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Coffee Rubbed Homemade Burgers

4.78
/5
1 hour 10 minutes
73 Comments
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By: published: 07/21/2021

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These Homemade Burgers are seasoned with a spiced coffee dry rub that elevates the flavor of the beef and makes for a truly epic hamburger! The cola and coffee bbq sauce just sets it apart from the rest!

This is one of my Grilling recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

side view of homemade burger with bun on black plate
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Oh man, these burgers have been on the website for years (since 2015 to be exact), and they are still one of my all time favorite burgers.

And that’s saying something, because we love us some burgers in the chunky chef household!

The combination of the juicy burger, with the seasoned coffee flavored crust, and the cola/coffee bbq sauce is just irresistible.

Perfect for summer grilling, but just as easy to cook on the stovetop, these burgers will blow your mind and rival burgers from your favorite local burger joint!

These Homemade Burgers are seasoned with a spiced coffee rub that elevates the flavor of the beef and makes for a truly epic hamburger! The cola and coffee bbq sauce just sets it apart from the rest! #burger #dryrub #grillingrecipes

How to make grilled coffee-rubbed burgers?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step how to make coffee rubbed homemade burgers
  1. Combine coffee rub ingredients. Add to a shallow bowl.
  2. Mix burger ingredients. I find the best tool for this is my hands.
  3. Divide meat into patties. Use your hands to make a large ball of the meat, then use the side of your hand to score the ball into thirds. Score each third in half, and you’ll have 6 roughly equally sized sections.
  4. Shape. Shape each section into a patty.
  5. Chill. This is optional, but recommended.
  6. Grill. Or cook in a cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet.
step by step how to make cola bbq sauce
  1. Cook onion and garlic. Just in until soft and translucent.
  2. Add ingredients. Pour in all remaining bbq sauce ingredients and simmer until thickened and glossy.
  3. Blend. For a smoother texture, add bbq sauce to food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Helpful Tip!

To prevent your burger from doming up in the center as it cooks, try making a silver dollar sized indent in the center of each burger. I just use my thumbs, but you can use a spoon or whichever tool you prefer.

preparing to grill hamburgers

Variations of this recipe

  • Pan-seared – no grill or weather not cooperating? No problem! You can easily cook these burgers in a heavy bottomed skillet on the stovetop. The directions for that will be in the “chef tips” section below the written recipe.
  • Smaller burgers – feel free to switch it up and make slider-style burgers with this recipe, just know that will change the cook time.
  • Different bbq sauce – while I’m a huge sucker for this cola/coffee bbq sauce, you can use another recipe, like my balsamic bbq, or bourbon bbq, or your favorite store-bought brand.
  • Toppings – I kept the toppings pretty simple for this burger, just bacon, lettuce, and the bbq. But, feel free to use your favorite burger toppings! Onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.
plate with homemade burger and fries

FAQ’s

Do burgers need eggs?

Eggs or no eggs in burgers; this is a situation where opinions can get pretty heated. However, this recipe doesn’t use any eggs, and they hold together well.

How can I keep my burgers from falling apart?

The main things you can do to keep your burgers together are to chill the burgers before cooking them, then when cooking, try to flip them only once. The more you handle them, the higher the likelihood of the burgers falling apart.

Why add heavy cream?

Heavy cream is my secret ingredient, and I use it just about every time I make a burger. It adds just the right amount of moisture, fat, and yields a super velvety and juicy burger.

Making coffee-rubbed burgers ahead of time

In my opinion, burgers tastes best when right off the grill, so I don’t advise making them entirely ahead of time.

However, all the components can be made ahead of time!

  • Coffee-Rub – add all the rub ingredients to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
  • Burgers – the patties themselves can be mixed and shaped, then added to an airtight container and refrigerated. I like to store the patties in between squares of wax paper, so the burgers won’t stick to each other.
  • BBQ Sauce – make the bbq sauce, cool it completely and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
grilling hamburgers on a gas grill

Storage

Leftover burger patties should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 4-5 days.

Other Burger Recipes:

bourbon bacon cheeseburger
Bourbon Bacon Jam Burgers
juicy lucy
Juicy Lucy Stuffed Cheddar Burgers
irish burgers
Whiskey Glazed Blue Cheese Burgers
pepper crusted cheeseburger
Pepper Crusted Burgers

Recipe was originally shared in 2015 and has been updated in 2021 with updated photos, additional information, and clearer instructions.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

side view of homemade burger with bun on black plate

Coffee Rubbed Homemade Burgers

4.78 from 27 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Calories: 540
Servings: 6 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
These Homemade Burgers are seasoned with a spiced coffee rub that elevates the flavor of the beef and makes for a truly epic hamburger!

