How American Soldiers Inspired The Aussie Burger

While you may have eaten at Outback Steakhouse a time or two, there are plenty of classic Australian foods that you'll probably never see offered by this American chain, including the brewer's yeast-based spread known as Vegemite and the wood moth larvae that lend a literal definition to the word "grub." True Aussie burgers, too, may never find their place on the menu alongside the Outbacker and Bloomin' burgers currently on offer. However, if they do, you might say this dish has come full circle. It seems that burgers weren't well known in Australia until World War II, at which point they were introduced by U.S. troops stationed there.

The Australians quickly caught on to the burger concept, though, and added their own special twist. No, an Aussie burger doesn't need to be made with kangaroo meat (though it can be, for anyone following a kangatarian diet), but the topping combo is not something you'll see at too many American burger chains. An Aussie burger with "the lot," or all the fixings, is loaded with bacon, sauteed onions, American cheese, and a slice of pineapple. It also uses barbecue sauce instead of ketchup. The last two ingredients must be particularly popular in Australia, since both also appear on the breakfast-like Australian pizza. Where the Aussie burger really takes a turn into unfamiliar territory (unfamiliar for Americans, that is) is by including pickled beets.

One theory about the beets on an Aussie burger is that they were originally added as a joke aimed at American soldiers. If this is true, the joke was on the Australians themselves, because beets have remained standard on the burger for generations. In fact, if there's one thing most people omit from their Aussie burger order, it isn't beets, but pineapple.

This may seem odd to Americans, but then, beets have never been super popular here. Okay, so they did get somewhat of a glow-up after being embraced by hipster foodies in the 20-teens, but a 2019 survey by OnePoll still showed them as the nation's second-most hated vegetable right behind turnips (via SWNS). In Australia, however, beets — or beetroot, as they're known there — have long been a mealtime staple featured in salads, soups, and juices as well as burgers. In fact, quite a few Australians even consider beets to be a standalone snack.

Even the Crispy BBQ McOz, which is McDonald's Australia's take on the Aussie burger, retains the beets, although the chain dispenses with pineapple and bacon. This means the McOz is basically just a beet burger with barbecue sauce, cheese, and onions, so it might not make the cut if McDonald's ever reintroduces the Worldwide Favorites menu (2019's Australian entry, cheesy bacon fries, would seem to have a far more universal appeal.) Still, tastes change, so just as Australia adopted the American-introduced burgers, Americans may one day embrace the idea of beets as a burger topping.