I love a really good bacon cheddar cheeseburger! Cooking the burger patties in bacon drippings gives the meat a smoky flavor, and the pepper adds a nice kick to the dish. You can throw the burger patties into the freezer for about 8–10 minutes, just long enough for the outside of the burger to start to freeze. This creates a really wonderful crust and ensures that you’ll always get a juicy burger.
Easy Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck (with an 80/20 fat ratio)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon serrano pepper, diced
- 8 slices thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon
- 1 tablespoon bacon drippings (reserved from cooking the bacon)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 hamburger buns or large rolls
- 4 slices extra sharp cheddar cheese (½ cup grated)
- Optional garnishes: romaine lettuce, sliced onion, tomato, pickle, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and BBQ sauce
Instructions
1. On a cutting board, plate, or any clean, large, level surface, flatten out the ground beef and add freshly ground black pepper, salt, and serrano pepper.
2. Repeatedly fold the ground beef into itself to mix the ingredients.
3. Once the ingredients are well mixed, divide the ground beef into four equal balls.
4. Shape each ball into a patty, using the palms of your hands to push down and your thumbs to shape the edges (be careful to not over handle the ground beef, the heat from your hands will actually start to melt the fat and cause the patties to fall apart when cooking and lose flavor).
5. Place the burger patties into a baking dish (stainless steel works the best for the next step) and place the dish into the freezer for about 8 minutes (slightly freezing the patties will help form a nice crust on the outside of the burgers when cooking).
6. While the patties are in the freezer, cook the slices of thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon (reserving about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings) until crisp, wrap in paper towels, and put on the side.
7. Preheat the grill or pan (preferable a cast iron grill pan) to medium-high heat and add the bacon drippings and unsalted butter.
8. Once the butter begins to bubble, place the 4 patties into the pan.
9. Grill or cook the patties for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare or until desired doneness.
10. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a slice of the extra sharp cheddar cheese and close the grill/cover the pan and allow the cheese to melt (about 1 minute).
11. Remove the patties from the grill/pan and place them onto hamburger buns or large buns and top with bacon and any other garnishes and enjoy!
