Gourmet Oktoberfest Burger
Oktoberfest was supposed to start today and in order to celebrate, I made this delicious Gourmet Oktoberfest Burger. This burger is full of delicious German flavors. From, bratwurst and beer cheese, to mustard and soft pretzels, there is nothing more German than this burger. If you are trying to find a way to get rid of some beer or just spice up your weekly burgers, then this gourmet burger is for you. It is super flavorful and delicious.
Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to go on a trip to Europe with my German class. We were there for 11 days, in 4 different countries. Specifically, we traveled around Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Lichtenstein. My diet in every country consisted of gelato, gelato, and gelato ;). Just kidding, but I did have gelato for lunch everyday lol. When it came to actual meals, we tried the different cuisines that each country offered. From schnitzel and schneeballen, to spaghettieis and soft pretzels, one of my most favorite dishes, which I thought I would hate at the time, was bratwurst. For those of you who don’t know, bratwurst is basically a German sausage. It is pork based with mild, but delicious flavors. I remember one night we had a literal ring of bratwurst and another night it was incorporated into our pasta dish. No matter how it was served it was deeeeeelicious.
It’s been a while since I’ve had bratwurst, as well as other German cuisines, so I figured what better time to create a German inspired meal than Oktoberfest! Despite it being canceled, this burger alone should be a reason for you to celebrate ;).
the details of the Oktoberfest burger
What makes this meal so German? Well, I took my beloved bratwurst and made it into a gourmet burger. Specifically, I mashed the sausage with ground beef to create a patty. I then added mustard, which is popular in Germany, some garlic powder, salt, and pepper, to create a well flavored bratwurst-beef patty.
The next and very important addition to this dish is the beer cheese. Beer cheese is amazing as an appetizer with soft pretzel bites, but when you pair it with a burger, it adds so much good flavor, that it’s something you can’t live without. For all of my Philly people, beer cheese on this burger (and honestly any beef burger) is the equivalent of cheese on a cheesesteak, whether it’s Cheese Whiz, American, or Provolone, cheese is a must have; the meal would feel dry without it.
Another, simple, addition to this meal is fried onions. Onions add an extra kick to any meal, and in Germany they are used in all types of cooking. That basically qualifies them for this burger. Plus, they pair really well with the beer cheese and prevent the burger from just being a cheeseburger.
Finally, the most important part of any sandwich, the thing that makes it or breaks it, the bun. Here, a pretzel bun is absolutely necessary. Like I previously said, beer cheese and pretzels are a killer combo. They are the pb&j of savory foods. Therefore, in order to put this burger over the top, and completely compliment the German flavors throughout, I used a fresh pretzel bun.
Oktoberfest burger subsitutes
While I highly suggest you leave this burger as is, one way you can change it up is omit the bratwurst. While this will take out some authentic German flavor, if you don’t like sausage, then this is a must. The bright side is the burger will still be a 10/10 (thanks to the beer cheese).
Another thing you can do is add more of your favorite burger toppings. Personally, I don’t like pickles or sauerkraut, but both are iconic burger toppings and just happen to be very popular in Germany. Therefore, they would just be adding to the German flavor and would give you a more jam-packed, flavor-filled burger.
Overall, if you make this recipe, please leave a comment below, tag me on Instagram, pin it, or go like my page/share on Facebook!
Gourmet Oktoberfest Burger
Ingredients
Burgers
- 3/4 lb ground beef
- 3/4 lb bratwurst
- mustard to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/2 white onion
- 4 pretzel buns
Beer Cheese
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1.5 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup beer wheat, ale, pilsner
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp mustard
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- dash paprika
- dash salt
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
For the Burgers
- Mix ground bratwurst and beef in a bowl. Add mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the meat and combine. Form four patties.
- Slice the onion into strips and cook until tender
For the Beer Cheese
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until a paste forms.
- Whisk in the milk and stir for about a minute. Next, one at a time, whisk in the remaining ingredients.
- Remove cheese from heat and let thicken. After a few minutes it is ready to serve!
Prepare the burgers
- To construct the burgers, take a pretzel bun, layer the patty, then as much beer cheese as desired (the more the better). Next, add the onions, and voila dinner is served!
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