Crack Burgers with Bacon Cheddar (Printable Version)
Savory beef burgers topped with crispy bacon, cheddar, and tangy ranch on golden toasted buns
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Patties
01 - 1½ lbs ground beef (80/20 blend)
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
04 - ½ tsp garlic powder
→ Toppings
05 - 8 slices bacon
06 - 4 slices cheddar cheese
07 - ½ cup ranch dressing
08 - ½ cup crispy fried onions
09 - 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
10 - 1 large tomato, sliced
11 - 4 burger buns, split and toasted
→ Optional Add-Ons
12 - Sliced pickles
13 - Sliced red onion
# Method:
01 - Preheat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - In a bowl, gently combine ground beef, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Form into 4 equal patties, pressing a slight dimple in the center of each.
03 - Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
04 - Grill or pan-sear the burger patties for 3–4 minutes per side, until desired doneness. In the last minute of cooking, top each patty with a slice of cheddar; cover to melt.
05 - Toast burger buns until golden.
06 - Spread ranch dressing on the bottom half of each bun. Layer with lettuce, a beef patty, crispy bacon, tomato slices, fried onions, and any optional add-ons. Top with the other half of the bun.
07 - Serve immediately.
# Chef's Tips:
01 -
- The crispy bacon creates this incredible crunch that plays perfectly against the juicy beef patty
- That ranch sauce ties everything together into something that tastes like your favorite burger joint but better
- Everything comes together in thirty minutes including the bacon which means dinner is ready before anyone gets too hangry
02 -
- Letting the patties sit at room temperature for twenty minutes before cooking helps them cook evenly instead of being raw in the middle and burnt outside
- That thumbprint in the center is the difference between a burger that stays flat and one that looks like a dome
- Never press down on your patties with a spatula unless you want to squeeze out all the juice you worked so hard to keep in there
03 -
- Cook your bacon in the oven at four hundred degrees for fifteen minutes for perfectly even crispy strips without all the splatter on your stove
- Let the burgers rest for about five minutes after cooking which seems impossible but lets the juices redistribute so they don't flood out with that first bite