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    Review: Ina Garten’s Caramelized Onion Cheeseburgers

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    • I made Ina Garten’s smashed cheeseburgers with caramelized onions.
    • The recipe only calls for a few ingredients, and you don’t even need to fire up the grill.
    • The burgers were perfectly juicy, and the simple toppings made the process easy.

    Ina Garten might be best known for her oversized-cosmopolitans and perfect roast chicken, but the celebrity chef has also released multiple burger recipes during her decades-long career.

    Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, I decided to try one out.

    Among her many burger recipes, her smashed hamburgers with caramelized onions called to me because of their simplicity.

    A number of the ingredients I needed for the recipe were already in my pantry, which helped me save money on buying supplies and was a testament to Garten’s flair for simple yet delicious recipes. 

    Here’s how to make Ina Garten’s caramelized-onion cheeseburgers.

    This recipe only requires a few basic ingredients, including onions.


    red onion slices cooking in a black pan

    Red onion slices.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    You can find the full ingredient list and recipe instructions on Garten’s website.

    I started by preparing the caramelized onions. The recipe calls for two medium red onions, thinly sliced.

    I added 2 tablespoons of canola oil to a large nonstick pan over medium heat and then added the onions.


    red onion slices cooking in a black pan with a wooden spoon

    Red onion slices cooking.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    Garten says it should take about eight to 10 minutes for the onions to start to brown. I liked that this recipe didn’t require a grill, making it apartment-friendly for this New Yorker on Memorial Day weekend.

    While the onions were browning, I began preparing the burger patties.


    a package of lean ground beef

    A package of lean ground beef.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    The recipe calls for a pound and a 1/2 of ground beef with 20% fat.

    To make the burgers, you season the meat with Colman’s mustard powder, black pepper, and kosher salt.


    colman's mustard powder, black pepper, and kosher salt on a counter

    Colman’s mustard powder, black pepper, and kosher salt.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    I had never used mustard powder in a recipe before, but I was excited to see if it would enhance the flavor of the burgers.

    I mixed the ground meat and seasonings in a glass mixing bowl.


    ground beef in a glass bowl

    Ground beef in a glass bowl.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    This was so much easier and simpler than adding an egg or a ton of other ingredients like many celebrity chef burger recipes require.

    I shaped the meat into four burger patties and placed them on a plate in the freezer.


    four uncooked hamburger patties on a paper plate in a freezer

    The burger patties in the freezer.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    The chef says the burgers should stay in the freezer for exactly 15 minutes, so I set a timer to ensure I didn’t go over or under the mark. I assumed this step was to help the burgers keep their shape when I added them to the cast-iron skillet.

    After adding a teaspoon of sugar to the onions and letting them caramelize for a few minutes, I added a tablespoon of red wine vinegar.


    a person holding a bottle of red wine vinegar

    Red wine vinegar.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    Garten explains that this step is to help deglaze the pan. 

    After less than a minute, my onions were lightly caramelized and ready to add to the burgers.


    caramelized onions in a black pan

    Caramelized onions.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    I took them off the heat while I waited for the burgers to be ready to add to the pan.

    I heated up a couple of tablespoons of oil in my trusty cast-iron skillet and waited for the burgers to be done in the freezer.


    oil in a cast iron skillet

    Oil in a cast-iron skillet.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    While this recipe does call for two different pans, it doesn’t require many extra bowls or equipment, which I greatly appreciated when it was time to clean up.

    I placed the burger patties down in the cast iron and made sure not to move them once they made contact.


    burger patties in a cast iron skillet

    Burger patties.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    Each burger patty should be about an inch thick. While all my burgers weren’t the exact same size, I figured I did a good enough job and was able to use every last bit of the meat mixture.

    To put the “smash” in “smash burger,” I pressed down firmly on my burgers with a spatula.


    burger patties in a cast iron skillet with a spatula

    Burger patties.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    This definitely would have worked a little better with a metal spatula, as Garten suggests using, but I made do with the one I had in my kitchen. In the end, the burgers turned out well.

    After the burgers had cooked on one side for three minutes, becoming perfectly crispy, I flipped them over and added my toppings.


    hamburgers cooking in a cast iron skillet with caramelized onions and cheese

    The hamburgers cooking in the cast-iron skillet.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    I grated some Gruyere cheese to top the burgers and added the caramelized onions, too. Then, I placed a lid on the skillet to allow the cheese to melt completely and finish cooking the burgers.

    After about two minutes, my burgers were done.


    a person holding a burger

    The finished burger.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    Garten suggests using sandwich potato rolls, such as Martin’s, for the burgers, so I did just that.

    When I cut into the burger, it was perfectly medium rare.


    a person holding half of a burger

    The finished burger.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    I’m admittedly not the best at telling when burgers are done to my liking, but Garten’s timing worked out perfectly.

    The burger blew me away — it was juicy and flavorful, and the onions added the perfect amount of sweetness.


    a person holding half of a burger

    The finished burger.


    Erin McDowell/Business Insider

    This recipe is great for grill masters and burger novices alike, as you only need a few ingredients to get a delicious burger. Even my roommates were surprised by how tasty these simple burgers turned out. 

    I’ll definitely be making these burgers again for an easy dinner or even a summer party with friends.

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