We all love burger night! Charred, juicy burgers topped with melty cheese, some veggies, and maybe a condiment or two. Can’t go wrong! But what if I told you that you can take it up a notch? I’d like to introduce my new favorite burger: the bacon jam stuffed burger!
Bacon Jam
What exactly is bacon jam anyway? It’s the most delicious, smokey, sticky, sweet condiment you’ve ever had! Not actually real jam, bacon jam starts with low and slow caramelized onions. Once they reach a nice amber color, that’s when things get jammy!
Add some brown sugar, maple syrup, coffee, bourbon (YUPP!), and balsamic vinegar to your onions and let it simmer away until it becomes a dark, deep, rich, sticky syrup. Throw in some chopped bacon and boom! Bacon jam!
Get the full bacon jam recipe here.
At a lot of restaurants, you will see bacon jam used as a topping on burgers. But today, we are making a bacon jam STUFFED burger!
Stuffed Burgers
I love stuffed burgers! It is the perfect excuse to hide a surprise inside of each bite! Sure, there are an endless amount of toppings you can add to a burger. A million and one flavor profiles from a spicy southwest burger to a greek burger to a chilli cheeseburger!
But there is something magical about biting into a burger and finding an extra layer of flavor on the inside! That’s why I love stuffing my burgers, and this recipe is my all time favorite! My simple bourbon bacon jam and sharp cheddar cheese add an extra sweet and savory element to what could be just a regular burger.
How to Make a Stuffed Burger
The easiest way to get a delicious filling INSIDE a burger is to divide each burger in half. Sounds weird right? But if you take the meat you would use to make one large patty, and make two smaller ones instead!
Flatten the ground meat into two flat, thin patties. In the center of one patty, place a heaping tablespoon of your filling. In this case, I used a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese, and an additional tablespoon of my bourbon bacon jam!
Now, top it with the second patty and seal the edges. Be careful not to overstuff the burger, or the filling will just ooze right out! Grill them up and they are ready to serve with whatever toppings you can think of!
This burger will be the showstopper at your next summer barbeque! Or, serve this alongside some oven crisped sweet potato fries and you’ve got yourself a delicious weeknight meal! No matter the occasion, you will be glad packed these burgers full of flavor…on the inside!
Bacon Jam Stuffed Burger
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
- ¼ cup bacon jam see instructions below
- ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- salt and pepper
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 slices cheddar, colby jack, or american
- 8 strips cooked bacon
- 1 sliced tomato optional
- 1 small sliced onion optional
- ⅓ cup romaine or iceberg lettuce optional
Instructions
- Form ground beef into a large flat disc, and score it into quarters with the side of your hand.
- Grab one quarter of the meat and separate it in half. Form one thin large patty with each half. Repeat with the other three quarter to form 8 patties total.
- Season the top of each patty with salt and pepper. In the middle of 4 of the patties, place one tablespoon of shredded cheese and one tablespoon of bacon jam- if you can find this premade, go for it! If not, use my foolproof amazing bourbon bacon jam recipe!
- Top each of the patties with cheese and bacon jam with one of the remaining 4 patties, seasoned side down, and seal the patties together so no filling falls out.
- Season the outside of the patties with salt and pepper, and place in a hot skillet or on a grill (or an indoor grill because, quarantine!)
- Sear the burger on both sides for 3-5 minutes, placing the sliced cheese on each patty for the last minute.
- Serve immediately on a toasted hamburger bun with 2 strips of bacon and your toppings of choice
