50/50 Beef Bacon Burger Recipe (Best Burger Ever)
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Our Bacon Burger is definitely the most divine burger you will ever sink your teeth into. Smoky bacon and ground beef come together in the most spectacular way, making a rich, juicy 50/50 burger. Learn how to get bacon into your beef patties with this easy bacon burger recipe.
I love a good juicy burger. And to think that there are slices of bacon mixed with the ground meat is what makes me never want to eat regular burgers again, and only stick to this beef burger recipe.
Don’t forget to add your favorite burger toppings – this is the best way to make a hamburger patty into the ultimate burger that you love!
Simple recipes like this are the best!
Bacon Burger
Let me just say, OH MY GOSH!!! I can not get over this burger. It is absolutely one of my favorite burgers ever, and I am so excited to share it with you.
The magic comes from the Applewood smoked bacon. It adds so much flavor to the burger that you don’t need to add anything else.
No matter how you top it, this beef bacon burger is one you will remember.
Discover just how delicious bacon makes, well… everything! From baked beans and meatloaf, to jalapeno poppers and even ice cream — there’s no shortage of recipes to suit your fancy.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Beef – Since there’s extra fat from the pork, stick with a 85% (or 85/15) blend of ground beef for this beef bacon recipe.
- Bacon – I love the flavor of applewood smoked strips! Feel free to use a different variety, even flavored, as long as they are thick-cut.
- Cheese – American is a classic choice, but cheddar, Provolone, Swiss, or any of the Jack cheeses would be tasty too.
- Hamburger Buns – Grab your favorite! Classic, brioche, seeded — any variety works with this bacon burger recipe.
How to Make the Perfect Bacon Burger
First, bake your bacon. Sounds silly, I know — but it’s the easiest way to cook up a large batch with perfectly crispy results.
Allow it to drain and cool, then dice into small pieces. Combine with ground beef and form into patties.
This way, you get a little bit of bacon in each bite without worrying about strips sliding off as you eat!
Your bacon burger will also be especially juicy thanks to the extra fat from the pork.
Beef Bacon Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix! Work the 50/50 burger mixture just until the bacon pieces are evenly distributed throughout the beef.
Otherwise, your bacon burger patties will be tough and dry. - Make patties larger than the buns. They will shrink a bit when cooked, so always make them a bit wider — they’ll be a perfect fit when it’s time to chow down.
- Indent the patties. Avoid that pesky dome by gently pressing your thumb into the center of each patty.
Yes, the beef bacon burger will still dome when cooked, but it will come out even when it starts with a concave!
Serving Suggestions
Top your bacon burger with all your favorite fixin’s!
From sauces and spreads to a wide range of toppings, there are so many ways to make this bacon burger recipe your own.
- Sauces: ketchup, mayo, mustard or honey mustard, garlic aioli, bbq sauce, Big Mac sauce
- Veggies: tomato, onion, lettuce, avocado, sauteed mushrooms
- Extras: pickled, crispy onion strips, pickled jalapenos, fried egg
Another good thing that I love doing to my burgers is to pair them with a golden brown toasted bun.
Pair that with some french fries, and you’ll have delicious burgers with all your favorite things!
You can also use a lettuce wrap if you want to enjoy the burger meat without the added bread!
Bacon Burger Recipe FAQ
Simply put, it’s a burger patty made with 50% ground beef and 50% bacon. I like to use diced bacon strips in my beef bacon recipe, but others use ground bacon instead.
There’s also a famous 50/50 burger from the restaurant Slater’s. Their signature beef bacon burger is topped with Pepper Jack cheese, avocado mash, and a sunny side egg with chipotle adobo mayo slathered on the bun.
It depends on how you like your bacon burger to be cooked. For well done, there will be plenty of time for both the beef and bacon in the burger to cook through.
However, you should cook and crumble strips before adding them to the patty mixture if you want your burger medium rare.
If using ground bacon, raw is fine. Both pork and beef are considered safe to eat at a minimum of 145°F, but ideally 165°F
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Delicious Burger Recipes
50/50 Beef Bacon Burger Recipe (Best Burger Ever)
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick cut Applewood smoked bacon
- 1 pound 85% lean beef
- 4 hamburger buns
- butter
- 4 slices American cheese
Optional toppings
- mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, pickles
Instructions
- Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place bacon on foil. Make sure the bacon is not touching. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bacon is partially cooked. Remove and place on paper towels to drain the grease. Once bacon is drained and cool enough to handle, place on cutting board and dice bacon or cut with kitchen shears.
- Preheat grill to high.
- In a large bowl combine bacon and beef. Mix until combined. Form mixture into 4 patties, not too thick or they will not cook evenly. Using your thumb, make a slight indentation in center of patties on one side to prevent it from doming up in the center.
- Place patties on the grill, make sure they are not touching. Grill burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side. Flip and grill for 3 to 5 minutes depending on your preferred doneness.
- Top with cheese for the last few minutes.
- Meanwhile, Brush your buns with butter and toast on the grill. Cook until golden brown with grill marks.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2011, updated and republished July 2024
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Bacon in a burger, I'm sold!
I've never "baked" my bacon – I'm forever burning myself with the spattering grease when cooking it on the stovetop.
As much as I've heard about these burgers, how it is that I haven't tried them? They sound delicious. (I want a movie night! Let's kick the boys out of the house and do that soon.)
Lynne – I highly recommend the oven or the microwave. I am far to dangerous to fry bacon… They don't call me 'Grace' for nothin'. ; ) Seriously though, less mess and better bacon. I had a metal cooling rack that inserted into my cookie sheet, that is perfect to use. The fat drains right into the pan (so I can scrape it up for cooking later).
BFITK – That sounds like a fantastic idea! Boys at your house, movie at mine?
Oh that sounds just about perfect – brilliant!
Mary
Oh my!! That's sounds so amazing!!
Awesome, and to make it even better you can top it with more bacon:)
My husband would lose his mind over this!
What a burger.Feast for the eyes..and mouth(when I make them):)
The title of this post made me gasp. In a good way! We often add a slice of bacon to our burgers but I've never tried adding the bacon to the patty itself. One thing about burgers is that it needs some fat for flavour so adding streaky bacon can only be a good thing!
Bacon should be called ba-king, its the king of flavor and these burgers look mighty tasty!
Thanks for sharing..
Feast for the eyes. Looks great, got me craving for a king sized bacon burger 🙂
This looks absolutely yummy…I should try this soon…Thanks for the recipe dear…
This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it!
Looks amazing :O
Oh my goodness – these sound insanely good…I should surprise my husband with these next weekend. He would love this!
This is absolutely genius! I know I will be making this for the 4th!
Oh, wow. I'm not even a bacon fan, but this looks good.
I saw the Food Network show on the Slater’s 50/50 burger and had to try it.. oddly enough, there’s not many recipes online, so you win, lol.
These gotta be in my top 3 burger recipes/techniques ever! Absolutely delicious! It’s a cross between cheeseburger and BLT. Just phenomenal..
I only slightly modified your technique; I froze the bacon, then finely diced it, and pan fried over very low heat, no splattering!
I’m actually making these again for Labor Day bbq.. thank you!!!!!
Hi Steve,
Thanks so much! We love the 50/50 burgers and they are perfect for Labor Day! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Absolutely the best burger I’ve ever made! The bacon adds such a rich, smoky flavor. It was super easy to follow Donna and Chad’s recipe!
Hi Elijah!
Glad you enjoyed our recipe!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn