Pepper Crusted Bacon Cheeseburgers

Nothing beats a great burger.  Except delicious pepper crusted bacon cheeseburgers, slathered with a garlic aioli!  Make burger night one to remember!

These bacon cheeseburgers are nothing short of amazing!  Tender burger patties are made using a surprising ingredient, then crusted with cracked black pepper before being cooked to juicy, seared perfection.  Topped with your favorite cheese and veggies, then slathered with the most flavorful garlic aioli… and served on toasted Kings Hawaiian hamburger buns!

This blog post was sponsored by KING’S HAWAIIAN, but the opinions are all my own.

Is it totally weird to not like the summer because of the heat, but LOVE the summer because of the amazing food?  Because if it’s weird, well then so am I!  When I think of the quintessential summer food… one that comes to mind is a great burger.  Whether you fire up the grill, switch on the broiler, or preheat your trusty cast iron skillet… it’s hard to go wrong with a delicious burger!  Especially juicy bacon cheeseburgers!

Those of you that know me, might be scratching your heads right now, because I just said that I loved cheeseburgers.  Usually, I prefer my burgers cheese-less.  Like my Coffee-Rubbed Burgers for instance.  I have a weird aversion to yellow cheeses and certain condiments, like ketchup.  For some reason, they just can’t exist together in my mouth.  I know, it’s kind of un-American right?  But this bacon cheeseburger is a whole ‘nother story!  I chose to use a Colby-Jack cheese, which is one of my favorites, and instead of going with the traditional ketchup and mustard combo, I made a quick and easy garlic aioli.

Even the best burger can be downplayed by a lack-luster bun… so I went with the best… Kings Hawaiian hamburger buns!  I reach for these weekly at the grocery store.  And speaking of grocery stores… one of the Target stores near me is a “super” store, that sells fresh produce, bakery items and meats.  Score!!  I was able to get everything I needed for this meal, in one convenient shopping trip.

I like to toast my Kings Hawaiian buns in the bacon grease leftover after cooking the bacon.  Not only does it give it a great golden crust that will stand up to the big burger, but it imparts great flavor as well!  Feel free to top your burgers with whatever you’d like… I kept it simple with some fresh green lettuce and sliced sweet onions.

The garlic aioli is pretty much the only sauce you’ll ever need for your burgers.  I know that’s a bold statement, but I’m serious!  Aioli’s are popping up in fancy restaurants everywhere, transforming mundane burgers into gourmet works of art.  Of course, you can adjust the seasonings to your tastes, but I’ve kept it pretty basic, so it’s a great starting point.

One of the reasons I love these bacon cheeseburgers so much is the secret ingredient in the burger patty.  I use a tablespoon of cream!  It may sound weird, but trust me on this… it will leave you with the most velvety, juicy, and tasty burger you’ve ever had!

So head on over to find your nearest Target and gather up the supplies (don’t forget the Kings Hawaiian hamburger buns!), for these bacon cheeseburgers… your taste buds will thank you!!

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Pepper Crusted Bacon Cheeseburgers

5 from 1 vote

Author: The Chunky Chef

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 -8 burgers

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Nothing beats a great burger. Except delicious pepper crusted bacon cheeseburgers, slathered with a garlic aioli! Make burger night one to remember!

Ingredients

• ▢ GARLIC AIOLI:
• ▢ 2 cloves small garlic pressed or very finely minced (or 1 large clove)
• ▢ 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp fresh minced parsley
• ▢ PEPPER CRUSTED BURGERS:
• ▢ 2 pounds ground beef I used 80/20
• ▢ 1 small sweet onion
• ▢ 1 Tbsp heavy cream
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ Cracked black pepper
• ▢ Green leaf lettuce
• ▢ slices Colby-Jack cheese
• ▢ 8 slices bacon
• ▢ Sliced sweet onion
• ▢ Kings Hawaiian hamburger buns

Instructions

• MAKE THE AIOLI:
• In a small bowl, add pressed garlic and salt. Using a fork, mash until garlic becomes a paste.
• Add mayonnaise, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and parsley and whisk until combined.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
  
• MAKE THE BURGERS:
• In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels.
• Keep bacon grease in the pan and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Place hamburger buns, cut side down, in the grease to toast, until golden brown. Remove buns to a plate to cool.
• Wipe out skillet with paper towels.
• Crack some freshly ground black pepper onto a paper plate and set aside.
• To a large mixing bowl, add ground beef. Peel the onion and grate (using a hand grater or even a box grater) about 2 Tbsp of onion into the meat. Use the fine side of the grater, so you're getting very small pieces of onion. You'll get onion juice too, and that's good.
• Add heavy cream and salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix together until just combined. Don't over-mix.
• Form into patties (4 patties will yield a roughly 1/2 lb burger, 6 patties will yield a 1/3 lb burger, and 8 patties will yield a 1/4 lb burger), and lightly press patty into the plate of cracked pepper (on both sides). Make an indentation in the center of each patty, to ensure even cooking.
• Grill over MED-HIGH heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked to desired doneness.
• The last 30 seconds of cooking, place a slice of Colby-Jack cheese on each patty.
• Serve on toasted Kings Hawaiian buns, with lettuce, sliced onions, cooked bacon and garlic aioli.

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Chef Tips

1. Burgers may also be cooked in a skillet: Add a drizzle of oil and a pat of butter to skillet and heat over MED to MED-HIGH heat. Cook burgers about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked to desired doneness.

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