This pretzel burger recipe is a huge hit! Juicy hamburgers, Swiss cheese, honey mustard sauce, caramelized beer onions, crispy bacon, and crisp lamb's lettuce and pickles, sitting on a soft and tasty pretzel bun. Enjoy this delicious pub burger with a cool lager and thick-cut fries in the comfort of your own home!
There are quite a few toppings going on here, but that's exactly why I love this burger. You get something salty, tangy, creamy, crunchy, and cheesy all at once. It tastes like the kind of burger I'd happily order at a pub, except I can make it at home in about 30 minutes. If you're in the mood for more seriously good comfort food, why not try my Maine Lobster Rolls next?
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Try This Pretzel Burger Recipe
If you love a real loaded burger, you really need to try this one! The beef patties themselves are simple, but it's everything piled around them that turns these into proper pub-style burgers.
I especially love the caramelized onions deglazed with beer. The flavor works with the salty bacon, melted Swiss cheese, and pretzel buns. Add a generous spoonful of honey mustard and a few thick pickle slices, and you'll need both hands for this one. Definitely not a dainty lunch.
Why You'll Love It
- Loaded with flavor: Between the beef, bacon, Swiss cheese, beer onions, pickles, and honey mustard, there's absolutely nothing boring about this burger.
- Great mix of textures: You get juicy beef, crispy bacon and lettuce, gooey cheese, crunchy pickles, and a soft, chewy pretzel bun all together. Add some tomato, red onion, or whatever you like!
- Quick to make: Once I have all my toppings ready, the burgers themselves cook really quickly.
- Easy to customize: I love Swiss cheese here, but you can swap the cheese, sauce, greens, or even add a fried egg if you're particularly hungry. You can add different spices and sauces if you prefer, too, like Dijon mustard, garlic powder, beer cheese dip, and more!
- Pub food at home: Add thick-cut fries or onion rings on the side, and you've got the full pub experience without even needing to leave the house.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I prefer using 80/20 ground beef because that extra fat keeps the patties juicy and gives them much more beef flavor. I make mine fairly thin, but you can absolutely make thicker patties if that's how you like your burgers. Just remember they'll need longer to cook.
- Pretzel buns: These are what really make this burger different. They're soft and chewy with that slightly salty pretzel flavor, and they're firm enough to soak up the burger juices and sauce without immediately falling apart in your hands.
- Swiss cheese: Emmental or Gruyère is my first choice because the bit of nutty flavor works so well with the beef and pretzel bun. I've also made these with sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and even blue cheese, so don't panic if Swiss isn't available in your fridge.
- Bacon and caramelized beer onions: This combination is probably my favorite of all. Crispy, salty bacon gives the burger some crunch, and the caramelized onions bring sweetness and plenty of flavor. Deglazing the onions with beer makes them even better and ties everything back to that pub-style flavor.
How to Make a Pub-Style Pretzel Burger
1. Prepare all your toppings before cooking the burgers. Place a plate in the oven, heat the oven to 200°F (93°C) for 5 minutes, then turn it off and keep the door closed.
2. Caramelize the onions, deglaze them with the beer, and set aside. I specifically use the beer for the beer flavor; it makes these extra special. Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions and shape into thin patties about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wider than your pretzel buns.
3. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan over high heat. You can use butter or oil. Season one side of each patty with salt and black pepper and place that side down in the pan. Cook for about 90 seconds on medium-high heat, until juices appear on top and the edges begin turning grey.
4. Season the hamburger patties with salt and pepper, then flip the patties. Immediately place a slice of Swiss cheese on each one, cover the pan, and cook for another 20-30 seconds. Transfer the burgers to the warm plate in the oven.
5. Without cleaning the pan, toast the pretzel buns for about 1 minute. I like doing this in the same pan because they pick up some of those beefy pan juices—and I'm certainly not dirtying another pan if I don't have to.
6. Assemble each burger with the bottom pretzel bun, honey mustard sauce, lamb's lettuce, cheeseburger patty, crispy bacon, caramelized beer onions mixture, pickles, more honey mustard sauce, and the top bun. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Get all your toppings ready before the beef hits the pan. These patties cook quickly, and this isn't the time to suddenly remember the pickles are still hiding at the back of the fridge.
- I use 80/20 ground beef because leaner beef can dry out quickly, especially when making thinner patties.
- Make the raw patties about 1 inch wider than the buns because they'll shrink as they cook.
- Don't clean the pan before toasting the pretzel buns. The leftover juices add extra flavor and give the cut sides a yummy toasted finish.
- I usually cook my bacon in the air fryer at 385°F for about 8 minutes. It's quick, crispy, and saves me from dealing with another greasy pan.
- If you're making thick patties instead, increase the cooking time and make sure they're cooked properly in the center.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Thick-cut fries
- French fries
- Potato wedges
- Onion rings
- Fresh green salad
- Coleslaw
- Potato salad
FAQs
Pub burgers are usually a little more substantial than a basic diner burger and tend to come with richer toppings. For this one, the pretzel bun, Swiss cheese, bacon, caramelized beer onions, and honey mustard give it that proper pub-food feel.
Absolutely. I prefer thinner patties for this recipe because they cook quickly and leave plenty of room for all those toppings, but thicker patties work too. You'll simply need to increase the cooking time.
I really like Swiss cheese, especially Emmental or Gruyère, because its nutty flavor goes well with pretzel buns. Sharp cheddar, American cheese, Monterey Jack, and blue cheese are all good alternatives.
Recipe
Pretzel Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- caramelized onions
- 2 tablespoon beer
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 pretzel buns
- 6 tablespoon creamy honey mustard sauce
- 1 cup lambs lettuce
- 8 slices crispy cooked bacon
- 16 slices pickles
Instructions
- Note: Before you start cooking the burgers, make sure all of your toppings are prepped and ready to use.
- Place a plate in the oven and preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C) for 5 minutes. Then switch it off and keep the door closed.
- Caramelize the onions and deglaze with the beer. Set aside.
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions and shape into thin patties that are about 1-inch (2.5cm) wider than the pretzel buns you are using.
- Heat a grill pan over high heat and brush lightly with oil. Season the patties with salt and pepper on one side and arrange with the seasoned side down in the pan. Cook for about 90 seconds until some juices release on top of the patties and the edges start turning grey. Season with salt and pepper and flip with a spatula.
- Immediately place a slice of cheese on each patty and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for another 20-30 seconds. Remove the patties from the pan and place them on the preheated plate in the oven.
- In the same pan and without cleaning, toast the buns for about 1 minute until they are lightly toasted.
- Assemble the burgers in this order: bun, sauce, lettuce, burger patty with cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, pickles, more sauce, and bun. Serve immediately with your favorite side dishes, such as french fries or onion rings.
Notes
Cooking Time and Temperature
Cook the burger patties over high heat for about 90 seconds on the first side. Flip, add the Swiss cheese, cover, and cook for another 20-30 seconds. Toast the pretzel buns in the same pan for about 1 minute.Taste & Texture
This pretzel burger recipe is juicy, cheesy, smoky, and a little sweet and tangy from the honey mustard and caramelized beer onions. The bacon and pickles add plenty of crunch, while the soft, chewy pretzel bun holds everything together and soaks up all those delicious burger juices.Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Refrigerator: I recommend storing the cooked patties and toppings separately in airtight containers. Refrigerate the cooked beef for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the cooked burger patties without the toppings or buns. Wrap them individually and store in a freezer-safe container.
- Reheating: Gently reheat the patties in a skillet until hot, adding the cheese toward the end so it melts again.
- Best Served: These burgers are definitely best freshly assembled while the beef is hot, the bacon is crispy, and the pretzel buns are still warm.
Serving Recommendations
I usually serve these with thick-cut fries or onion rings because if I'm making a pub-style burger, I might as well commit to the whole thing. Potato wedges are another favorite, or I'll add a simple green salad when I want something fresh alongside such a loaded burger.Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Swiss cheese: Emmental or Gruyère works particularly well with the pretzel bun, but you can use sharp cheddar, American cheese, Monterey Jack, or even blue cheese.
- Lamb's lettuce: I love its slightly nutty flavor here, but romaine, arugula, or radicchio are all good substitutes.
- Honey mustard sauce: Swap it for burger sauce, or keep things simple with ketchup and yellow mustard.
- Caramelized beer onions: Ale or German wheat beer works especially well, but you can use your favorite beer. Yellow or sweet onions are my first choice for caramelizing.
- Extra toppings: Add thinly sliced jalapeños or green chilies for heat, guacamole for creaminess, or a fried egg if you really want to load this burger up. A crispy potato rosti or hash brown is also surprisingly good tucked inside.
Proper Storage Tips
- Store the beef patties separately from the buns and fresh toppings.
- Keep cooked bacon refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Don't assemble burgers before storing them, or the buns can become soggy.
- Reheat the beef before adding the fresh lettuce, pickles, and sauce.
- Toast the pretzel buns again just before serving if they've softened.
Pro Tips
- Have all your toppings ready before cooking because the thin beef patties cook very quickly.
- Use 80/20 ground beef for a juicy burger with plenty of flavor.
- Shape the patties slightly larger than your pretzel buns because they'll shrink during cooking.
- Don't press down on the patties while they're cooking. You'll just squeeze those lovely juices straight into the pan.
- Add the Swiss cheese immediately after flipping the burgers and cover the pan so it melts quickly.
- Toast the pretzel buns in the same pan after cooking the beef. They soak up some of the leftover juices, and that little extra flavor is far too good to waste.
- Assemble the burgers right before serving so the bacon and lettuce stay crisp and the buns don't become soggy.
Video
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