Crispy Bacon and Cheese Burger (Copycat)
A home version of the bacon and cheese burger format: beef patties loaded with diced bacon and cheddar chunks, grilled and topped with melted cheese, caramelised onions and a simple burger sauce. The bacon is half-cooked first so its flavour runs through the patty without causing grill flare-ups. It has not been kitchen-tested for this site yet, so treat it as a starting point. The home cost below is an estimate per burger.
What it costs: restaurant vs home
| Option | Cost |
|---|---|
| Non-VegCRISPY BACON and CHEESE at Grill'd (typical price, from the menu page) | $16.90 |
| This home version, per serving | $9 |
| You save | $7.90 (47%) |
Restaurant price is the typical figure from our Grill'd menu data (prices vary by location). Home cost is an estimate for the ingredients listed, per serving.
Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 3 slices | thick cut bacon | n/a |
| 900 g | ground beef, 80% lean | about 2 pounds |
| 115 g | cheddar cheese | diced, about half a cup |
| 2 tsp | black pepper | freshly ground |
| 1.5 tsp | kosher salt | n/a |
| 1 | yellow onion | thinly sliced |
| 1 tbsp | unsalted butter | for the onions |
| 6 | brioche or white burger buns | n/a |
| 2 tbsp | unsalted butter | for the buns |
| 6 slices | American or cheddar cheese slices | for topping |
| 0.25 cup | mayonnaise | for the sauce |
| 0.25 cup | ketchup | for the sauce |
| 1 tbsp | BBQ sauce | optional, for the sauce |
| n/a | sliced tomato, dill pickles and lettuce | to serve |
Method
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until half-cooked, then lift it out and keep the rendered fat in the pan. Dice the bacon small.
- Mix the ground beef gently with the diced bacon and diced cheddar, season with the salt and pepper, and shape into 6 patties about 2 cm thick. Press a thumb dimple into the centre of each patty so it does not dome as it cooks, then chill for about 20 minutes.
- While the patties chill, cook the sliced onion in the reserved bacon fat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then lower the heat, add the butter and cook for about 10 more minutes, stirring often, until soft and jammy.
- Heat the grill to high, at least 230 degrees C. Grill the patties for 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, undisturbed, until they release from the grates, then flip and cook for about 5 more minutes for medium, checking with a thermometer.
- Lay a cheese slice over each patty for the last minute until melted, then rest the patties for about 5 minutes while you butter and toast the buns on the grill.
- Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup and BBQ sauce if using into a burger sauce and spread it on both halves of each bun.
- Build each burger with lettuce, tomato and pickles, the hot patty, and a spoonful of caramelised onion, then serve straight away.
Tips
- Handle the beef as little as possible, overworked patties turn tough.
- Salt the outside of the patties, not the mix far ahead of cooking, so the meat stays juicy.
- If a patty sticks to the grill, its crust has not formed yet, leave it alone for another minute before flipping.
Recipe credit: adapted in our own words from the tested recipe by FoodieCrush. Their bacon double cheddar cheeseburger with caramelised onions was the reference point for the bacon and cheddar loaded patty, the caramelised onions and the burger sauce here. Our wording, quantities and method above are our own. The recipe above is complete as published here; the original is credited only as a reference for readers who want to compare: original tested recipe at FoodieCrush.
See the full Grill'd menu & prices The original item: Non-VegCRISPY BACON and CHEESE