Best Bacon Cheeseburger

The Best Bacon Cheeseburger has a thin and crispy smashburger-style patty, plenty of bacon, gooey cheese, and all your favorite toppings.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings (1 burger each)

Calories 719kcal

In a large cold skillet, arrange bacon in a single layer (don't let it overlap too much). Increase heat medium and cook, flipping the pieces often to promote even browning, until they reach your desired doneness (8 to 15 minutes).
Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Spread butter on each cut side of the buns and toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, working in batches if necessary.
Increase heat to medium-high. Form beef into 4 balls, about 4 ounces each. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place burger balls onto the hot griddle or skillet several inches apart (working in batches if needed). Using a grill press or spatula, press patties down, making burgers as thin and flat as possible. Cook for 2 minutes.
Flip burger patties, scraping from the pan to keep the layer that has formed on the patty. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each patty with a slice of cheese and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
Spread mayonnaise on each half of a toasted bun. Transfer patties to the bottom half of each bun. Top with 4 pieces of bacon, and your preferred toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. Top with the top half of the bun and serve.

Bacon: Substitute pre-cooked bacon if you don't want to cook bacon yourself.
Ground beef: I love ground chuck which is 15% to 20% fat, and burgers cook best when the meat is cool. To get ahead and have the best results, form the patties or balls ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance.
Onions: To make caramelized onions, save the rendered bacon fat. Peel, halve and slice 1 onion into 1/8th-inch slices, then add to a skillet over medium-high heat with the fat. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized.
Yield: This recipe makes 4 juicy and delicious Bacon Cheeseburgers. Double, triple, or quadruple for a crowd.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: Divide the ground beef and form balls for the patties, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance.
Freezer: Cooked patties can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.