Elevate your burgers with just a few additions that will turn them into a truly gourmet burger. Find the most delicious ways to create mouthwatering burgers to crave!
If you’ve ever wondered how to create truly delectable gourmet burgers at home, I’m here to show you the light!
There was a time in my life where I couldn’t figure out the way to make truly delectable cheeseburgers on the grill, oven or stove top. They always seemed to turn out dry, a little tough and overcooked.
Since those early years, I’ve taught myself a few tricks of the trade. I’ve shown you how to create juicy burgers at home, how to make burger sliders, and even your own burger bar for the perfect entertaining set up!
Gourmet Burgers
Today I wanted to touch on a truly gourmet burger. This is the kind of burger I dream about… the ones we seek out at the best local restaurants! Yes, you can make a truly gourmet burger at home.
The art of a gourmet burger is in creating a combination of more decadent, rich toppings. We’re so lucky to have such incredible burger restaurants near us in St. Louis, and I love reading through the toppings on the menus. So much creativity and so many delicious ideas!
Toppings are what will set your burgers apart. In fact, when you’re building a truly gourmet burger, you’ll want to put careful consideration into the flavor profiles of each topping! Don’t combine too many things, and don’t add items that will compete.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Indulgent – This combination of flavors is decadent and unforgettable.
- Easy Upgrade – A little extra time and effort go into this combination, but it’s worth it, I promise!
- Special – Perfect for entertaining, but easy enough for a weeknight dinner!
Every good burger starts with the perfect ground beef patty. Don’t overthink this! I promise, it’s so much easier than you might think!
Shopping List
- Ground Chuck – 80/20 is ideal
- Eggs (You’ll need jsut one yolk)
- Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Unsalted Butter
- Boursin Cheese
- Caramelized Onions
- Truffle Aioli
Variations
- Substitute with chicken, turkey, or any number of ground meats! It’s completely personal preference, but a gourmet burger is most frequently beef.
- Eliminate listed seasonings and just use this incredible Burger Seasoning
- Make homemade burger patties for the best results
Gourmet Burger Toppings
As pictured in this post, my favorite gourmet burger includes the following three items:
- Caramelized onion – Slightly sweet and perfectly textured, these balance the salty flavors of your burger so well!
- Truffle aioli – Why use regular mayo when you can use truffle aioli? It’s decadent and deliciously flavorful.
- Homemade Boursin Cheese – This soft, creamy cheese is blended with garlic and herbs. Don’t skip this incredibly creamy step!
Tips
- Use the best quality ground beef, but a higher fat content is great for burgers – we tend to prefer 80/20 ground chuck.
- Avoid handling the meat too much, you’ll toughen it the more you touch it. Although it’s hard not to do it, don’t give into the temptation of pressing your burger patty down onto the pan or grill.
- Keep those juices locked inside the burger patty!
- Want your cheese to be perfectly melted? Throw a little water onto the cheese after you’ve place it on the burger patty, and cover the pan with a lid. It helps the cheese liquefy into perfection!
Free Printable Meat Temperature Chart
Get the free printable Meat Temperature Chart to ensure your chicken is cooked properly based on the cooking method and meat you select.
More Topping Inspiration
- Homemade Pimento Cheese
- blue cheese
- Gruyere
- Homemade Mayo
- jalapeños – add a spicy kick to burgers!
- sriracha
- avocado slices – green, creamy and delicious, avocado is a delicious but memorable burger topping!
- fried eggs – don’t question this deliciousness. I promise you won’t regret it- and when combined with bacon? The ultimate!
- sauteed or roasted mushrooms – slice them thin and try this recipe.
- chipotle aioli
- pesto aioli
- bacon jam
- jalapeño dip
- Caramelized shallot spread
- Bacon cheese Dip
- Queso Blanco
Serving Suggestions
See our complete guide for What to Serve With Burgers!
Best Burger Buns
Of course you can just buy the classic soft sesame seed topped buns off the grocery store shelf. There’s nothing wrong with that!
However, we’re talking about an elevated burger today. This calls for a special bread! Try one of the following:
- Brioche – very soft, a little sweet (as pictured in this post!)
- Pretzel – salty, doughy and chewy
- Ciabatta – thick crust, very structured
- Onion Roll – sweet and savory addition of onion, usually added to a brioche bun
- Challah – soft and yeasty
The most important tip for your gourmet burger buns? TOAST THEM! That’s right, slather a little softened butter on the inside of your buns and learn how to toast burger buns in the oven or stove top. Just a touch of crunch goes such a long way!
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Burger patties can sit out at room temperature for up to two hours safely while serving. After that, they must be refrigerated or frozen.
