🥓 Bacon Cheeseburger
Adaptable for: 🌾 Gluten-Free 🥑 Keto 🥛 Dairy-Free 🍃 Paleo
Smoky, crispy bacon plus a juicy cheeseburger is a combination that never misses. The trick is cooking the bacon so it stays crisp under the bun, and using its rendered fat to add flavor to everything else.
A bacon cheeseburger lives or dies on the bacon. Limp, chewy bacon disappears into the burger; crisp, well-rendered bacon adds crunch and a smoky backbone to every bite. We cook the bacon first, then use a little of its fat to sear the patties so the smoke runs all the way through. Sharp cheddar stands up to the bacon better than mild American here.
🧾 Bacon Cheeseburger — Recipe Card
From I Love Hamburger — ilovehamburger.com
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb (680g) ground beef, 80/20 chuck
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 brioche buns
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- BBQ sauce or burger sauce, to serve
- Lettuce, tomato, onion, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the bacon first: lay it in a cold cast iron skillet, set over medium heat, and cook, turning, until deeply crisp (8–10 minutes). Drain on paper towels. Leave about a tablespoon of fat in the pan.
- Form the beef into 4 patties slightly wider than the buns, with a dimple in the center. Season both sides with salt and pepper just before cooking.
- Raise the heat to medium-high. Sear the patties in the bacon fat, undisturbed, for 3 minutes.
- Flip once, top each with cheddar, and cook 2–3 minutes more to 160°F (71°C) internal.
- Toast the buns. Build: bottom bun, sauce, patty with cheddar, two slices of bacon, then lettuce, tomato and onion.
- Add the top bun, rest a minute, and serve.
👨🍳 Tips for the best Bacon Cheeseburger
- Starting bacon in a cold pan renders the fat slowly for even, flat, crispy strips.
- Cut bacon strips in half so they sit neatly on the patty and every bite gets some.
- Sharp cheddar or smoked gouda beats mild cheese against the bacon's smoke.
- Save the extra bacon fat in a jar — it's gold for cooking onions or eggs.
🥗 Make it fit your diet
This bacon cheeseburger adapts easily. Here's how to make it work for common specialty diets:
🌾 Gluten-Free
Use a certified gluten-free bun or wrap it in crisp lettuce. Double-check sauces and seasoning blends — soy sauce, some Worcestershire, and pre-mixed rubs can hide gluten.
🥑 Keto / Low-Carb
Go bun-less or lettuce-wrapped (a.k.a. protein-style), skip ketchup and BBQ sauce or use no-sugar-added versions, and pile on cheese, bacon, and avocado.
🥛 Dairy-Free
Skip the cheese or use a dairy-free alternative, cook in oil instead of butter, and stick to dairy-free sauces (most mayo, ketchup, and mustard are fine).
🍃 Paleo / Whole30
Wrap it in lettuce (no bun), skip the cheese, and use compliant sauces with no added sugar, soy, or dairy. For Whole30, make sure any bacon is sugar-free.
Burger HQ Picks Recommended Tools for This Recipe
Pre-Seasoned 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Holds screaming-hot heat for the deep, even crust that makes a steakhouse-style burger. Lasts a lifetime.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I cook bacon before or after the burger?
Before. Cook the bacon first, then sear the patties in a little of the rendered fat for extra flavor. The cooked bacon stays warm while the burgers finish.
How do I keep the bacon crispy on the burger?
Cook it until deeply crisp (it softens slightly once stacked), drain it well, and add it just before serving rather than letting it sit under a hot patty.