I love a good burger.
Usually, simple is best. Meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayo, ketchup. A no-frills burger is my fave.
Every once in awhile, though, I like to switch things up. I feel like EVERYONE makes burgers on July 4th, and it’s fun to elevate things a bit for a special occasion, right?
These Bourbon BBQ Burgers are just that. Simple but elevated a bit. One thing’s for sure, they are darn tasty.
These burgers feature a homemade bourbon BBQ sauce (simpler than it may sound), smoky BBQ seasoning, pepper jack cheese, and crispy onions. Ohhh yes. These are smoky-sweet-savory perfection in every bite.
The bourbon BBQ sauce is a wonderful mix of savory and sweet, smoky and tangy. It is delicious. I made a bourbon version in honor of my husband, who collects rare bourbons and genuinely enjoys sipping on the stuff (that makes one of us). He said this BBQ sauce has some bourbon notes but that it isn’t overwhelming. I agree. I am NOT a bourbon person, and I still very much enjoyed the BBQ sauce. Just in case you’re on the fence about bourbon being in there!
Once you have the sauce ready, the rest comes together fairly quickly and easily. Just like burgers should! No big fuss.
Ingredients for the Bourbon BBQ Sauce:
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Garlic
- Bourbon whiskey
- Ketchup
- Tomato paste
- Brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Liquid smoke flavoring
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce
- Salt and pepper
How to Make the Bourbon BBQ Sauce:
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Carefully pour in the bourbon and bring to a simmer. Cook until the bourbon is reduced by half.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes (if you have more time, you can simmer it for up to an hour. The flavors will develop more. That said, 30 minutes works!).
- Pour the sauce into a blender and carefully blend in 20-second increments, stopping to vent the steam from the blender every now and then, until the sauce is smooth.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed, once the sauce is blended. Sometimes I need to add a touch more salt and pepper, and sometimes it’s an extra drizzle of hot sauce. Taste as you go and make the sauce yours!
- The sauce can be stored in an airtight container (I love a mason jar for this) in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Once you have your BBQ sauce ready, the rest is very simple. You mix up your burger meat with some of that sauce, dried BBQ seasoning (I get mine in the dried seasoning aisle at the store – any variety will work), salt, and pepper. See? Simple.
Form the patties. Grill ’em up! Top with pepper jack cheese (or any cheese you prefer), let it melt, and then serve the burgers on buns and with whatever toppings you enjoy. I HIGHLY recommend some crispy onions from the store (or you can make your own).
BBQ burger heaven is served!
Other Recipes You May Enjoy:
- BBQ Cheeseburgers with Crispy Onions
- Short Rib Cheeseburgers with Smoky Bourbon Aioli
- Cheeseburgers with Stout-Glazed Bacon, Crispy Onions, & Sriracha Aioli
- Breakfast Cheeseburgers with Smoky Tomato Jam
- Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork Sandwiches
What’s July 4th without some grilling? These Bourbon BBQ burgers are an all-American trifecta of ingredients and flavors, and I am willing to bet you’ll be the rockstar of your BBQ party if you serve these!
Cheers, friends!
Print
Bourbon BBQ Burgers
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Bourbon BBQ Burgers are just what your summer BBQs ordered. They feature a homemade bourbon BBQ sauce (simpler than it may sound), smoky BBQ seasoning, pepper jack cheese, and crispy onions. Ohhh yes. These are smoky-sweet-savory perfection in every bite!
Ingredients
For the Bourbon BBQ Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Burgers:
- Drizzle of oil for pan
- 1 lb lean ground beef (I prefer 90/10)
- 3 tablespoons of the bourbon BBQ sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried BBQ seasoning (in the seasoning aisle at the store)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese (or cheese of choice)
For Serving:
- Toasted burger buns
- Mayo
- Bourbon BBQ sauce
- Lettuce or microgreens
- Tomatoes
- Pickles
Instructions
For the Bourbon BBQ Sauce:
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5-7 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Carefully pour in the bourbon and bring to a simmer. Cook until the bourbon is reduced by half.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes (if you have more time, you can simmer it for up to an hour. The flavors will develop more. That said, 30 minutes works!).
- Pour the sauce into a blender and carefully blend in 20-second increments, stopping to vent the steam from the blender every now and then, until the sauce is smooth.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed, once the sauce is blended. Sometimes I need to add a touch more salt and pepper, and sometimes it’s an extra drizzle of hot sauce. Taste as you go and make the sauce yours!
- The sauce can be stored in an airtight container (I love a mason jar for this) in the fridge for up to two weeks.
For the Burgers:
- Preheat the grill or a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- If using a skillet, add a drizzle of oil.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, BBQ sauce, BBQ seasoning, and salt and pepper. Mix well to incorporate everything and then form the mixture into four patties.
- Add the burger patties to the hot pan or grill and cook for 5 minutes per side (for a medium/medium-well burger). During the last minute of cooking time, add the slices of cheese to the tops of the burgers and cover the pan or grill so the steam can melt the cheese.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
To Serve:
Burgers are obviously something you can customize, but this is my favorite combination of ingredients for this particular recipe: a toasted burger bun slathered with mayo and some more of the bourbon BBQ sauce, microgreens, and pickles. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: burgers
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
OMG! You’ve done it again! These sound fab! We can’t wait to try making these. Now tell me the truth, did my son put you up to this?!?!!?
great, missed this burger recipe for the 4th, but still works for me after! Love bourbon bbq flavors, very nice and thank you!
Mmmmmmm the burger portion of this recipe is terrible. No egg or breadcrumbs to hold it together??!! I should have gone with my gut and added them in. The patties have fallen apart in the pan so we are having mince in burger buns. Don’t bother with this one!
Hi Carly. So sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. I’ve never had an issue with these falling apart, but it might be the type of beef used. Leaner ground beef works best here, as noted in the recipe. Still very sorry to hear your experience. Appreciate the feedback.