These pretzel burgers are a huge hit! Juicy hamburgers, Swiss cheese, honey mustard sauce, caramelized beer onions, crispy bacon, and crisp lambs 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!
Why you will love this burger
- All the different premium toppings give this pretzel burger so much flavor.
- The pretzel buns are soft and soak up all the delicious juices from your burger.
- It has a wide variety of different textures. More texture = more delicious!
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What is a pub burger?
Pub burgers are very popular and are different from classic diner-style cheeseburgers. They often come with a thicker patty and usually have premium toppings like caramelized onions and gourmet cheese.
By the way, if you love gourmet sandwiches, you should try my gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. It comes with loads of brie.
Thin vs thick beef patty
As you can see, my burger patty isn't thick, and I prepared it like I always prepare my hamburger patties. But feel free to make them as thick as you like. You just need to cook them longer if you want to have thicker beef patties.
Prepare the bacon
Bacon can be cooked in different ways. My personal preference is to cook it in the air fryer as I don't have to bother with another pan or spritzing fat. It's the cleanest, most convenient way to cook bacon and I just love the results. I cook mine at 385°F for 8 minutes in an Instant Vortex Plus.
Swiss cheese for maximum taste
The best cheese for this burger is Swiss cheese such as Emmental or Gruyère as it goes well with the taste of the pretzel bun. However, I've tried different types of cheese and can say that it is delicious with a variety of cheeses. Feel free to use sharp cheddar, American cheese, Monterey Jack, or even blue cheese!
Caramelized onions with beer
Caramelized onions deglazed with beer are the perfect topping for this burger. They add so much flavor and the beer goes so well with the pretzel bun, beef, cheese, and bacon. You can use any beer you like, but ale and German wheat beer are particularly great for this recipe. I recommend using yellow or sweet onions.
Burger sauce options
The tanginess of honey mustard sauce balances the pretzel burger nicely. It adds a lot of flavors and goes perfectly with lamb's lettuce. But a special burger sauce is just as delicious. If you prefer it more classic, a combination of ketchup and yellow mustard is good too.
Gourmet toppings + variations
- Lettuce - Lamb's lettuce (also called corn lettuce, mâche, or field salad) is the perfect choice due to its nutty taste, but romaine, radicchio, and arugula are also delicious.
- Pickles - Thick, juicy, tangy pickles are so good on burgers. They add a touch of freshness, and I highly recommend using a couple of slices for each burger.
- Green chilies - If you like it hot and spicy, green chilies (or jalapeños) are highly recommended. Go for fresh ones and slice them thinly. For the extra kick, don't remove the seeds.
- Extra cheese - Add thin slices of parmesan cheese for that extra cheese flavor.
- Potato rosti - Have you ever tried this? Well, hash browns on burgers are indescribably delicious. Give it a try!
- Fried egg - If you love to load up your burgers and make them a mile high, a fried egg is a fabulous choice. It's just so delicious when you bite into the egg yolk, and it's running down the burger. Yum!
- Guacamole - We all know that avocados on burgers are just awesome, right?
Perfect side dishes
My favorites are classic sides such as crispy French fries, thick-cut fries, potato wedges, and onion rings. A fresh salad with honey mustard dressing also goes very well.
More comfort food recipes to try
If you love comforting home cooking, you've come to the right place. The following recipes are some of my favorite comfort food recipes and are loved by family, friends, and readers worldwide.
- Alfredo Sauce (perfect for Fettuccine Alfredo!)
- Calamari
- Gourmet Grilled Cheese
- Maine Lobster Rolls
- Garlic Pizza
- Air Fryer Pizza
- Ground Beef Burritos
Recipe
Pub-Style Pretzel Burger with Bacon
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.
Video
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