Caramelized Onion Bacon Cheeseburgers (video)
I’m taking cheeseburgers to a new level of decadence with my Caramelized Onion Bacon Cheeseburger recipe! This is the ultimate burger, with crispy bacon, caramelized onions, homemade beef patties and brioche burger buns! It’s extra juicy, flavorful and so perfect for any summer barbecue! Plus, learn how to make my easy burger sauce! This sauce is a must for these caramelized onion cheeseburgers!
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Ingredients for Bacon Cheeseburgers
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to make these incredible caramelized onion bacon cheeseburgers!
- Ground Beef: for making homemade beef patties. Use a 80/20 or 85/15 blend of ground beef for extra juicy and flavorful burgers. The extra fat will make these more juicy!
- Bacon: thick-cut, smoky slices of bacon are a must!
- Onions: for making the caramelized onion filling. You can also have some fresh onion, too!
- Cheese: a good, sharp cheddar cheese goes so well for this cheeseburger recipe!
- Lettuce: I recommend using a leafy lettuce such as romaine. Wash it really well first, then peel the leaves away from the bunch and cut them down to fit nicely onto the buns.
- Tomatoes: I like to use large, beefy heirloom tomatoes, large enough to cover the buns with 1 slice!
- Brioche Buns: my favorite burger buns! This type of bread is super soft and slightly sweet.
- Mayo, Ketchup, Relish & Mustard: for making my delicious burger sauce. Feel free to add extra of your favorite burger spreads.
Can I Use Frozen Patties?
Yes, you can absolutely use frozen beef patties! My favorite ones are the Wagyu, grass-fed beef patties from Costco. They’re very flavor and juicy, even for a frozen patty! Make sure to season them with my favorite Roasted Garlic & Herb spice blend!
Making Homemade Beef Patties
I love to make these incredible caramelized onion cheeseburgers with homemade, freshly-ground beef patties. They’re super easy to make and seasoned with salt, black pepper and my favorite burger seasoning – McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb spice blend. This is not a sponsored post! I just love this spice blend and always use it for my patties for any burger recipe. Here’s how I make them:
- Season the beef in a large mixing bowl, then gently mix the ground beef until it’s well seasoned. I then weigh out the beef into 6 to 7-oz. portions using my food scale.
- Next, I gently shape the beef into a ball and then lightly press it into a 6-inch cookie cutter. Fresh beef patties will shrink on the grill so make them wider than you think you need to!
- I recommend chilling the patties in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Chilled beef patties will hold their shape better on the grill.
Caramelized Onion Recipe
If you’ve never had a caramelized onion bacon cheeseburger, you’re in for a real treat!! To make caramelized onion, first melt a few tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan, then fry the onions until they’re golden brown. Next, add in some chicken or beef broth and reduce the broth until a thick sauce coats the onions. All done! I like to drain off some of the butter so they’re not too rich and greasy, then transfer the onions into a ramekin. The onions become sweet and tender once done and they pair perfectly with the smoky bacon and juicy burger!
The Best Way to Make a TON of Bacon!
Bacon, bacon, bacon! I love a good bacon cheeseburger but preparing a lot of bacon can take up space on the stove top. Instead, I like to use my oven when I need to make prepare more than a few slices. I preheat my oven to 425F and line a large baking sheet with foil, which will catch all the grease. Next, I add a wire rack and place the bacon single layer on top. The bacon bakes fairly quickly, about 15 minutes for regular cut bacon and a few minutes more for thicker cut. Bake the bacon until it’s golden and crispy!
My Favorite Burger Sauce
You will my easy recipe for the best burger sauce! This sauce is similar to the one served at In-and-Out, my favorite fast food burger joint! It’s made with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, smoked paprika and dried garlic. I just mix everything together in a small bowl and it’s ready to be enjoyed! The smoked paprika and garlic add so much great flavor!
Grilling the Cheeseburgers
Once I have my caramelized onions, bacon, sauce and toppings ready, it’s time to grill our cheeseburgers! I preheat my outdoor grill to about 600F/315C for about 10 minutes. A hot grill will get you nicely charred burgers. I add my homemade patties, spacing them a few inches apart, and grill for about 5 to 7 minutes on the first side, until the patty is charred. Don’t flip these too early and do not press down on them!! Pressing on the patty will cause all the good juices to come out! Grill them on the other side until they’re done.
- While the patties are grilling, it’s the perfect time to grill the brioche buns, too! Toasted buns make for the best bacon cheeseburgers!
- Add the cheese! I love to use sliced sharp cheddar for this recipe. The rich cheese adds loads of flavor! Add the cheese once the patties are done, then close the grill lid and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Commercially ground beef should be cooked to 160F/71C internal temperature! If you are making your own ground beef and want a medium-done patty, cook to 145F/63C.
How to Make a Caramelized Onion Bacon Cheeseburger
Putting together this delicious cheeseburger is just as important as preparing the ingredients! Here’s how it’s done:
- Season both pieces of the toasted brioche bun with an ample about of burger sauce, but not too much!
- Add a layer of lettuce onto the bottom bun before adding the tomato! This way, the bun will stay dry and not get soggy from the tomato.
- Next, it’s time for the beef patty. I like to spread a bit of ketchup onto the bottom of the patty, for extra flavor and juiciness!
- Top the patty with bacon (I split each slice in half) and then the caramelized onion. Add the top bun and you’re ready to enjoy!
Charcuterie-Style Serving
My favorite way to serve these caramelized onion bacon cheeseburgers is charcuterie-style on a large baking sheet! I just line the baking sheet with parchment paper; you can also use a large wooden board. Next, I add lots of leafy lettuce around the edges for color. I add my toasted brioche buns to one side and fill the baking sheet with my sliced tomatoes, red onion, crispy bacon and beef patties. I like to have my burger sauce, caramelized onions and more ketchup in small ramekins with serving spoons. Give this serving style a try next time you’re making burgers!
