French Onion Burger

This French Onion Burger is perfect for grilling season! Burgers with Lipton Onion Soup Mix are always a family favorite, especially when served with our daughter's favorite tater tots. And recipes with French Fried Onions are always less time consuming than ones with caramelized onions. This was only takes 20 minutes!

Let’s be honest - nobody’s ever complained about a burger that tastes like French onion soup. That classic savory sweetness, great onion flavor, that cheesy richness - what’s not to love? Now imagine all that flavor packed into a grilled burger that comes together in only 20 minutes. That’s exactly what this French Onion Burger delivers.

This isn’t your average backyard burger. It’s both delicious and messy in the best way. And thanks to pantry staples like Lipton onion soup mix and crispy French fried onions, it’s also ridiculously easy. Whether you’re a busy parent juggling dinner and helping your kids with homework, or a weekend griller looking for a new favorite burger recipe, this French onion burger recipe is for you.

Burgers with French Onion Soup Mix

If you’ve ever dipped a crusty piece of bread into a steaming bowl of French onion soup, then you already get it. That rich, beefy base. The layers of slow-cooked onion. The melted cheese stretched across the top like a warm blanket.

Now picture that - in burger form.

This French onion soup burger recipe starts with ground venison or beef, mixed with an envelope of Lipton onion soup mix and a little olive oil. It’s quick and easy, but the result is a flavor bomb.

This is also one of those burgers with French fried onions. Oh yes. That crispy crunch brings it all home.

The Best Lipton Onion Soup Burgers

You’ve probably seen other recipes online for burgers with French onion soup mix, and some of them leave you with dry, overcooked patties. Not this one.

This Lipton onion soup burger recipe avoids that tragedy by keeping it simple:

• The oil adds some much needed fat and moisture to the lean ground venison. If you are using 85% lean beef, you can leave it out of the meat mixture and just use it for brushing the burgers and grill.
• The soup mix brings the salt, onion, and other delicious flavors you want in a burger.
• A quick hot grill keeps everything juicy.

And the toppings? They’re minimal but mighty. Mozzarella cheese, Hellman’s mayo, buttery Bibb lettuce, and French fried onions. Pile them onto a toasted brioche bun, and you’ve got one serious sandwich.

Tips for Grilling

1. Oil matters.
Instead of spraying your grill with cooking spray (don’t do it), dip a paper towel in olive oil (or canola oil or avocado oil), grab it with tongs, and wipe down the grates. It creates a slick surface that helps prevent sticking and gives you those beautiful grill marks.

2. Don’t mess with the meat.
Once your burgers hit the grill, leave them alone. Let them sear for a minute before lowering the heat and closing the lid.

3. Temp is everything.
Use an instant-read thermometer and pull your burgers at 130 degrees F for medium rare. Overcooked venison is a crime against humanity and dinner.

Don't Use Cooking Spray On Your Grill

You should never use cooking spray (like PAM) directly on a hot grill for the following reasons:

1. Fire Hazard

• Aerosol sprays are flammable.
  The first warning on a cooking spray label usually states something like, "Do not spray on or near an open flame." Pressurized propellants (like butane or propane) in cooking sprays can easily ignite when they come into contact with open flames or a hot grill grate, potentially causing flare-ups or even explosions.

2. Sticky Residue on Grates

• Cooking sprays often contain lecithin or other emulsifiers that help the spray coat pans evenly - but on a grill, especially at high heat, these additives can leave behind a sticky, hard-to-clean residue. This residue can build up over time, affecting the performance of your grill and making cleanup more difficult.

3. Cooking Spray has a Low Smoke Point

• Most cooking sprays have a lower smoke point compared to grilling temperatures (which often exceed 450 degrees F). This means cooking spray can burn off quickly, becoming ineffective as a nonstick agent.

Better Alternatives to Cooking Spray

• Brush the grates with a high smoke point oil (like olive oil, or better yet canola, or avocado oil) using a paper towel or heat-proof brush.
• You can also oil your food directly instead of the grates to help prevent sticking.

Ingredients for French Onion Burger

• 1 ½ pounds ground venison or beef
• 1 (1-ounce) envelope Lipton onion soup seasoning mix
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
• ½ cup Hellman's mayonnaise
• Bibb lettuce
• ½ cup French fried onions
• 4 brioche hamburger buns

How to Make French Onion Soup Burgers

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground venison, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and the Lipton Onion Soup Mix.

2. Gently knead everything together until it’s just blended. Don’t overwork the meat. Form the mixture into four 4-inch patties, about ¾-inch thick.

3. Brush both sides of each patty with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

4. Light a grill and set it to medium-high heat. Scrape and clean the grates well. Dip a paper towel in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Using tongs, wipe down the hot grates with the oily towel.

5. Immediately place the burgers on the grill and cook for 1 minute.

6. Turn the heat down to medium, close the lid, and cook the burgers for 3 minutes.

7. Flip the burgers, then top each one with 2 Tablespoons of mozzarella cheese. Close the lid and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until they reach 130 degrees F inside.

8. While the burgers finish, grill the brioche buns until lightly toasted.

9. Spread 1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise on each bun. Add a few leaves of Bibb lettuce to the bottom buns. Place the hot burgers on the lettuce.

10. Top each one with a generous handful of French fried onions. Add the top bun and serve right away.

Real Life, Real Dinner

I'm not just a wild game chef and full-time recipe developer, but also a husband and father. That means I usually need to rely on fast, flavor-packed dinners that don’t need fancy ingredients.

And let’s be honest - my wife and 9-year-old daughter always appreciate a grilled burger that tastes like a special occasion but takes less time than an episode of Masterchef Junior (our daughter's favorite show).

More Venison Burger Recipes

If you are looking for more ways to use some of that venison burger in your freezer, be sure and check out some of these family favorites:

• Caprese Pesto Burgers
• Tex Mex Big Game Burger
• Classic Venison Burger
• Blue Cheese Burger

Come Deer Hunting in North Dakota

If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.

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