The title is a mouthful! But what you really want is a mouthful of this juicy smoked burger with the sweet and spicy bourbon-laced bacon jam, and rich, smooth brie melted on top. Yes, trust me! That is exactly the mouthful we should all be having at this very moment.
We recently enjoyed dinner at a local brewery. The food was pretty good, but there were so many people — and it was so LOUD — that we could barely enjoy conversations. I tried closing my eyes to tune out some of the distractions, simply to taste the food. In my opinion, the burger I ate was “fine”. There was nothing that I didn’t like! But at the same time, with every mouthful I thought, “I can make this so much better at home!” And so I did.
And I made it again. And again. And I can not stop because of rave reviews. Seriously, when someone I trust says that this smoked burger with bourbon-bacon jam and brie blows everything else I’ve ever made out of the water, I have to listen. 😁
Using 3 pounds of lean ground beef to one pound ground pork makes juicy hamburgers that melt in your mouth. Each patty is about 1/3 pound, so this recipe makes 15 burgers. When not serving a small army, half of the patties get frozen on a cookie sheet and packaged for future use. The bacon jam makes enough to top all 15 burger patties, with a little leftover for tasting, and mmmmm-ing.
I make these gluten free by using Schär gluten free table crackers. One small package makes the perfect amount of crumbs. Regular saltines work just fine. I also tend to avoid eating burgers on buns — it saves a lot of carbs and calories, but mostly, I want to taste the burger, bacon, bourbon, and brie! Smothering those flavors with a bun makes no sense in my (little!) world. However you like it — bunned or bunless — these will be the best burgers you have ever eaten.
As for the “smoked” aspect of these burgers, cooking them on a grill will be just fine. BUT using a pellet smoker until the meat reaches 140℉ then searing them gives amazing flavor, and keeps the burgers juicy with a perfect crisp on the outside.
Grating the onion allows flavor to permeate every morsel of these burgers, instead of a nice little punch of flavor every once in a while. It becomes a fine mash that looks a little like applesauce. Make sure to capture all the juice — in other words, don’t grate the onion onto a wooden cutting board, which will absorb too much of the liquid.
The bacon jam takes a little while to make, so while baking the bacon to perfect crispness, the hamburger patties can be made. It also takes a little time to smoke burgers — about 90 minutes — so this is not a last-minute, I’m famished-kind of meal. Get things cooking and smoking, then read a book, play with the kids, or get some gardening done. Just make sure you work up a big appetite, because you will want more than one smoked burger with bacon jam and brie!
Smoked Burgers with Bourbon-Bacon Jam and Brie
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 15 burgers 1x
Description
The most decadent burgers ever
Ingredients
For the burgers:
- 3 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large onion, grated
- 1/2 cup finely crushed saltine crackers
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
- 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the bacon jam:
- 1 pound bacon
- 3 Tbsp bacon grease
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper flakes, crushed
- 3/4 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, then lay the bacon on the pans so the strips don’t touch each other. Bake until crispy. Drain on paper towels, reserving 3 Tbsp bacon fat.
Meanwhile, grate the onion and collect the juices on a plate. In a large bowl, combine onion and its juice, crushed crackers, beaten egg, worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Then add the meat, mixing well with your hands. Make each burger 1/3 pound, forming into large, thick patties, pressing a dip in the middle.
Smoke burgers at 225℉ (I use smoke level 2) until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140℉, which takes about 90 minutes.
While the burgers are smoking, heat reserved bacon fat in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Sauté the diced shallot until very tender, then add minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Add the chili powder, crushed pepper flakes, and smoked paprika, allowing to cook together for 2 minutes. Carefully pour in bourbon and maple syrup, stirring to combine. Add chopped bacon, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy.
Heat grill or griddle, and cook burgers beginning with the “dip” side down. When burgers are flipped, fill each burger with 1 Tbsp of bacon jam and place a chunk of brie on top. Turn off the heat and allow cheese to melt, then serve.
Notes
To freeze uncooked burgers for future use, place patties on parchment-paper-lined pans. Once solid, transfer to freezer bags and remove as much air as possible.
To freeze cooked burgers for future use, allow to cool completely before freezing individually.
Leftover bacon jam can be refrigerated for up to one week. But may I recommend that you try it on baked sweet potatoes?
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
