Instructions

To make the bourbon bacon

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. 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).
3. 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

1. Heat your grill to a medium high heat.
2. 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!
3. 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

1. 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!