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More Recipes
Enjoyed this incredible burger recipe? Check out some of my other grilling recipes you’re sure to love for summer time!
- Homemade Salmon Burgers – juicy salmon patties with a creamy spread, avocado, cucumbers, and more!
- Grilled Steak Salad – with grilled corn, avocado, tomatoes, cheese and chimichurri sauce! This salad is soo good for summer!
- Grilled Ribeye Steak Dinner – learn how to make the best ribeye, with a side of potatoes and chimichurri sauce!
- BLT Club Sandwich – the BEST classic BLT club sandwich with bacon, avocado and a smoky chipotle spread!
- Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich – The most delicious fish sandwich with crispy fried mahi mahi, cabbage slaw, garlic aioli spread and avocado!
Supplies/Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- Patty Press – use a burger patty press for your patties, or a large, round cookie cutter!
- Digital Food Scale – having a digital scale is a must for every home cook!
- Digital Meat Thermometer – make sure you are cooking your burgers to a safe temperature using this thermometer!
- McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb spice blend – get this blend online if you’re not able to find it in stores near you.
- Metal Spatula for grilling – I love using a heavy duty metal spatula for flipping burgers.
Caramelized Onion Bacon Cheeseburgers (video)
Ingredients
For Beef Patties:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 ½ to 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tbsp Roasted Garlic & Herb spice blend
For Burger Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 to 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 ½ tbsp pickle relish
- ¼ tsp EACH: garlic powder, smoked paprika
For Caramelized Onion:
- 2 to 3 tbsp butter
- 1 extra-large sweet onion, sliced
- ¾ cup chicken or beef broth
For Toppings:
- 12 to 16 slices smoked bacon
- 1 to 2 large heirloom tomatoes
- 1 head of leafy Romaine lettuce
- 1 sliced red onion, optional
- 6 to 8 brioche buns
- 6 to 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- Ketchup
Instructions
Making the Beef Patties:
- Prepare the homemade beef patties first. This recipe will make 6 to 8 patties. Place the ground beef into a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and the Roasted Garlic & Herb spice blend. Use your hands to gently mix the beef until it’s well seasoned. Using a kitchen scale, weigh out the beef into 5 to 7-ounce patties onto slips of parchment paper. Wrap the food scale with plastic wrap for easy clean up.
- To shape the patties, roll the ground beef loosely into a ball, then press into a 6-inch circle. I recommend using a round cookie cutter. Place the patties onto a baking sheet, then into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preparing the Bacon:
- Meanwhile, prepare the bacon. Preheat the oven to 425F/218C and line a large baking sheet with foil, then top with a wire rack. Place the bacon single layer onto the rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon, until it’s golden and crispy.
Caramelized Onions:
- For the caramelized onion, preheat a large frying pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the sliced onion and fry it until it’s golden brown all over; this can take up to 10 minutes. Add the broth next, bring it to a simmer and let the broth reduce until almost completely evaporated. Once the onions are done, tilt the frying pan to one side and drain off the excess butter, then transfer the onions into a ramekin.
Preparing the Toppings:
- For the burger sauce, simply combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir together: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, smoked paprika and garlic.
- Prepare the remaining burger toppings. Wash and portion the lettuce into pieces that will fit well onto the burger buns. Slice the tomatoes; I recommend using large, beefy tomatoes. If desired, slice a red onion and set aside. Prepare some pickles or relish, if desired.
Grilling:
- Preheat your outdoor grill to 600F/315C and let it stay at that temperature for at least 5 minutes so that the grill grates get extra hot. Add the beef patties, spacing them out by a few inches on all sides. Grill the patties until they’re well charred, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not flip them too early and do not press down on the patties!! Flip them when they’re nicely done, then continue to cook on the other side. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Commercially ground beef should be cooked to 160F/71C.
- Add the sliced cheese onto the patties once they’re done, close the lid and cook for about 30 to 45 seconds, until the cheese is melted. Also, toasted the brioche buns on the grill. Open the buns and toast both sides for best results.
Assembling the Cheeseburgers:
- To assemble the burgers, first spread some burger sauce on both halves of the brioche bun. Add several leaves of lettuce onto the bottom bun and top with sliced tomato. Season the tomato with salt, if desired. Next, spread some ketchup onto the bottom of the beef patty (the side without the cheese) and add that on top. Top the patty with 2 to 3 slices of bacon, splitting each slice in half. Add the caramelized onion on top and finish with the top bun. Enjoy!
Can you do Italian pizza a new subscriber
Hi Jody! Welcome to my site! I would love to share my recipe, adding it to my to-do list! 🙂
Thank you so much for all your helpful recipes. 🌹
You’re very welcome! Enjoy! 🙂
Hi
I don’t have a grill, is there another way to cook the patties.
Hi Jackie! You can also fry the patties on the stove top in a frying pan. They won’t have that smoky grilled flavor but it will get the job done. Enjoy! 🙂
You and your cooking are an absolute joy to watch, Tanya! I hope you are as happy as you are making people out there happy!
Thank you so much for watching and for your support!! 🙂 Makes my day!
Outstanding!!! These were absolutely amazing and satisfied my 3 boys and husband. I did smoke them on our Treager for about 30 minutes before grilling them and also added Swiss cheese along with the cheddar cheese. This will definitely stay on our menu. Thank you!!!!
What a great idea to use the Trager for this recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
Yum! This was delicious !
My personal favorite! I’m so happy you loved it! Thanks for leaving a review!