off until the very end to season with salt and pepper.
- Double the batch. Seriously. You will not regret having extra caramelized onions in your fridge.
Yes! This is actually one of my favorite things about this recipe. The caramelized onions keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Just reheat gently in a skillet over low heat before serving. They’re also great on pork chops, steak, grilled chicken, or tucked into a grilled cheese sandwich.
White or yellow onions work best. They have a higher sugar content than red onions, which helps them caramelize and brown beautifully.
Once you make these caramelized onion burgers, I promise you won’t go back. They’re the kind of topping that makes people ask what your secret is. Now you know; brown sugar, patience, and a little beef stock. Make these this weekend and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Oh my, this is new to me, I never thought about caramelizing onions with brown sugar.