Bacon Jam Burgers have a juicy beef patty, melty gouda cheese, crisp bacon slices and plenty of sweet & salty bacon jam!
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If you've following along for awhile, you probably know that I'm a farm girl at heart. I grew up on the farm and now I'm raising my three kiddos in a house surrounded by cornfields and cattle pasture.
It's the life I grew to love and something I always knew I wanted for my kids. I wanted to give them plenty of space to play, a clear view of the stars away from city lights and most importantly, a good understanding of hard work and where their food comes from.
And for some reason with this burger, I feel like all my worlds collide. There's the bun (I work closely with Kansas wheat farmers), plenty of bacon (some of which is raised just a half-mile from our house), a juicy burger (I can see my uncle working cows from our front doorstep), and melty cheese (brings me back to my Wisconsin days). Isn't it cool to think about how many family farms had a hand in creating this beautiful masterpiece?!
Anyway, I'm so excited to share this recipe with you simply because I think it's absolutely DELICIOUS. The texture of the juicy burger, crisp bacon and warm bacon jam work together in perfect harmony and the flavors are BIG. BOLD. SO GOOD. Give this burger recipe a try....you'll see what I mean!
Here's What You'll Need
- Hamburger Buns
- Beef - Lean Ground Beef or Burger Patties
- Cheese - Gouda is my favorite to use on these burgers
- Bacon - Regular or thick sliced bacon will work
- Onion - I recommend yellow onions as they caramelize beautifully in the jam! White onions would also work, but I don't recommend red onion.
- Minced Garlic
- Brown Sugar
- Vinegar - Apple cider or balsamic vinegar will work (I prefer apple cider vinegar in this recipe)
- Salt
How To Make Bacon Jam
Bacon Jam (can also call it bacon onion jam) is easily my favorite part of this burger. Not only is the sweet and salty flavor combination totally mouth-watering, but I love that its stickiness helps hold the burger together. And though it sounds fancy, it's actually super easy to make.
First, you'll want to dice up ½ pound of bacon and about a cup of yellow onion. Grab a saucepan or a cast iron skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and onions and sauté until the bacon is cooked and the onions are soft. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings (no need to measure, just eyeball it!).
Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for about 1 minute. Then you'll add the brown sugar, vinegar and salt and bring the mixture to a boil.
You'll continue to cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches a jammy consistency. Some people like to put it through a food processor for a smooth jam, but I typically keep it chunky.
How to Store Bacon Jam
Store the bacon jam in a mason jar or an airtight container and refrigerate. When you're ready to use it, you'll have to microwave the jam for a few seconds to re-melt the bacon fat.
The Best Way to Cook Bacon
For this recipe, you'll use the bacon two ways. With some of the bacon, you'll make the yummy bacon jam. For the rest of the bacon, you'll cook it up in slices to top the burger later on. Here's how I like to cook bacon.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. This simply makes for easier cleanup.
- Place the bacon in a single layer on the foil.
- Put the bacon into a cold oven and turn the oven to 400F.
- Let the bacon cook until nice and crisp.
- Remove the bacon to a plate topped with a paper towel.
How to Assemble the Burgers
Once you've made your bacon jam, fried the rest of the bacon and cooked up the patties, you're ready to assemble a deliciously flavorful burger!
You'll start with the bottom bun (toasted if you'd like) and top it with your cooked burger patty. Then you'll add a slice of cheese so it'll melt on the hot burger. I prefer gouda, but you could certainly use a slice of American cheese or blue cheese crumbles instead. Next, add the warm bacon jam, a slice or two of crisp bacon and lastly the top bun.
What is Bacon Jam Used For?
If you've got leftover bacon jam after enjoying the burgers, consider yourself lucky!! There are so many different ways to enjoy it, so I'll give you a few ideas to start!
- Spoon the bacon jam over a block of cream cheese and enjoy as a dip with sturdy crackers.
- Add some on your grilled cheese sandwich.
- Put it in a bowl on a charcuterie board - it goes so well with meat, cheese, crackers and fruit!
Other Yummy Burger Recipes
Bruschetta Burgers (photo above!)
Bacon Jam Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon divided
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound lean ground beef (or 4 burger patties)
- 4 slices cheese gouda or American
- 4 hamburger buns
Instructions
Make the Bacon Jam
- Cut ½ of the bacon into 1-inch pieces (reserve the rest of the bacon).
- Add the diced bacon and onions to a skillet and saute until the bacon is cooked and the onions are soft.
- Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings (don't need to be perfect - just eyeball it!).
- Add the garlic and continue to cook for about a minute.
- Add the brown sugar, vinegar and salt and bring to a boil. Stir and cook until it's reached a jam-like consistency.
- Spoon into a jar and set aside.
Cook the Bacon and the Burgers
- Spread the remaining bacon pieces out on a sheet pan lined with foil. Place in a cold oven and turn to 400F. Let bake until crispy then remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- From the burger patties by dividing the ground beef into 4 patties. Grill, pan-fry or bake until it reaches your desired doneness.
- Place the slices of cheese on the burgers about 1 minute before you remove them from the heat.
Assemble Burgers
- Here's how I recommend assembling the burgers: Bottom bun, burger with cheese, bacon jam, crispy bacon and then the top bun.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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