This Bacon Cheddar Burger is tender and incredibly flavorful. It is loaded with sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, green lettuce, juicy sliced tomatoes, and crunchy red onions.
A generous coating of homemade spicy mayonnaise sauce seals the deal while toasting the burger buns, which has proved to be a little trick I’ll never skip!
Serve your juicy burgers with a simple side dish such as creamy coleslaw, French fries, or pasta salad. Once you’ve made these burger patties for dinner, you won't want to go back.
Whether you've tried our famous Crispy Chicken Burgers, Salmon Burgers, or seen our Chili Cheese Dog Casserole, this Bacon Cheddar Burger recipe is no disappointment!
Why We Love This
- It’s a guaranteed family meal favorite that you can serve for lunch or dinner. I mean, who doesn't love a delicious and juicy cheesy burger?!
- While most beef burgers are made with regular ground beef, I’ve used lean ground beef as a healthy option - less fat to clean up or work off!
- Adapt your bacon cheddar burger with simple ingredients swaps or additions. The toppings are extremely versatile and you can make the spicy mayonnaise sauce as hot or mild as you like.
Ingredients
- Ground meat - While fattier ground beef is naturally more flavorful, I usually opt for lean ground beef or ground turkey when making cheesy burgers because they’re healthier and don’t drain excess fat.
- Cheese - Cheddar is preferred for its sharp, salty flavor and melty texture. Other melty cheese alternatives include Pepper Jack, Monterey, Edam, and Gouda.
- Breadcrumbs and egg - These are binding ingredients. In other words, they keep the beef patties holding together. You can opt for a gluten-free brand of breadcrumbs if you wish. Panko could work, too, but I prefer regular fine breadcrumbs.
- Bacon - You can use either thick-cut bacon or regular crispy bacon slices. I recommend cooking them ahead of time in the pan or oven for easier assembly.
- Patty seasoning - Worcestershire sauce and a simple seasoning of salt and pepper are all you really need to enhance the flavor of the juicy beef patties. Make sure to add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Burger Toppings - For a classic beef cheeseburger, I’ve used thinly sliced tomatoes, red onion, crispy lettuce, and sharp cheddar cheese. Feel free to add other toppings, such as sliced pickles.
- Chipotle Mayo - This sauce is a simple combination of regular mayonnaise, ground chili or chipotle powder, and a hot sauce of your choice, such as sriracha. If you want to try something new, add fresh garlic or garlic powder, onion powder, or some dried or fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, cilantro, or oregano. Alternatively, a simple barbecue sauce will taste delicious here, too.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
How To Make Juicy Burgers
- Combine ground beef with salt and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add Worcestershire sauce, eggs, soy sauce and breadcrumbs. Stir to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend.
- Form 4 compact beef balls. Flatten the balls into ¾-inch patties about 4-½ inches across. If you want round edges, form the patties using your hands instead of a burger press.
- Prepare the ingredients for burger assembly and lay them on a table for easy prep.
- Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add a little vegetable oil. Cook the patties until browned on both sides, 5 minutes on each.
- Towards the last minute, add 1-2 cheese slices and top with crispy bacon (or add this later). Remove from heat.
- Perfect burger assembly. Before serving, toast your favorite buns in a pan or oven.
- Add toppings and spicy mayonnaise sauce, and enjoy!
Tips
- Save some preparation time by slicing the red onion, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese ahead of time. You can store these ingredients in separate airtight containers overnight in the refrigerator.
- This recipe will yield 4 regular patties or 2 thicker patties. If you opt for thicker patties, increase the cooking time to ensure that the meat isn’t raw upon serving.
- Shaping the patties from rolled balls with your hands is not difficult, although I do recommend that you flatten the center of the patty even more so that they don’t rise in the middle while cooking and also to ensure an even cook throughout. You can also use a burger patty mold and/or burger press for easier handling.
- Toasting the burger bun halves in the oven is an extra step that I always take, and it’s so worth it! When biting into your bacon cheddar burger, you'll get a crispy crunch that’s truly irresistible.
Beef Burger Temperature Chart
I like to cook my burgers, leaving them a little pink inside.
For best results, always use a kitchen meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the beef patty.
