What's a Western bacon burger? Only the best burger of your life! Sweet barbecue sauce, smoky bacon, savory cheddar cheese, and crispy onion rings come together to make an incredibly flavorful burger. In fact, the recipe below will rival any cheeseburger at your favorite restaurant at a fraction of the cost.
We like 80/20 ground beef for burgers because it has the right balance of fat. That helps the burger to remain super juicy as it cooks, especially when combined with a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce to amp up the flavors. If you want to save on time, this recipe can easily be made with pre-formed, frozen hamburger patties. Just make sure you thaw the patty out before hitting the grill or it won't cook properly.
How to make Western bacon burgers
4
15 minutes
30 minutes
45 minutes
1 pound ground beef, 80/20 preferred
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 slices bacon
8-12 frozen onion rings, enough to cover your burgers
Kosher salt, to taste
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 sesame seed buns buns
1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
In a large bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix until everything is well combined.
Form the beef into 4 large patties. Make a dimple in the center of each patty and set aside in the refrigerator until you're ready to hit the grill.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon strips and cook until they are browned and crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes.
Cook the onion rings in the oven according to the package directions.
Heat your grill over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the hamburger patties with kosher salt and place them on the hot grill.
Cook the burgers for 8-10 minutes, flipping once, until they are cooked through. Using a meat thermometer is the most accurate way to determine when your burgers are done (you're looking for 140 degrees F for medium and 160 degrees F for well done.)
When the burgers are almost fully cooked (about 5 degrees F off from the final cooking temperature), place the cheddar cheese on top of the patty and close the lid to melt the cheese.
Assemble the burgers by placing the cooked onion rings on the bottom bun. Add the burger patty, two slices of bacon, and drizzle each burger with the barbecue sauce.
