Bacon Wrapped Burger
intro
Juicy, smoky beef patties wrapped in crispy bacon, topped with melted cheese for the ultimate indulgent, crowd-pleasing summer cookout staple.
Ingredients
Steps
Season and Form Patties
In a large mixing bowl, combine 680g of 80/20 lean-to-fat ground beef with 1 tsp (5g) kosher salt, ½ tsp (2g) freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp (2g) garlic powder, and ¼ tsp (1g) smoked paprika. Gently mix with clean hands just until spices are evenly distributed—do not overwork the meat, as this creates tough, dense patties. Divide the mixture into 4 equal 170g portions, form each into a 10cm wide, 2cm thick patty, and press a 1cm deep dimple in the center of each to prevent bulging during cooking.
Wrap Patties with Bacon
Take 3 slices of thick-cut bacon per patty, and wrap the strips tightly around the outer edge of each beef patty, slightly overlapping the bacon to fully cover the patty’s sides. Secure the loose ends of the bacon with 2-3 wooden toothpicks per patty to prevent the bacon from unwrapping as it cooks and shrinks.
Preheat and Oil Cooking Surface
Preheat an outdoor grill (or heavy cast-iron skillet for indoor cooking) to medium-high heat, reaching a surface temperature of 190°C (375°F). Once preheated, lightly coat the grill grates or skillet surface with 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil, applied to a folded paper towel held with long tongs, to prevent patties from sticking.
Cook Patties on Both Sides
Place the bacon-wrapped patties on the preheated cooking surface, dimple-side up. Cook for 6 minutes on the first side, then flip carefully with tongs. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes on the second side, until the bacon is crispy and deep golden brown around the entire patty edge, and the beef reaches an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F) for medium doneness. During the final 1 minute of cooking, place 1 slice (28g) of sharp cheddar cheese on top of each patty to fully melt.
Rest Patties and Toast Buns
Transfer the cooked patties to a clean plate and let them rest for 2 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. While the patties rest, place the 4 split brioche buns cut-side down on the cooler outer edge of the grill (or over low heat on the stovetop skillet) for 30-45 seconds, until the cut surfaces are light golden brown and slightly crisp.
Assemble the Bacon Burgers
Remove all toothpicks from the rested patties. Place one cheese-topped bacon-wrapped patty on the bottom half of each toasted brioche bun, add preferred toppings (sliced tomato, crisp lettuce, pickles, diced onion, ketchup, or mustard as desired), then cap with the top bun. Serve immediately while hot.
Tips
2.Soak wooden toothpicks in cold water for 10 minutes before using them to secure bacon, to prevent the toothpicks from burning or catching fire over the hot grill.
3.Never press down on the patties with a spatula while cooking: this squeezes out flavorful fat and juices, leading to dry burgers and causing dangerous bacon grease flare-ups on the grill.
OMG this was the star of our weekend cookout! I was worried wrapping the bacon around the patties would cause major flare ups on the grill but I followed the tip to cook over indirect heat first and it came out perfectly juicy. My buddies kept asking for seconds, even my picky teen said it’s better than the burger joint down the street. Total game changer for summer grilling!
I made these for our Sunday family dinner and they were SO good! I prepped the wrapped patties the night before and kept them in the fridge so all I had to do was pop them in the oven when we got home from my kid’s soccer practice. I did add a little slice of pepper jack inside the patty for extra oomph and it was chef’s kiss. My kids loved it so much they asked me to put these on the weekly rotation!
Brought these to our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and people were hovering around the platter before I even set it down! The only note I have is that I’d recommend using thick cut bacon instead of the thin stuff I grabbed last minute — the thin slices tore super easy when I was wrapping the patties and didn’t crisp up as nice. Still a total hit though, will absolutely make again!