Smokey, savory, fatty, and impossible to put down.

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This black garlic mushroom burger has become somewhat of a regular in my household. It starts with a crusty-seared burger topped with white onion, swiss cheese, and then topped with a generous pile of caramelized mushrooms in a black garlic gravy. Each bite is smokey, savory, fatty, and impossible to put down.

The power of black garlic.

We are huge fans of caramelized mushrooms, and the black garlic’s power over me cannot be resisted. Have you tried them yet?

Black garlic is pretty trendy right now and rightfully so. It has significant health benefits, boasting massive antioxidants in addition to traditional benefits from typical garlic.

It’s fermented as well, causing a very complex flavor profile that’s almost difficult to describe. It has a mild garlic flavor, but it’s much sweeter with flavors of balsamic, smokey molasses and tamarind. The combination results in a deep umami flavor, incredibly savory which pairs so well with beef.

How to: Caramelized Mushrooms

There’s quite a few ways to caramelize or sauté mushrooms. The method I use focuses on evaporating the moisture from the mushrooms and replacing it with loads of flavor. It’s called “sweating” the mushrooms.

To do this you use a high-heat, large pan such as an iron skillet. No oil or fat in the pan is required: the high heat will allow the moisture to evaporate and cause the mushrooms to firm up.
When the liquid is almost gone you can deglaze the pan with beef broth which will be absorbed into the mushroom, creating so much more flavor. It’s a really easy, low-maintenance process too.

Black garlic and caramelized mushrooms both have their own unique properties of being extremely savory. Combined with the help of some cream and butter, you have an ultimate topping for burgers, fries, rice, or even just as a side dish. You can skip the cream and butter if you’re trying to be healthy… but I’m here to share a flavor bomb.

Need Ingredients?

Buying black garlic shouldn’t be a concern if you’re comfortable shopping online. I’d recommend picking it up online which is a very fair price for the ingredient.

You can absolutely make it yourself at home. There are a few different processes that will help you be successful. Read about making your own black garlic here if you’d like. I’m all about crafting my own food and artisan supplies, but I’m not the type to use an appliance for a 2-3 week period at a time.

Simple recipe, let’s get to it.

This black garlic mushroom burger is straight forward and delicious. The recipe below makes for 2 heavily topped burgers, or 4 regular portions, but you might want to prepare for more. Every time we make it I end up doubling it, and still regretting it.

The burgers used are from Omaha Steaks. There’s a bunch of options, but even the Steak Burgers are incredibly delicious. Each portion is individually vacuum sealed in the shape of a patty and it holds it’s form well, making it incredibly easy to pull out of the package, season, and sear right away.