Guys, I’m about ready to make this blog a savory blog. Like, I’m LOVING shooting savory stuff recently! Case in point: this drool-worthy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Burger. As in, a burger made with bourbon, barbecue sauce, and bourbon roasted bacon. Ohhhhhhh yeah.
I can’t take all of the credit for this creation, though. The Oscar most definitely goes to Stonewall Kitchen’s Boozy Bacon BBQ Sauce. It’s absolute heaven. Stonewall Kitchen is a New England company that’s been a part of my life, well, forever. Growing up, my family bought their blueberry jam at the grocery store. On vacations to Maine, my mom and I would oggle over their products, tasting each one they put out, wishing we could have them all. And from time to time, my pantry’s shelves have been graced by their Farmhouse Pancake & Waffle Mix (like I literally just bought a waffle maker and don’t want to make my own recipe because theirs is so good).
Stonewall prides itself on high-quality specialty items. Though they’re probably best known for their jams, their products range from delicious oils to savory pastas.
And Boozy Bacon BBQ Sauce. There’s that.
For those less familiar with the brand, Stonewall has a curated selection, called Company Classics, that are sure to please (I can vouch for almost every jam). And they also have some awesome new products like Wild Maine Blueberry Champagne Jam and Lemon Drop Mixer. Yessss!
This year, Stonewall is celebrating their 25th anniversary. To celebrate, they’re hosting a fab giveaway. The prize? A limited edition tote from Sea Bags, stuffed to the brim with Stonewall Kitchen products: two acrylic stemless wine glasses, a teak wood spreader, a cutting board, a jar of tasty Mango Chutney, Simple White Down East Crackers, a 6′ x 6′ picnic blanket and a fully insulated Corksicle wine canteen.
And they’re giving away 2 totes each week until August! So you can win one for you and one for your hunny 🙂
As a New Englander, I absolutely love supporting New England companies. I’m so, so happy to be working with Stonewall, and hope you check ’em out!
Tips for making bacon BBQ burgers
Use thick-cut bacon — You’re going to be dredging the bacon in bourbon and sugar before baking it, so you want to get your hands on bacon that’s thick enough to handle that.
Make the patties thin — To make it easier to load up your BBQ bacon burger, form thinner patties so you can pile the pickles, lettuce, and bourbon bacon sky high. And to prevent the middle of the burger from puffing up on the grill, I make a small indentation in the raw patty with my thumb. Sounds weird, but it totally works!
Fully cook the burgers — I know it’s common to grill burgers until they’re just barely medium or medium well, but because of the grated onion in these patties they stay super moist. So go ahead and cook the burgers all the way. Don’t worry, they won’t dry out.
Toast the buns — It seems like such a small step, but toasting the buns for a few seconds on the grill makes a huge difference in the flavor of this BBQ burger. Not to mention that toasting the buns makes them a little more sturdy, meaning you can load them up with more Boozy Bacon Barbecue Sauce.
This bacon BBQ burger is so good that Alex was supposed to be a taste tester, but then ate an entire burger before dinner. I’m planning on making them again this weekend because we just loved them so much.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a medium bowl, combine bourbon, light brown sugar, and salt. Toss bacon into mixture (there isn’t a ton, just enough to coat all the bacon).
Place strips of bacon flat on aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping the bacon strips over halfway through cooking. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan and setting aside.
To make the burgers
Heat your grill to a medium high heat.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until combined. If the mixture is too wet, you can add a few tablespoons of panko to soak up the liquid. This will just depend on the moisture of your beef. If it looks great, don’t worry about it!
Roll out 3 ounce balls of meat, then pat into thin patties. Cook each patty for roughly 3 minutes on each side. Since they’re thin, this amount should do the trick, but what you’re looking for is the burger to be fully cooked on the inside (since they’re so moist it’s OK that you’re fully cooking them 🙂 ). Place on serving platter until ready to assemble.
Assemble burgers
To assemble the burgers, toast burger buns, then scoop ~1 tablespoon Boozy Bacon Barbecue Sauce on the bottom bun. Top with hamburger, cheese, pickles, red onion, and anything else you’d like!
[…] training, and cardio. I eat mostly vegetarian (though every once and a while, this girl loves her hamburgers). And I start almost every morning with a […]
Girl, your savory shots are incredible! I can see why you enjoy it so much 🙂 This burger looks so so perfect and delicious. And I am so with you, I love love love Stonewall products too! And now I just want this burger!
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
[…] training, and cardio. I eat mostly vegetarian (though every once and a while, this girl loves her hamburgers). And I start almost every morning with a […]
Holy heck, this is amazing! More savory, please!!
Yes! Savory everything! You are killing it with this burger, like, seriously. I don’t even eat beef anymore, but I am drooling over this burger!
Love your photos- sweet or savory, you’re really hitting the photography out of the park. Yum!
Girl, your savory shots are incredible! I can see why you enjoy it so much 🙂 This burger looks so so perfect and delicious. And I am so with you, I love love love Stonewall products too! And now I just want this burger!