BBQ Beef Burger
These burgers come down to two things done properly: caramelised onions and a hard sear on the beef. Neither takes any special skill, they just take a bit of patience, and that’s what separates this from a burger you’d knock together in ten minutes.
The beef gets pressed flat and left alone in a hot pan so it actually caramelises instead of steaming. Then it’s tossed through Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce and a bit of honey until it’s glossy and sticky. Stack that on a toasted brioche bun with melted cheddar and those onions and you’ve got something that tastes like it took a lot more effort than it did.
Six burgers, wrapped individually in foil, straight in the fridge or freezer. This is one of those meal prep recipes that doesn’t feel like meal prep food.
BBQ Beef Burgers
BURGERS · BEEF · MEAL PREP · EASY
Real caramelisation, not just browned mince
Pressing the beef flat and leaving it undisturbed in a hot pan builds a proper crust before you break it up. That's where most of the flavour in this burger actually comes from, not the sauce.
Thirty minutes of low and slow gets the onions properly jammy and sweet, which is exactly what balances out the smoky BBQ sauce and honey glaze on the beef. Skipping this step is the difference between a good burger and an average one.
And because these freeze for up to three months, you can make a full batch once and have burgers ready to go whenever you need them, not just for the next four days.
BBQ Beef Burgers
Ingredients
Caramelised Onions
- 14 g Unsalted Butter
- 3 Brown (Yellow) Onions Sliced
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Honey BBQ Beef
- 700 g Beef Mince 10% Fat
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 15 ml Worcestershire Sauce
- 60 g Smoky BBQ Sauce
- 14 g Honey
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Cheese
- 150 g Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese Grated
Buns
- 6 Seeded Brioche Burger Buns Toasted
To Serve
- Dill Pickle Slices
- Sauce of Choice
Method
- Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 4-5 minutes, until deeply golden, jammy and sweet.
- While the onions cook, combine the beef mince with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Heat a large heavy pan over high heat. Add the seasoned beef and press flat across the pan. Leave undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until deeply caramelised. Break up, toss, then press flat again for another minute.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce and honey. Toss until evenly coated and glossy, and cook until the beef is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F). Remove from the heat.
- Place the brioche buns cut side up under a grill at 180°C (350°F) for 1-2 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Lay the bottom buns on a baking tray. Add a layer of grated cheese to each base, then divide the honey BBQ beef evenly. Top with caramelised onions, dill pickles and remaining cheese.
- Place the bun tops on and bake at 200°C (390°F) fan-forced for 6-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and the buns are golden.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving, or wrap individually in foil and refrigerate for meal prep.
What internal temperature should the beef reach?⌄
Beef mince is safe once it reaches 71°C (160°F). Worth checking with a thermometer the first time you make these, until you get a feel for how long that takes in your pan.
Can I freeze these burgers?⌄
Yes, they freeze well for up to 3 months. Wrap individually in foil, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Can I speed up the caramelised onions?⌄
Not really, not without losing the depth of flavour. Turning the heat up just browns the outside of the onions before they've had a chance to break down and sweeten. The 25–30 minutes on medium-low is doing the actual work.
What's the best way to reheat these?⌄
Remove the foil, then microwave for 30–60 seconds to heat through, followed by the air fryer at 180°C (355°F) for 3–4 minutes to crisp the bun back up. Never microwave with the foil still on.