Ingredients

Coffee Dry Rub

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp ground coffee
  • 1/2 Tbsp salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 Tbsp pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 Tbsp ground coriander

Cola and Coffee BBQ Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic roughly minced
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 6 oz Dr Pepper
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp ancho chile powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3 Tbsp brewed coffee

Burgers

  • 2 lbs Angus ground beef 85/15
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream or extra bbq sauce
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Brioche or pretzel buns
  • green leaf or arugula lettuce
  • 8 slices cooked bacon

Instructions

Make the Dry Rub

  • Combine coffee rub seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a fork. Set aside.

Make the BBQ Sauce

  • Melt butter over MED heat in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Add remaining bbq sauce ingredients, stirring to combine. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
  • Pour sauce into blender or food processor and puree. Set aside to cool.

Cook and Assemble the Burgers

  • To a mixing bowl, add ground beef, heavy cream, salt, and black pepper. Mix well with your hands. Divide into 6 equal sections. Each burger will be about 1/3 pound.
  • Use your thumbs to press a half dollar sized divot in the center of each patty (this will help prevent the burger from doming up while cooking).
  • Liberally rub coffee seasoning mix over both sides of each burger.
  • Preheat grill over MED HIGH heat and lightly brush grates with vegetable oil if desired. Grill burgers, for about 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is achieved.
  • While burgers are grilling, toast buns on the grill as well.
  • To serve, spread bbq sauce over the top and bottom buns, then top the bottom bun with a piece of lettuce, a cooked burger, a smear of more bbq sauce, some bacon, then top with the top bun.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. Recipe makes 6 (1/3 lb each) burgers.

Cooking Burgers on the Stovetop

  1. Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet (like a cast iron skillet) over MED HIGH heat.
  2. Once hot, add a small drizzle of vegetable oil and add buns, sliced side down.
  3. Toast until buns are golden brown, then set aside.
  4. To the hot skillet, add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp vegetable oil.  Once melted, add burgers, 3 at a time.
  5. Cook about 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is achieved.
  6. Repeat with remaining 3 burgers.

Video

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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This shop sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Dr Pepper. All opinions are my own. 


Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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  3. Kim Smith says

    Your photos are awesome and I can’t wait to try this recipe! I know I am a coffee lover, so we shall see what that does for a burger. My son is always wanting something new to taste in a burger ( He will hardly eat anything else). This new taste should go on his favorites list. Thanks.

    Reply

  4. Sarah says

    I saw this on Saucy Saturday’s blog hop and I just had to come by and say how incredible this burger looks. I need it in front of me ASAP!

    Reply

  7. stef says

    OMG Nom nom nom is so right!! The coffee rub sounds amazing I am going to do this! Love the Dr pepper BBQ. Home-made BBQ sauce is so the best! Your photos are fantastic I was almost trying to eat my computer just looking at this. Thanks for bringing it to this weeks fiesta friday! xx

    Reply

  9. Judi Graber says

    The whole recipe sounds delicious and looks it too by the way. Even though I eat more turkey and black bean burgers I will never turn down one like this. I use Dr. Pepper occasionally in recipes; worked in ham and flank steak but my ribs – no. A rub definitely makes a difference. Happy Fiesta Friday and thanks for coming to the party 🙂

    Reply

  11. Susan says

    What time does your diner open on the weekend? Oh my gosh, I wish! This looks incredible, I can hardly wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  13. Renee - Kudos Kitchen says

    I remember telling you that I couldn’t look away when I’d first seen the photo of this burger on facebook. The same holds true here. This is the tastiest looking burger I think I’ve ever seen. You’ve don’t a beautiful job capturing how mouthwatering it is, and the recipe sounds AH-mazing! I need this burger in my life! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  16. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    Yay to Dr Pepper Twinning! 😉 I LOVE this burger, girlfriend! Serious drool fest over here! From the coffee rub to the delicious Dr Pepper BBQ sauce and all the angus deliciousness in between- SO much YUM! For realz, I say this is totally acceptable for breakfast! Pinned! Cheers, doll!

    Reply

  18. Lora @cakeduchess says

    What a tempting and tasty looking burger! We were with some friends at dinner last night, and the husband is a huge Dr. Pepper fan and we got into a conversation about it. I will pass this recipe on to his wife so she can surprise him with that sauce!!

    Reply