- Refrigerator – Ideally, save all the ingredients for your gourmet burgers separately to prevent sogginess. Burger patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer – You can easily freeze your burger patties (before or after cooking) for up to four months safely, but the remaining ingredients in this gourmet burger topping combination are best when served fresh.
More Burger Inspiration
Gourmet Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces 80/20 ground beef (1 pound)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper thick flakes of fresh ground pepper preferred
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Buns
- 4 brioche buns sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Toppings
- ½ cup boursin cheese store-bought or homemade
- ¼ cup truffle aioli store-bought or homemade
- ⅓ cup caramelized onions store-bought or homemade
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, gently combine ground beef, egg yolk, olive oil, garlic and pepper.16 ounces 80/20 ground beef, 1 large egg yolk, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Divide into 4. Gently form patties and press to create a thumbprint in the center. Place on a plate or platter and refrigerate 10 minutes.
Toppings
- Meanwhile, combine to make boursin cheese, truffle aioli and prepare caramelize onions or set out store-bought.½ cup boursin cheese, ¼ cup truffle aioli, ⅓ cup caramelized onions
Buns
- Add butter to a large pan or griddle over medium heat. Swirl butter to coat the pan.
- Add buns, sliced side facing down. Toast buns approximately 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove from heat.
Cook Burgers
- In a large skillet over high heat, add butter and swirl until melted. Transfer patties to skillet and sear 4 minutes. Turn.1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- For medium rare burgers, sear on the opposite side for approximately 3 minutes. For medium burgers, 4 minutes on the other side. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
- With just 30 seconds remaining, add boursin cheese to the top to melt. Transfer patties to a platter.
Assemble
- Place patties on lower half of buns and top with aioli and caramelized onions. Add the top of the bun and enjoy!
Julie’s Tips
- Ground Chuck – 80/20 is ideal. Yes, it’s a high fat content, but you don’t eat burgers every day!
- Olive Oil – You’ll be amazed at how this creates the best juicy finish. Substitute with butter if needed.
- Minced Garlic – Fresh or store bought in a jar.
- Caramelized Onion – Slightly sweet and perfectly textured, these balance the salty flavors of your burger so well!
- Truffle Aioli – Why use regular mayo when you can use truffle aioli? It’s decadent and deliciously flavorful.
- Homemade Boursin Cheese – This soft, creamy cheese is blended with garlic and herbs. Don’t skip this incredibly creamy step!
Variations
- pimento cheese
- blue cheese
- gruyere
- jalapeños
- avocado slices
- fried eggs
- sautéed or roasted mushrooms
- peanut butter
- bacon
- chipotle aioli
- pesto aioli
- sriracha
- bacon jam
- jalapeño dip
- caramelized shallot spread
- bacon cheese dip
- queso blanco
- Velveeta cheese dip
Bun Recommendations
- Brioche
- Pretzel
- Ciabatta
- Onion Roll
- Challah
Tips
- Use the best quality ground beef you can afford – we tend to prefer 80/20 ground chuck.
- Avoid handling the meat too much, you’ll toughen it the more you touch it.Although it’s hard not to do it, don’t give into the temptation of pressing your burger patty down onto the pan or grill.
- Keep those juices locked inside the burger patty!
- Want your cheese to be perfectly melted? Throw a little water onto the cheese after you’ve place it on the burger patty, and cover the pan with a lid. It helps the cheese liquefy into perfection!
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Explore More
How to Make
*Full directions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
- Create burger patties according to directions (in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post)
- Mix your truffle aioli.
- Create your Boursin cheese mixture.
- Caramelize onions.
- Cook burgers to your preferred temperature.
- Toast your burger buns by slathering with butter and quickly toasting in a skillet on the stove top or in the oven. (Learn more by clicking through to the full tutorial)
- Add cheese during the last 30 seconds of cooking to create the perfect melt!
- Top with a healthy dollop of aioli.
- Add caramelized onions.
- Enjoy!
Delicious but I followed the instructions that said to add all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, lol, I included the butter that it says later in the recipe to add to the skillet. My fault for not reading everything through first but just sharing so someone else doesn’t do the same thing I did. Wonderful combination of flavors.
Thanks for all the delicious gourmet burger topping suggestions. But you had me sold on the Boursin! What a brilliant idea. I’ve never thought of that before. DELICIOUS, perfect burgers that the whole family loved. Thanks for this yummy recipe.
Thanks for all the ideas! I totally agree that the truffle aioli is so much better than mayo. And changing the bun up with brioche was my favorite fancy take.
What makes ‘pub cheese’ different to just cheese?
It’s gooey consistency and unique flavor.
I love that special touch on the bread. looks so yummy.