These brown sugar bacon burgers are mouth-watering home made burgers, made with juicy beef, crispy bacon with a touch of sweetness, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese all on a soft bun. They are the perfect way to take your backyard bbq burgers to the next level.
Back when Nate and I were dating, we enjoyed cooking food together. We would usually enjoy a couple meals a week together. One day we were experimenting a little, and we discovered brown sugar bacon and these delicious brown sugar bacon burgers. It may be the best way to enjoy a burger.
These brown sugar bacon burgers can be made all year long, but they are definitely one of my favorite foods to enjoy all summer long. Serve them up with some barbecue side dish favorites like grilled corn, juicy watermelon, pasta salad, chips, or french fries.
These take your bbq to the next level, and make your burgers gourmet with just a few simple additions. They’ve got a little sweetness, the perfect savory notes.
They have melty cheddar cheese, a juicy seasoned patty, crispy and chewy brown sugar bacon, sweet caramelized onions, all on a lightly toasted bun. Add your favorite burger toppings to finalize the dish.
These burgers seem a bit labor intensive, and seems like a complicated cooking process, but you can prepare the parts at the same time and have your burgers ready in about 30 minutes. Start the bacon cooking in the oven, caramelize the onions on the stove top, then prepare the burger patties and grill them up, so they all finish around the same time.
Ingredients Needed:
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Brown Sugar Bacon Burger recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Ground Beef
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Brown Sugar Bacon
- Butter
- Yellow Onion
- Cheddar Cheese Slices
- Hamburger Buns
How to make Brown Sugar Bacon Burgers?
- Make the bacon. Preheat the oven and spread the bacon out on a foil lined baking pan, sprinkled with a black pepper and brown sugar mixture. Bake until the bacon is cooked through and the sugar is melted. Set the bacon aside until needed.
- Caramelize the Onions. Add a little butter to a saute pan, and your sliced onions, and sprinkle salt over the top of them. Cook on medium low heat until the onions are golden brown and soft.
- Make the burgers. Mix ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to a large bowl and mix them together. Divide the meat into 4 equal patties, then flatten each section to be about 1 inch wider than your hamburger buns. Slightly indent the center of the patty. Preheat an outdoor grill, or cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Cook the patties until they are brown on the bottom, then flip and cook for a few minutes on the other side too; and until the centers reach your desired temperatures. (Cook between 130 and 135 F for medium rare, 135-145 F for medium, 145-155 F for medium well, and 160-165 F for well done.) When the burgers have about 1 to 2 minute left to cook add a slice of cheese on top of them, and let the cheese melt slightly, then remove the patties from the heat. Let them rest for a few minutes before assembling the burgers.4. Assemble the Burgers. Take one hamburger bun and place your choice of burger toppings on it (lettuce, tomato, etc.), including a cheese topped patty, one to two pieces of candied bacon strips, a pile of caramelized onions. I recommend topping the patty with mayonnaise, bbq sauce, ketchup, or your choice of dressing.
Tips and Tricks:
- Don’t overwork the ground beef or you will have a tough burger. Gently fold the ground beef with the seasonings then stop once they are mixed.
- If you aren’t cooking the burgers right away, put them into a storage container in the fridge – the patties will hold their shape better when cooked from cold.
- Don’t press your burgers while they are cooking, or you will push out the juices.
- Add your favorite additional toppings to the burgers; lettuce, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, pickles, avocado, a fried egg, etc.
- Add your favorite sauce or condiments to the burgers; Nate loves toppings his burger with fry sauce, my favorite is ketchup or barbecue sauce.
Other Burger Topping Ideas:
- fresh lettuce
- sliced tomatoes
- grilled mushrooms
- sliced pickles
- sliced avocado or guacamole
- a fried egg
- mayonnaise
- sriracha mayo
- barbecue sauce
- fry sauce
- ketchup
- Americana cheese
- blue cheese
How to store leftovers?
These brown sugar bacon burgers are best stored in separate parts if possible. You can store the burger patties topped with cheese, candied bacon, and caramelized onions in airtight containers in the fridge.
Reheat the burger patties in the microwave by covering it with a damp paper towel and microwaving for about 30 seconds, or until heated through.
Or you can reheat it in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat with a small amount of water or oil. Heat for about 2-3 minutes, or until hot throughout.
You can also reheat the bacon in the pan for a few minutes, or microwave for about 20 seconds until warm. Add the onions to the pan, or microwave for about 30 seconds. Once the parts are heated through, assemble the burgers as usual.
These burgers are the perfect mix of flavors, and will be one of your new favorite homemade hamburgers, and favorite dinners, especially to make in the summer!
More burger recipes:
- Greek Gyro Lamb Burgers
- Teriyaki Cheeseburgers
- Western Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Copycat In N Out Burgers // Munchkin Time
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Brown Sugar Bacon Burgers
Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar Bacon:
- 8 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Caramelized Onions:
- 2 TBS unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Burgers:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For Assembling the Burgers:
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- 4 burger buns
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- other toppings
Instructions
For the Brown Sugar Bacon:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with overlapping foil, and add a oven safe wire rack on top.
- Combine the brown sugar and black pepper in a small bowl, and stir them together.
- Dip the bacon slices into the brown sugar mixture. Then add them to the wire rack. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on the top of the bacon slices.
- Bake the bacon in the preheated oven for 15-25 minutes until it has reached your desired crispiness levels.
- Let the bacon cool for at least 5 minutes, until ready to use on the burgers.
For the Caramelized Onions:
- Add butter to a sauté pan and heat it over medium low and let it start to melt.
- Add in the onion slices and stir them into the melted butter. Let the onion cook for a few minutes, then sprinkle the salt over the top.
- Let the onion continue to cook for at least 20-25 minutes, on low heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and browned. (This may not be a full caramelize, but they will be flavor and tender). Set aside until needed.
For the Burgers:
- Preheat a cast iron skillet or grill to medium high heat.
- Add the ground beef, Worcestershire Sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to a medium sized bowl and gently mix them together to mix together.
- Separate the beef into 4 sections and press them into patties, about 1-2 inches wider than the bun. Slightly indent the center of the patty with your thumb.
- Add the prepared patties to the skillet or grill and cook until brown on each side, and the internal temperature of your choice is reached, about 2 to 5 minutes on each side of the burger. Check the temperature to cook the burger to your desired doneness.
- With about 1 minute left in cooking, top each patty with a slice of Cheddar cheese. Let the cheese melt slightly and remove the patties from the heat. Let them rest for about 4 to 5 minutes before assembling the burger.
For Assembling the Burgers:
- Assemble the burgers by adding lettuce, then top it with burger patty with cheese, one to two pieces of bacon, then caramelized onions, followed by your choice of sauce, and close with the last burger bun, and enjoy.
Nutrition
These brown sugar bacon burgers were first posted on June 22, 2011, the photos and text were updated for clarity on May 8, 2023.
Loving, Learning, and Sharing says
I was there. I can vouch for this one!!