Grilled Bacon Burgers with Caramelized Onions
Who doesn’t enjoy a good bacon burger? When my son-in-law told me he was making bacon burgers for the 4th of July, I had no idea that the bacon would be in the burgers rather than on it.
Leave it to America’s Test Kitchen to come up with something that takes a grilled hamburger to soaring new heights. I’d categorize this bacon burger with its caramelized onions (and cheese of your choice) as orgasmically delicious!
As you might expect, there are several more steps involved in making these burgers—but every single one is well worth it to get the mouth-watering result. The burger is so flavorful and juicy that it will make you forget about every other burger you’ve ever had.
The secret is processing raw bacon to a paste and then cooking it briefly before incorporating it into the hamburger. This gives you bacon flavor in every delicious bite. Carrying the “secret” further, you sauté the onions in some of the leftover bacon fat. Onions caramelized in bacon fat? Say no more!
My son-in-law is not a fan of blue cheese, so he provided a choice of cheddar or Muenster cheese. I love blue cheese, so that will be on the menu next time. With Labor Day right around the corner, I think it’s time to invite my son-in-law over for a cookout. 🙂
Grilled Bacon Burgers with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled and chilled (1 cup), optional—or top with your favorite cheese
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted
Directions
Fran’s Notes
Be gentle when shaping the patties, taking care not to overwork the meat, or the burgers will become dense.
You will make 4 hamburgers from the 1 1/2 pounds of beef. These burgers are quite large—almost a half pound each. As you will see from the photos, my son-in-law doubled the recipe. For meal-planning purposes, if you have sides and a dessert, I doubt anyone would be able to eat a second burger.
Directions
Process bacon in food processor to smooth paste, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until lightly browned in spots but still pink (do not cook until crispy), about 5 minutes, breaking up pieces with spoon.
Drain bacon in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate and let cool completely. Reserve bacon fat.
Add 2 tablespoons reserved fat to now-empty skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until well browned, about 20 minutes.
Transfer to bowl and set aside.
Spread beef in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle bacon, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt over beef. Gently toss with 2 forks to combine. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal mounds. Gently shape each mound into 3/4-inch-thick patty about 4 1/2 inches in diameter. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about 1/2 inch thick, creating slight divot. (Patties can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Season patties with pepper. Cook patties divot side down, uncovered, until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip patties and top each with 1/4 cup blue cheese, if using. Cover and continue to cook until burgers register 125o F (for medium-rare) or 130 o F (for medium), about 2 minutes longer. Transfer burgers to buns, top with onion, and serve.
Oh, those caramelized onions!
Source: A recipe from America’s Test Kitchen