Burger Wellington

4.86 from 7 votes

This Burger Wellington wraps a double-stacked cheeseburger in flaky puff pastry, layers it with cheddar, pickles, caramelized onions, and burger sauce, then bakes it until it's golden brown, crispy, juicy, and tastes like the best cheeseburger you've ever had.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword beef wellington burger, burger wrapped in puff pastry, cheeseburger in puff pastry, cheeseburger wellington, puff pastry burger recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 12

Total Time 1 37

Servings Wellingtons

Calories 1091kcal

Author Chef Josh

Equipment

Two small bowls or ramekins, about the size of a burger patty (used only as shaping molds, they don't go in the oven).

Ingredients

For the Wellingtons

2 sheets puff pastry thawed
4 small burger patties (2-3 oz each)
4 small squares cheddar cheese
4 –6 pickle slices
⅓ cup caramelized onions recipe below
Burger sauce store-bought or my punchy burger sauce)
1 egg beaten, for egg wash
White sesame seeds
Flaky salt

Quick Caramelized Onions

1 large onion thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon sugar optional, speeds up caramelization
Splash of water as needed

Crispy Oven Fries

3 –4 russet potatoes cut into fries
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat & Soak: Preheat oven to 425°F. Soak cut potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Caramelized Onions (while potatoes soak)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the sliced onion and pinch of salt, cooking 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the onions 10 to 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally and adding a small splash of water if they start to stick. Add the ½ teaspoon sugar if using. Cook until jammy and deeply golden, then set aside to cool slightly.

Cook the Burger Patties (while potatoes soak)

Season the 4 burger patties generously with salt and pepper, then sear in a hot pan 2 to 3 minutes per side until just cooked through, they'll finish in the oven. Rest briefly and let cool slightly before building.

Make the Fries

Drain and dry the potatoes very thoroughly (any remaining moisture will steam instead of roast). Toss with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt, then spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake the fries for 25 to 35 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy at the edges.

Build the Wellingtons (while fries bake)

Lightly grease the insides of two small bowls to use as shaping molds. Cut the puff pastry into roughly 7x7 inch squares and lay one square over each bowl.
Layer in this exact order: Burger patty, Cheddar square, Spoonful of burger sauce, Pickle slices, Caramelized onions, Second burger patty, Second cheddar square. (This stack gets flipped in the next step, so the first patty and cheese layer end up on the bottom once baked.)
Fold pastry corners up and over the stack, pinching tightly at every seam.
Invert each bowl to release the wrapped Wellington onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Refrigerate until the fries are done baking.

Bake the Wellingtons

Remove the fries and set aside uncovered on a wire rack.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Brush the chilled Wellingtons generously with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt, and bake 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden brown and the pastry is crisp all over. Rest 5 minutes before slicing.

If you notice the tops are browning too fast, you can tent the Wellingtons loosely with foil for the remainder of the bake.

Final Prep & Plating

While the Wellingtons rest, return the fries to the still-warm oven or an air fryer at 400°F for 3 to 5 minutes to re-crisp.
Slice the Wellingtons in half and serve immediately with the crispy fries and burger sauce on the side.

Video

Notes

Drying your fries properly is the single most important thing in this recipe. Water on the potato surface means they steam instead of roast, and you end up with pale, soft fries. Pat them with a kitchen towel, then leave them on the towel for a few minutes while you work on everything else.
Don't rush the bake of the Wellingtons. The outside looking golden is misleading, since the inner pastry layers need more time to actually crisp through. Go by the full time, not by how it looks at 20 minutes. If your oven runs hot, drop to 325°F and lay foil loosely over the top, the bottom needs the heat more than the top does.
For a lighter version, roll store-bought pizza dough thin and use it exactly the same way. It comes out crispier and less rich, letting the burger flavors punch through more.
Sealing the pastry firmly is the difference between clean layers and a blowout in the oven. Pinch like you mean it, and flip seam-side down, gravity helps hold it together through the bake.

Nutrition