Depending on what are you used to, aim for one of these internal temperatures below:
- Medium-rare: 130˚ to 135˚ Fahrenheit
- Medium: 140˚ to 145˚ Fahrenheit
- Medium-well: 150˚ to 155˚ Fahrenheit
Anything more than this is considered well done and will be ''very dry''.
However, the USDA recommends higher temperatures for hamburgers. Whenever possible, always shop for organic and high-quality meat products and use your best judgment when handling and cooking meat products.
Freezing and Storing Instructions
There are a few steps to consider to keep those cheesy burgers fresh and juicy for later consumption.
These can be easily made ahead, and the best advice is to combine the beef mixture ingredients, shape them into patties, and freeze them raw until ready to cook.
Freezing instructions: Cook the beef patties and place them on kitchen paper towels to drain the excess oil. Let them cool and freeze for 2-3 months.
I would still recommend freezing raw patties as they will last for about 6 months, and the flavor will be fresh once thawed and cooked in the skillet.
Don't forget to separate each patty with parchment paper before stacking them together for freezing in an airtight container.
Make-ahead instructions: Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, egg, and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Mix until combined, then either leave it as it is or shape it into patties. Seal tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
Serving Suggestions
We love making cheesy burgers, which is a tradition at least once in a couple of weeks at our home. We usually go all in and make plenty of side dishes to enjoy.
Side dishes don't have to be traditional French fries or pasta salads but can be more light and healthy too.
- Easy Creamy Potato Salad
- Hot Dog Relish (Easy Corn Relish Recipe)
- Caesar Salad With Dressing
- Healthy Asparagus Fries
Also, I highly recommend trying out my friend Julia's Homemade Parmesan Truffle Fries and the best Marinated Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad that pairs with most of our favorite meat dishes!
Easy Dinner Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Mushrooms (Gluten-Free)
- Baked Pasta With Pepperoni
- Chicken Barbecue Pizza
📖Recipe
Bacon Cheddar Burger
Ingredients
For Bacon Cheeseburger
- 1 pound lean meat Ground Beef , or lean ground turkey (93%)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoon breadcrumbs
- 1 medium egg
- 8 slices bacon, thick or thin, cooked, optional
- sandwich or brioche buns, for serving
- olive oil, or similar vegetable oil for cooking
Toppings
- 1 large firm tomato, thinly sliced circles
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced circles
- lettuce such as romaine, iceberg (I used mini/baby romaine). Leaves separated and trimmed
- 4 -8 slices sharp Cheddar cheese
Spicy Mayonnaise Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon ground chili , or chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha , or similar hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef with salt, black pepper. Add Worcestershire sauce, eggs, soy sauce, and breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend.1 pound lean meat Ground Beef, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, salt and black pepper, 1 ½ tablespoon breadcrumbs, 1 medium egg
- Form 4 compact beef balls. Flatten the balls into ¾-inch patties about 4-½ inches across. If you’re looking for round edges, form the patties using your hands instead of a burger press.
- Prepare the ingredients for burger assembly and lay them on a table for easy prep.1 large firm tomato, 1 large red onion, lettuce such as romaine
- Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon ground chili, 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- Heat up a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add a little bit of vegetable oil. Cook the patties, until browned on both sides, 5 minutes on each. Towards the last minute, add 1-2 slices of cheese and top with crispy bacon (or add this later). Remove from heat.8 slices bacon, 4 -8 slices sharp Cheddar cheese, olive oil
- Perfect burger assembly. Before serving, toast your favorite buns on a pan or in the oven.sandwich or brioche buns
- Add toppings, spicy mayonnaise sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Easy Wrap and Sandwich Recipes
FAQs
Cooked beef patties can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container, for up to 3-4 days. To extend their shelf life, they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
If you plan on making and storing raw beef patties, I recommend storing them in the freezer with parchment paper between each patty in an airtight container or wrapping them individually with plastic wrap. These will last up to 6 months and can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator.
YES. Instead of assembling the cheeseburgers ahead of time, rather prepare the different components of the beef cheeseburgers to store in the refrigerator the day before serving.
The burger toppings and spicy mayonnaise sauce can be prepared and stored in separate containers. You can also prepare the raw beef patties mixture and store it in the refrigerator.
Rita
Bacon Cheddar Burgers - an easy and delicious weeknight meal!