The only thing better than bacon on a cheeseburger is bacon IN a cheeseburger. Up your backyard grilling game with the ultimate bacon cheeseburger recipe.
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Often considered a summer staple, I grill cheeseburgers year-round. When I do this, my favorite topping isn’t ketchup, mustard, or a crunchy dill pickle. It’s bacon.
How to make the perfect bacon cheeseburger
For the juiciest possible burger, using ground food with an 80/20 lean meat-to-fat ratio is a must. I like to add chopped bacon to the mix, which comes out during the cooking process and ensures every bite is tender and juicy.
Diced onions and Worcestershire sauce are easy ways to add sweetness, texture and complex umami flavor to every bite. You can salt and pepper the ground beef while you mix in the bacon bits, but I prefer to coat the finished, undercooked patties liberally as it helps create a flavorful crust when the burgers hit the grill grate.
The ingredients of the best bacon cheeseburger
A bacon cheeseburger is only as good as the sum of its parts. Let’s break down the burger trinity, cheese, bacon and the bun.
The cheese:
- Spicy cheddar is my favorite cheese topping.
- Use square discs that are slightly larger than the patties.
- I always use two slices of cheese and align them 45 degrees apart. When stacked, they form an 8-pointed star. This allows the cheese to flow evenly around all sides of the burger as it melts.
The fat:
- Since you’re already using the grill for your patties, you should use it for your bacon too!
- Grill the bacon over direct medium heat, 350°F to 450°F, no more than 2 minutes per side. Double the grilling time for crispier bacon.
- With its quick cooking time, it’s a good idea to stay at the grill when the bacon is done. The rendered fat can easily cause a flare that needs attention.
- Store the bacon on a wire rack over a paper towel and cover with aluminum foil.
- If you’re really into bacon, you can even subscribe to a Bacon of Month club, which I don’t think is a bad idea.
The bread bun:
- Brioche is a must. This soft, butter-infused bun is the perfect accompaniment to these patties.
- A toasty bun that takes just under a minute on the grill adds more texture with every bite. It’s an easy “burger makeover” and something I make every time I make burgers.
Classic Bacon Cheeseburger Swaps, Substitutes, and Add-Ons
Adding bacon to a cheeseburger is the starting point for even more topping ideas. Here are a few ways to spice up your grilled patties:
- Fry an egg! The runny yolk breaks open under the pressure of the bun – that’s the only “seasoning” you need.
- Would you like to skip the cheese? A grilled ring of pineapple adds a sweet bite and complements the salty bacon strips perfectly.
- Though cheddar is my favorite cheese, a bacon cheeseburger can shine with sprinkles of blue cheese or a thick slice of fresh mozzarella.
- For condiments, skip the traditional ketchup and mustard and go straight to the BBQ sauce. Sweet and tangy, BBQ sauce is all I need to complete my BBQ feast.
The best grilling techniques
It’s always a good idea to set up a two-zone fire when grilling. Here one side of the grill is hotter than the other.
On a gas grill, this means an area where one burner is off. On a charcoal grill, it is a non-briquette area under the grill grate. They grill burgers over direct medium-high heat, 400°F to 500°F, but the indirect heat areas are ideal for seating a burger on excessive flare-ups. If you need additional grilling tips and tricks, check out our guide to grilling the best burger.
Most hamburgers cook at an internal temperature of 155°F. (You can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of your pies if needed).
CONTINUE READING:
With a 1/3-pound beef patty, this can take a while, so it’s important to grill with the lid on. This allows the radiant heat to support the cooking process and is particularly important for melting the cheese. Work with the grill, not against it.
Bacon Cheeseburger
ingredients
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12 slices sharp cheddar cheese
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fifteen slices bacondivided
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2 lb bottom lining (Ratio lean to rich 80/20)
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1/4 sweet onionrolled
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1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
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1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
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6 Brioche hamburger bun
method
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Preheat grill:
Prepare a grill for 2-zone cooking where one side of the grill is hotter than the other. Both the bacon and burgers cook with direct heat, but in the event of a flare-up, the indirect, or cooler, zone gives the meat a safe landing spot.
On a gas grill, omit one burner. On a charcoal grill, leave one side free of burning coals.
You want to bring it to 350°F to 450°F to cook the bacon. You’ll continue to turn up the heat when it comes time to cook the burgers. Allow the grill to preheat for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Prepare cheese, chop bacon, prepare burger mixture:
Prepare the cheese by stacking two slices on top of each other, with each slice offset by 45 degrees. This will help the cheese flow evenly over the burger as it melts. Put aside.
Chop 3 slices of uncooked bacon.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground fodder, chopped bacon, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Using your fingertips, gently mix the ingredients into the meat. For a burger that is as juicy as possible, it is important not to overwork the meat. Working with just your fingertips is the best method here.
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Shape meatballs:
Divide the meat mixture evenly into 6 balls, weighing about 5.3 ounces each. If you don’t have a scale to weigh the meat, it’s fine to eyeball 6 equal sized patties.
Place each ball between your outstretched fingers and flatten. Place each patty on a baking sheet and use your fingers to flatten the patties. When finished, each patty should be about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Season both sides of the patty with salt and pepper.
Using two fingers or the back of a spoon, make a wide indentation in the center of each burger. Creating an indentation prevents the burger from swelling while grilling. Place the patties in the refrigerator while you grill the remaining bacon.
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Grill bacon and set aside:
Place the remaining 12 bacon slices on the grill over direct heat. Grill for about 4 to 6 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking. Grill longer or shorter depending on the desired degree of doneness.
I prefer the 4 minute mark, which leaves just a little puff in the bite, but if you prefer crispier bacon, grill longer. Lay the bacon on a wire rack over paper towels and wrap loosely in aluminum foil.
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Prepare grill for burgers:
Keep the same two-zone grilling method you already set up, but increase the direct heat side to 400°F to 500°F. You want to cook the burgers at a higher temperature than the bacon.
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Grill the burgers and add the cheese:
Grill the patties over direct heat, turning once halfway through cooking, until the internal temperature reaches 155°F with an instant-read thermometer, about 9 to 11 minutes total. The finished burger is medium cooked, with a well-formed crust and visible grill marks.
Add cheese slices to each patty in the last minute of grilling.
Remove the burgers from the grill and set aside on a foil-covered baking sheet while you grill the burger buns.
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Grill buns:
Grill the buns, cut-side down, over direct heat until marked, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
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Prepare and serve burgers:
Place a burger on each bottom bun. Place two folded bacon slices on each burger. Top with rolls and serve with spices of your choice.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 925 | calories |
| 56g | Fat |
| 35g | carbohydrates |
| 68g | protein |
