This juicy and savory restaurant quality pretzel pub burger pairs perfectly with a cold beer and a side of fries.
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If the restaurant shut down during the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how to make a restaurant-style burger at home. As huge fans of juicy, savory, delicious burgers, we’re determined to recreate all of our favorite recipes in our own kitchen. Which includes this pretzel pub burger with bacon and caramelized onions.
The pretzel pub burger features a BBQ patty on a toasted salted pretzel bun, topped with sharp cheddar pub cheese, caramelized onions cooked in beer, and crispy bacon. It’s got everything you love about a decadent burger from your favorite local pub! Gooey cheese, super savory over-the-top toppings, and a juicy patty that’ll get your hands messy with every bite.
Our love for restaurant burgers is also why we’re kicking off a new series: Burger of the Month. Each month this year, we’ll be sharing a new burger recipe and highlighting a special brew to pair with it! Because you can’t make burgers without a beer in your hand, it’s just the rule.
Pretzel Pub Burger Toppings and Ingredients
There are two main ingredient groups for making a unique burger recipe: (1) the base, such as the patty and bun, and (2) the toppings – what really brings out the flavors. Here’s what you’ll need to make this pretzel bacon pub cheeseburger recipe:
Base ingredients
- BBQ burger patties
- Pretzel buns, brushed with butter and sprinkled with salt
Toppings
- Sharp white cheddar pub cheese (we love this brand from Whole Foods)
- Crispy bacon
- Beer caramelized onions
Our BBQ burger patty recipe is a simple mixture of ground beef, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and liquid smoke. The smokiness and hint of tangy flavor from the barbecue sauce is what takes this pretzel pub burger over the top! We definitely recommend making these homemade burger patties for this recipe, but you can always use store-bought patties for an easy shortcut.
How to Make A Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger
As each ingredient can be prepared on its own, assembling this pub cheese burger is quick and easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make each component, and put it all together for a delicious restaurant-style pretzel pub burger:
- First, prepare the beer-caramelized onions. Slice an onion into strips, then cook in a mixture of butter and vegetable oil over medium-low heat until they begin to turn translucent. Then, add salt, sugar, and beer and cook for about 40 to 50 minutes, adding more beer as the onions dry out, until they’re soft and brown.
- Next, cook bacon on the stove or in the oven until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Prepare the salted pretzel buns next. Brush the top of each bun with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt, then bake in the oven at a low temperature (around 200 degrees F) until slightly toasted, about 10 minutes.
- Then, mix up the meat and shape your BBQ burger patties (get our easy recipe here!) and grill them to your liking. Once they’re almost done, top each burger with a scoop of sharp white cheddar pub cheese and let it melt as the patties finish cooking.
- Finally, assemble the pretzel pub burgers. Transfer patties to the toasted buns, then top each burger with 2 strips of bacon and a helping of caramelized onions.
If you don’t have a grill, we highly recommend buying yourself a Lodge cast iron grill pan for grilling indoors! It works just as well as a traditional grill and makes it so easy to grill small batches of food without all the hassle.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing pairs better with a savory, smoky burger than a side of sweet potato fries. The sweet and savory contrast is just delicious! For a beer pairing, we recommend enjoying a crisp and refreshing Sam Adams Cold Snap (if you can find it – it’s their seasonal winter beer).
We’d definitely take this home-cooked meal over dining out any day of the week. If you love burgers just as much as we do, try our pretzel pub burger recipe and let us know what you think in the comments! Don’t forget to rate and share if you love this recipe, and check out our other unique burger ideas here.
Love this recipe? You may enjoy these other burger recipes, too:
- BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders
- Guinness Burger
- Bacon Cheeseburger with Garlic Aioli
- Maple Bourbon Burger
To browse more of our latest recipes and seasonal dishes, visit our homepage here.
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Pretzel Pub Burger
Equipment
- Burger press optional
- Cast iron grill pan optional
Ingredients
The Patties
The Toppings
- 4 strips bacon cooked
- 2 tablespoons sharp white cheddar pub cheese
Beer Caramelized Onions
- 1 medium white onion
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup beer
Salted Pretzel Buns
- 2 pretzel buns
- ½ tablespoon butter melted
- 2 pinches sea salt
Instructions
How To Make Pub Burgers
- Begin by preparing the Beer Caramelized Onions (see directions below).
- Once the onions are close to done, prepare the BBQ Burger Patties and Salted Pretzel Buns (see below).
- Assemble your pub burgers: transfer patties to salted pretzel buns and top with 2 strips of bacon each and a scoop of beer caramelized onions.
- Serve with your favorite side, a cold beer, and enjoy!
Beer Caramelized Onions
- First, slice the onion into strips. Preheat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Once the butter and oil are hot, add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until they begin to soften and turn translucent.
- Next, add the sugar and salt, stirring well to coat the onions evenly. Add a splash of the beer if the pan has dried out, and continue cooking for about 40 to 50 minutes. Stir occasionally and add the beer a little at a time, as needed when the onions start to dry out.
Salted Pretzel Buns
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and line a small baking sheet with foil. Slice the pretzel buns and place them on the baking sheet in a closed position.
- Next, brush the tops of the buns with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly toasted.
BBQ Patties
- Cook the burger patties according to your preferred method, until desired doneness. You can find directions for making our BBQ Burger Patties linked in the notes below.
- During the last two minutes of cooking, top each patty with about 1 tablespoon of pub cheese. Let the cheese melt over the patties as they finish cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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