If you are looking for a bourbon burger recipe, you’ve come to the right place. However, we have to warn you that this burger will ruin all other burgers for you. You will find that your old burger recipes lack something, and you will always be left craving this particular burger.
The best part about bourbon burgers is that their toppings are simple. The star of the recipe (after the patty, of course) is the perfect set of onions caramelized in bourbon, sugar, and butter- sounds delicious, doesn’t it? All you need is a bit of lettuce, some condiments, and some melted cheese, and you’re done! This burger will look so gorgeous that you might have a hard time getting yourself to eat it.
If you are feeling hungry already, we won’t make you wait much longer. These big, beefy burgers will definitely satiate your booze cravings and make you want to ditch every burger joint you have tried so far.
What You Need to Know
If you want to make the best BBQ, the bourbon burger will become a hero. Every element comes together so perfectly in these burgers that they are hard to miss. All you need to do is make the meat perfectly, put the burgers on a hot grill, and you are in for a wonderful meal.
Why You Need to Get the Best Meat for these Bourbon Burgers
The key to making the best bourbon burger is starting with the best beef. Without this, your burger will be a bust. You need 80/20 ground sirloin and must make sure that it is fresh. The meat needs to be drowned with a bit of bourbon but make sure not to soak it completely. You might want to get lean meat, but we have to warn you, do not make this make. This bourbon burger recipe will not do well with lean meat- it will cause the patty to become dry, and your burger will not taste juicy.
Moreover, we do not recommend using a fattier piece of meat than the one we are recommending either. This is because a fatty patty can cause the entire burger to fall apart. 80/20 is the perfect ratio and works practically with every single beef burger. We have tried and experimented with this several times so that you would not need to.
How to Make a BBQ Sauce for a Bourbon Burger
The shining star of this bourbon burger recipe is the incredibly delicious, sweet, and tangy bourbon sauce. It is savory yet sweet and has a hint of boozy aftertaste without being too overpowering. In fact, you do not have to stress about the alcohol content of this sauce. Once placed on the stovetop, it will simmer and eventually burn off.
Here is what you need to make this special BBQ sauce:
- Water: 1 cup
- Crushed pineapple: A 20-ounce can, along with the heavy syrup
- Bourbon: ¼ cup
- Dark brown sugar: 1 cup
- Molasses: 2 tablespoons
- Minced onion: ¼ cup
- Garlic cloves: 4, minced
- Lemons: Juice and zest of 2
- Signature Sweet Rub: 2 tablespoons
Bourbon Burger Recipe: Ingredients
- Ground beef sirloin: 2 pounds, 80/20
- Bourbon: ¼ cup
- Sweet Rub: 3 tablespoons
- Havarti cheese: 12 thin slices
- Burger bubs: 6, pub-style
- Salted butter: ¼ cup, room temperature
Making the Crispy Onions
- Sweet onion: 1 large (cut it up into thin strips)
- Buttermilk: 1 cup
- All-purpose flour: 1 cup
- Corn starch: 1 cup
- Signature Sweet Rub: ¼ cup
- Canola oil: 4 cups
Method
Step 1
Start by making the sweet sauce for your bourbon burgers. For this, you need a medium-sized saucepan in which you will mix all the ingredients. Bring the ingredients to a boil, and as soon as this happens, lower to heat from high to medium. Allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. Once it reaches the consistency you want, blend the sauce up to create a puree.
Step 2
Start preparing the batter for the crispy onions. Take a medium-sized bowl and mix the sliced onions with the buttermilk in it. Combine the flour, sweet rub, and corn starch on a pie plate. Adjust the stove heat and put a heavy bottom pot on it. Heat your oil to 400 degrees F.
Step 3
Start preheating the grill using high heat. The grill needs to reach a temperature of 450 degrees.
Step 4
To make the patties, get a large bowl and put the ground beef. In this pour, pour some bourbon. Gently mix the two ingredients and allow them to know each other. However, do not overmix- this can cause the burgers to dry out.
Carefully divide the meat and make six patties. Each side of every patty needs to be seasoned with some sweet rub.
Step 5
Grill the burger patties and allow them to cook for 6-8 minutes on each side. The key is to check that the burgers fall between 10 degrees of doneness. According to the FDA, 160 degrees F is the perfect internal temperature to cook ground beef.
Step 6
While your burger patties are cooking on the stove, start frying your onions. First, remove the onion strips from the buttermilk mixture and put them in a mixture of cornstarch. Ensure that every single strip is evenly coated with cornstarch.
Put these strips in the heating oil and allow them to cook for 5 minutes. The onions need to be golden brown in color and crispy in texture. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onion strips from the oil. Season the cooked onion strips with some salt and keep them aside till your burgers are ready to be assembled.
Step 7
When the patties are almost done, generously put some bourbon sauce on each part of the burger. Then, add two slices of cheese. Butter the buns and grill them on the hot grates. For some added crunch, you can cover the grill with a lid and cook your buns for a minute or two so that the cheese melts.
Step 8
Start assembling your burgers. Put a crunchy lettuce leaf, and add the cheesy patty, along with a couple of onion straws. You can add more bourbon sauce to the top bun. Secure the bun with a toothpick so that it does not fall apart, and serve immediately!
