Published March 21, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Feast your eyes on these Bacon Cheddar Burgers. The juicy, seared beef patties are piled on buns and topped with melted cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and crispy bacon. They’ll instantly hit your next backyard BBQ or weeknight dinner.
It’s true: everything is better with bacon. From simple appetizers to classic Quiche Lorraine, those maple-smoked, crispy bacon bites are nothing short of mouthwatering. If you feel the same, you’ll want to get your hands on one of these Bacon Cheddar Burgers. A greasy-in-the-best-way burger served with all the fixins’, one bite feels like a bacon lover’s dream come true.
The Bacon Cheddar Burger
I’ll turn to this Bacon Cheddar Burger Recipe when I want a big, juicy burger. The homemade ground beef burger patties are seared to perfection and topped with a slice of melty cheddar cheese. But the pièce de résistance is the golden caramelized onions and crispy slices of bacon piled on top.
If you prefer cooking indoors, sear the burgers and cook the bacon in a skillet on the stove. Or, if the weather’s nice and you’re in the mood for grilling, don’t hesitate to fire up your grill to infuse your burgers with that amazing char-grilled smoky goodness. Whichever way you choose, your next burger night or backyard BBQ will be one to remember.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oil – I use olive or avocado oil to caramelize the onions and give the burgers a seared crust.
- Onions – I prefer to caramelize yellow onions, but red or white ones will also work.
- Bacon – I use regular-cut bacon for burgers because it crisps up quickly without becoming too chewy or brittle.
- Beef — For juicy burgers that aren’t overly greasy, opt for 80/20 ground beef. Anything leaner will not be as flavorful or moist. If you’re looking for lean, swap the beef for ground chicken or turkey.
- Cheese — Sliced mild or sharp cheddar cheese melts beautifully on top of the burgers and pairs well with the bacon and caramelized onions.
- Buns – I like going all out with homemade hamburger buns, but any quality store-bought hamburger bun, brioche bun, or pretzel bun is good, too.
- Toppings – I assemble these bacon burgers with crisp lettuce leaves, tomato slices, and dill pickles. If you prefer a sweeter pickle, go with bread and butter pickles.
- Sauce — We can’t forget the burger sauce, like garlic aioli or dijonnaise. See the Serving Suggestions below for even more options.
How to Make Bacon Cheddar Burgers
Caramelize the onions: I heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the onions and lightly season them with salt. Once the onions soften and start to brown, I reduce the heat to low and continue sautéeing for another 20 to 25 minutes or until they’re deeply caramelized.
Prepare the burger patties: While the onions cook, I shape the ground beef into four equal-sized patties and season them with salt and black pepper.
Cook the bacon: I usually bake my bacon until it’s crispy, but you can cook it on the stove. The latter leaves more of the rendered bacon fat behind to cook the burgers, giving them an extra layer of rich, smoky flavor.
Cook the burgers: I heat oil (or the reserved bacon fat) in a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then, I place the patties in the pan and let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes before flipping them and adding a slice of cheddar cheese. I cook them for another minute until they’re well-browned and cooked through.
Toast the buns: While the burgers are cooking, I place the cut-down buns in the same skillet and let them toast in the rendered fat.
Assemble the burgers: I place a layer of lettuce on the bottom hamburger bun, add slices of tomato and pickles, then the cheeseburger patty, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and the top toasted bun.
Chef Tips + Notes
The crispier the bacon, the better your bacon burgers will be. To ensure extra crispness, start by cooking the bacon in a cold pan (or oven) to render the fat gradually. This will yield evenly crisp, golden-brown strips. Let the bacon sizzle over medium-low heat, flipping occasionally, and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate to prevent it from getting soggy.
- Handle the meat as little as possible: Overworking and compacting the ground beef leads to dense or tough burgers. Instead, gently shape the patties until they hold together to keep them tender, juicy, and flavorful.
- Make an indentation in the center: I press a slight dent into the middle of each patty with my thumb before cooking. This prevents the burgers from puffing up in the center as they cook.
- Let the burgers rest: Just like steak, burgers should be let rest for at least 5 minutes after cooking. This gives the natural meaty juices time to soak back into the meat, yielding more flavor and moisture in burgers.
- Grill the burgers instead: To add a smoky char, heat your outdoor grill to medium-high heat and grill the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium doneness. Add the cheese at the last minute and close the lid to help it melt and infuse the burgers with extra smoky flavor.
Serving Suggestions
I sometimes swap out the aioli or dijonnaise for BBQ sauce or this tangy homemade burger sauce. And when I’m in a gourmet mood, I’ll use this blue cheese dressing. It perfectly complements the rich bacon and cheddar.
A burger night at home isn’t complete without the perfect sides. We’re a French fry family, but potato wedges would also be great. If you want something lighter, try a vinegar-based coleslaw.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: Shape the burger patties and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking. Wait to season the patties until just before cooking, as the salt can dry the meat.
How to Store: Leftover cooked burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and leftover bacon can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How to Reheat: Heat the burgers in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until warmed. To keep the bacon crispy, reheat it in a skillet for 1 to 2 minutes.
More Burger Recipes
- The Best Smash Burger Recipe
- Cowboy Burger Recipe
- The Best Turkey Burger Recipe
- Fried Egg Burger
- Mushroom Swiss Burger
Bacon Cheddar Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- 1 peeled thickly sliced yellow onion
- 8 strips of crisp cooked regular-cut bacon
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 4 sliced mild or sharp cheddar
- 4 green leaf lettuce leaves
- 8 tomato slices
- Sliced pickles
- 4 toasted hamburger buns
- Aioli or dijonnaise
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan over medium heat and heat for 1 minute.
- Place in the onions, gently season with salt and saute for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn the heat down to low and cook while occasionally stirring for 20 to 25 minutes or until well browned and tender. Set to the side.
- In the meantime, ground beef should be formed into 4 equal-sized patties. Season them with salt and pepper.
- You can either bake the bacon in the oven or cook it until crispy in the pan you plan on cooking the beef in. The latter option allows you to cook the burgers in the rendered bacon fat for more bacon flavor.
- Add a few tablespoons of oil to a griddle or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Heat for 1 minute.
- Place the burgers onto the griddle or skillet and cook for 2 minutes untouched. Flip over, place on the cheese, and cook for an additional 1 minute to 90 seconds or until browned and cooked throughout. It’s ok to cook these in batches if there is no room. This is also when I toast the buns. I add them to the sides of the burgers and cook in the rendered fat until toasty.
- Remove the burgers and set them to the side on a plate.
- Assemble the burgers by adding lettuce to the bottom toasted buns and layering on tomatoes, pickles, a cheeseburger patty, bacon, caramelized onions, sauce, and the top toasted bun.
Bacon Cheddar Burger