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Frisco Burgers

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There is nothing better than a juicy Frisco Burger, topped with melted cheese, slathered with thousand island dressing, surrounded by crispy, grilled parmesan sourdough bread!

Do I have your attention yet? It is kind of amazing to me how many of my favorite foods, including these Frisco Burgers, are from the “original” Marie Callender’s menu! Some other favorites are Albacore Tuna MeltChicken CallendiniTurkey Croissant Club, and BBQ Chicken Salad.

Frisco Burger on grilled sourdough topped with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Recipe Inspiration

Back in the day (circa 1985), they made the BEST burger…anywhere! They used to grind their own meat, bake their own bread, and made Thousand Island Dressing from scratch. This burger was topped with aged white American cheese (slices of Swiss cheese were an option), and grilled onions were added on request.

Then Don Callender sold the restaurant and everything went to hell! You guessed it, everything now arrives in jars and boxes on the back of a huge truck. It’s such a shame that corporations feel the need to do this, profit margins over quality. 

Even the pies are frozen and shipped to the restaurants 🙁  So yes, you may as well go to the frozen food aisle in your local grocery store to buy your pies – and they’re cheaper too! 

Thankfully I took notes while I worked there, and I can recreate all of my favorites at home! Okay, enough about that, are you ready to make a parmesan sourdough cheeseburger at home??

This version is made exactly the way they were made back in the 80’s, but I will add the newest options on their menu too.

Frisco Burger cut in half surrounded by fries and a ramekin of ketchup.

What you’ll need

  • Ground beef – I used 85/15 but feel free to use whichever you prefer.
  • Sea salt and black pepper to season
  • Sliced cheese – White American cheese, cheddar, or Swiss are all delicious options.
  • Sliced sourdough bread
  • Unsalted butter
  • Finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • Thousand Island Dressing
  • Crisp lettuce, tomato slices, sliced red onions, and pickles slices to top your burger.
  • Optional toppings – Grilled onions, onion rings, applewood smoked bacon.

Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.

How to make Frisco Burgers

Divide ground beef, and shape into ovals or rectangles based on the shape of your bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook in a large skillet.

Two oval shaped burger patties in a skillet.

When second side of burger is almost cooked through, place cheese slices on top of each patty and allow to melt.

Two cheese topped burger patties cooking in a skillet.

Butter one side of each slice of sourdough bread. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and place in a different skillet. Cook until golden brown. The cheese might stick to the bottom, don’t worry.

Two slices of sourdough bread in a hot cast iron skillet.

Spread thousand island dressing on the non-grilled side of the sourdough bread, and place cheeseburger patty on top.

Burger with melted cheese on a slice of sourdough.

Top each burger with lettuce, tomato and onion slices.

Lettuce leaves, tomato slice, and thinly sliced onion on top of a cheese covered patty.

Place second slice of sourdough on top, and serve.

Frisco Burger with melted cheese, lettuce, and tomato cut in half.

Serving Suggestions


There are many options to serve alongside Frisco Burgers, but these are some of my favorite pairings.

FAQ’s

Can I substitute the beef patty with a different protein?

While a 100% Angus beef patty is the way Frisco burgers are usually served, you can certainly substitute it with other proteins such as ground turkey, chicken, or veggie patties.

Can I use a different type of bread?

Absolutely! Texas toast or any other thick bread are delicious options. Just make sure to shape your burger patty to match the shape of the bread.

How do I make grilled onions for the burger? 

To make grilled onions, slice onions thinly and cook them in a skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium heat until they are caramelized and golden brown.

Why is it called a Frisco Burger?

That right there is the million dollar question! It is my understanding that it likely refers to San Francisco, California.

San Francisco is famous for its sourdough bread (cable cars, Rice-A-Roni, and the Golden Gate Bridge), and the use of sourdough bread in the burger might have inspired the name as a nod to the city’s world-famous bread.

The name “Frisco” was historically used as a colloquial abbreviation for San Francisco, so it’s possible that the burger was named “Frisco” as a nostalgic or historical reference to the city.

I have read online that Hardee’s is claiming to have invented this burger in the 90’s, but that is obviously not possible. Hardee’s Frisco Burger is round, topped with mayonnaise, on toasted sourdough – not grilled with my beloved parmesan cheese. I’m sorry, but the parmesan cheese makes my version extra special!

Steak and Shake also has a Frisco Burger with two steak-burgers topped with American cheese and Swiss cheese on a buttery grilled sourdough (still no parmesan) and Frisco sauce. The sauce sounds like a combination for Thousand Island and French dressings with some hot sauce mixed in. That does sounds interesting!

More delicious burger recipes

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!
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Enjoy!!

Skip the drive-thru and make these delicious Frisco Burgers at home instead | cookingwithcurls.com

Frisco Burger

Juicy burgers topped with Thousand Island Dressing, melted cheese and sourdough bread grilled to perfection make these Frisco Burgers a family favorite!
5 from 2 votes
Print Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sourdough, bread, burgers, beef, cheese, hamburger
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 1155kcal
Author: Lisa Johnson

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds grass-fed 85% ground beef
  • sea salt & fresh ground pepper
  • 4 slices cheese cheddar, Swiss, white American
  • 8 slices sourdough bread
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup thousand island dressing
  • crisp lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices, sliced pickles
  • grilled onions, onion rings, applewood smoked bacon optional

Instructions

  • Divide ground beef, and shape into ovals or rectangles based on the shape of your bread.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook in a large skillet.
  • When second side of burger is almost cooked through, place cheese slices on top of each patty and allow to melt.
  • Butter one side of each slice of sourdough bread.
  • Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and place in a different skillet. Cook until golden brown. The cheese might stick to the bottom, don’t worry.
  • Spread thousand island dressing on the non-grilled side of the sourdough bread, and place cheeseburger patty on top.
  • Top each burger with lettuce, tomato and onion slices. Place second slice of sourdough on top.
  • Serve with fries, potato wedges, or green salad.

Notes

  • To make grilled onions, slice onions thinly and cook them in a skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium heat until they are caramelized and golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 1155kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 192mg | Sodium: 1315mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 745IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 371mg | Iron: 8.6mg

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8 Comments

  1. Frisco burgers are my absolute favorite things to eat at Steak and Shake. I must try this recipe at home! Yum-o!!! Thanks for linking this up too!!!

    Oh, and be sure to link up that sourdough bread once you have it posted. I would LOVE to learn how to make it!

  2. I found this while searching for recipes, and love the pictures. Nicely done, and I’ll certainly give your recipe a try.

    On a side note, I noticed in your bio (yep, some of us read those) that you’re a SOCAL native, so I was a bit surprised at the name for this burger. It’s pretty common knowledge in NORCAL that if you’re in San Francisco, calling it “Frisco” is pretty much fighting words. The locals take it quite seriously, and some even consider it an outright insult. Obviously, this is a bit silly to outsiders, but given the global nature of the web, I thought I would mention it as an aside.

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