These are Man-Burgers! Bourbon Onion Marmalade topping with bacon and easy Bourbon BBQ sauce on meaty burgers. Just in time for Father’s Day and summer!
Forget about the pickles, onions, tomatoes and lettuce for a while. These 6 oz burgers are topped with bacon, melted Swiss cheese, pan fried mushrooms and laid on a bed of Bourbon onion ‘marmalade’ on a bun slathered with Bourbon BBQ sauce. You don’t need anything else with this smoky, meaty flavour combo.
I tried a few variations of these, which my husband was more than okay providing feedback on. The winning formula was to keep it simple and just cook the bacon in strips. A previous version had the bacon bits in the meat patty but they just got lost in the patty. Another kitchen boo boo was when I mistakenly used Irish whisky instead of bourbon! No comparison!
The burger has a mix of Italian pork sausage and beef that make them really juicy and tasty. You can use all beef or a commercial patty if you prefer.
You can make the bacon, onions and mushrooms ahead of time and just reheat before serving time. Or you can let them cook while the burgers are on the grill. The onions need a good 20 minutes to caramelize so make sure they are in the hot pan before you put the meat on the grill.
The Swiss cheese melted helps to hold the mushroom slices in place on the top of the burger. You could use any other mild cheese as well.
I like a crusty Kaiser roll to hold all this goodness together. Again – you can use your choice of roll.
I serve them with Sweet Potato fries on the side. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of these burgers this summer!
Enjoy!
Wine Pairing for Double Bourbon Bacon Burgers
A hearty burger calls for a hearty wine. I would suggest a Malbec, California Cabernet Sauvignon or Australian Shiraz. A fruity robust red in the New World Style (ie fruitier and not quite as austere as Old World Style) would go better with the sweetness imparted by the bourbon and caramelized onions.
On the white spectrum… look for a big bold, oaked California style Chardonnay.
Double Bourbon Bacon Burgers
Ingredients
Burger Patties
- 16 oz lean ground beef
- 8 oz Italian sausage casing removed
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt
Bourbon Onion Marmalade
- 4 small vidalia onions sliced thinly
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp bourbon
Pan Fried Mushrooms
- 1 cup cremini mushroom slices
- 1 Tbsp butter
Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- 4 Tbsps commercial BBQ sauce
- 1 Tbsp bourbon
Other
- 4 slices bacon cut crossways in half.
- 4 oz Swiss cheese grated
- 4 Kaiser rolls
Instructions
- Heat BBQ grill to high and then reduce heat to medium high.
- Mix loose sausage evenly into beef and mix in spices. Divide into 4 equal portions and form into patties.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and add onions slices. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and thyme cook another 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium/low and add the thyme and red wine and cook another 5 minutes. Add the bourbon and cook another 5 minutes. Watch onions do not burn. Reduce heat if necessary.
- In a separate pan, melt butter and cook mushroom slices over medium heat about 10 minutes.
- In separate pan fry bacon until crisp over medium heat. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
- Mix bourbon into the commercial sauce in a serving dish.
- Grill burgers over medium heat about 9 minutes per side. Do not move them unless you need to due to flare ups. Turn only once and grill another 9 minutes. Remove from grill to a clean platter. Sprinkle the Swiss cheese on top of the patty and allow the residual heat to melt it while the patties are resting. Cover platter loosely with another platter or foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Lightly toast Kaisers on the grill while the meat is resting.
- Quickly reheat bacon onion mix and mushrooms if necessary so they are warm when you build the burgers.
- Spread one side of the roll with the Bourbon BBQ sauce. Spread a layer of the Bourbon Onion Marmalade on bottom of the roll. Place the burger and top it with mushrooms and 2 bacon pieces.
Nutrition
