Irresistible Crack Burgers (Printable)
Juicy, smoky burgers with melty cheddar, crispy bacon, and a tangy sauce—ready in 35 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat
01 - 1½ lbs (80/20) ground beef
→ Seasoning
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - ½ tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
05 - ½ tsp garlic powder
06 - ½ tsp onion powder
→ Signature Sauce
07 - ½ cup mayonnaise
08 - 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
09 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
10 - 1 tbsp hot sauce
11 - 2 tsp brown sugar
→ Toppings
12 - 8 slices cooked bacon
13 - 4 slices cheddar cheese
14 - 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
15 - 1 large tomato, sliced
16 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Buns
17 - 4 brioche or potato buns
18 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter, for toasting buns
# Steps:
01 - Preheat a grill or large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly hot.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix gently until just incorporated—avoid overworking the meat. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into patties slightly wider than the buns to account for shrinkage during cooking.
03 - Grill or pan-fry patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side until desired doneness is reached. During the final minute of cooking, place a slice of cheddar cheese on each patty and allow it to melt.
04 - While the patties cook, melt butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Toast buns cut-side down until golden brown and lightly crisped.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, and brown sugar until smooth and well combined.
06 - Spread signature sauce generously on both halves of each toasted bun. Layer the bottom bun with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, and red onion. Place the cheesy patty on top, followed by 2 slices of crispy bacon. Cap with the top bun.
07 - Serve immediately while hot. Offer additional signature sauce on the side for dipping.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- That sauce is the kind of thing you will want to put on everything from fries to scrambled eggs by Tuesday.
- The smoked paprika in the patty mixture makes people ask what your secret is, and you can decide whether to tell them.
- Everything comes together in about half an hour, which means you can pull this off on a weeknight without breaking a sweat.
02 -
- Overmixing the beef makes the patties dense and tough, so stop folding the moment the spices look evenly distributed.
- Pressing down on the patties with your spatula squeezes out every drop of juice you worked hard to keep inside.
03 -
- Make a small dimple in the center of each patty with your thumb so the burger cooks flat instead of puffing up like a meatball.
- Let the patties sit undisturbed for the first three minutes to develop a proper crust before you even think about flipping.