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Cheeseburger on a wooden serving plate.

Loaded Bacon Burgers with Whiskey Caramelized Onions

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Jessie
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 4 burgers 1x
  • Category: Burger
  • Cuisine: American

Description

The ultimate bacon burger recipe for summer grilling.


Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE ONIONS:

  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into thin slices
  • 3 Tbsp. whiskey (I used Jack Daniels)
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

FOR THE BURGERS:

  • 4 strips thick-cut bacon
  • 1 lb. ground beef (use organic and/or grass-fed if you can)
  • 4 Brioche Buns, halved
  • 2 Tbsp. BBQ Sauce
  • 4 slices white cheddar cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil, for frying eggs
  • 4 eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup fresh arugula
  • 2 Tbsp. Mustard

Instructions

FOR THE ONIONS:

  1. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add onions to butter and sauté until softened, 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add whiskey, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to taste, Stir to combine.
  4. Reduce heat to low and let onions cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve deepened to a dark brown and caramelized - anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. If the onions look dry during cooking, add a bit of extra butter. I like to let the onions cook while I prep the rest of the burger ingredients, and take them off the heat at the last minute just when I’m ready to assemble the burgers.
  5. When onions are just about done, stir in the Dijon mustard for a creamy, tangy finish.

FOR THE BURGERS:

  1. Cook bacon strips until crispy and set aside. I like to roast my bacon in a 400 degree oven.
  2. While the bacon cooks, divide the ground beef into four portions and shape each portion into a patty. Make the patties slightly larger than your burger buns, and push a dent into the middle of each patty with your thumb to help them keep their shape as they cook.
  3. Cook burger patties on the grill or in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 2-4 minutes per side, depending on your heat source, until hamburger is cooked to your desired level of doneness. When burgers are almost done, top with a spoonful of BBQ sauce and a cheddar cheese slice (this will give the BBQ a chance to soak in and the cheese a chance to melt). Set cooked burgers aside to rest while you prep the final ingredients.
  4. Toast the brioche bun halves. Use a traditional toaster or toast them in a 400 degree oven for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted. (If you’re grilling your burgers, you can toast the brioche buns on the grill when the burgers are almost done cooking).
  5. Melt butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (you can use the same skillet you cooked the burgers in if you’re cooking indoors).
  6. Crack eggs into skillet and fry sunny side up, until whites are cooked through and yolks are still slightly runny, 4-6 minutes (depending on how hot your pan is).
  7. Time to assemble! Put cheese-topped hamburger patties on the bottom bun and top with bacon, caramelized onions, arugula, and a fried egg. Spread some stone ground mustard on the underside of the top bun and pop it on top of the burger to finish it off. Serve immediately with fries or your favorite side dish.

Notes

This recipe sounds like a LOT of steps, but you’ll do most of the prep work while the bacon and onions are cooking, so it actually doesn’t take that much time to make.

Use your favorite black bean burger in place of the beef patties and nix the bacon for a vegetarian option.

Add mayonnaise, tomatoes, or any of your other favorite burger toppings if you like - although it’s tasty as is!

Cook the eggs however you like - I did sunny side up, but you could fry them and cook them all the way through if you prefer.

Lighten up this recipe by swapping the brioche buns for a lettuce wrap.

This recipe is also great with turkey burgers or Beyond Meat plant-based burgers!

EQUIPMENT: These Anolon Skillets are AMAZING for caramelizing onions, frying bacon and burgers, you name it! They're nonstick and come clean SO easily.