This BBQ Bacon Smash Burger Is Perfectly Sweet And Tangy

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Cheeseburgers are undeniably delicious, but sometimes just a plain old cheeseburger doesn't cut it. That's where something like a bacon cheeseburger steps in to keep things interesting, but if even the addition of bacon isn't enough to get you excited about burgers again, then perhaps developer Patterson Watkins' BBQ bacon smash burger will do the trick. Now, Watkins admits to being something of a "cheeseburger purist," meaning she doesn't always love barbecue sauce on her burger. But the sauce in this recipe is what she describes as "next level," and combined with the thin, crispy smash burger patties and classic American cheese, it truly makes for an elevated burger that's still comfortingly familiar. 

Something special about this BBQ bacon smash burger recipe is that the bacon is directly incorporated into the homemade barbecue sauce (as opposed to the typical strips you'll find atop the patties). This makes for a unique take on the classic bacon burger, and one that transforms the barbecue sauce into something truly special. "The bacon adds a smoky savoriness to the sauce, while the onions give off this really tasty caramelized sweetness," Watkins describes. You can be as heavy-handed as you'd like when it comes to garnishing your finished burger with that tangy, smoky bacon barbecue sauce, just make sure you're saving some for dipping tater tots or fries on the side.

To start, you'll make the bacon onion barbecue sauce, which consists of bacon (diced), yellow onion, ketchup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Watkins notes that there's a good chance you'll have some leftover barbecue sauce, and you'll want to keep it refrigerated between uses. "It will also have a slightly shorter refrigerator shelf life than your typical homemade BBQ sauces because of the added protein," she adds, so keep any leftovers stored in a sealed container for about a week.

Then, for the burgers themselves, you'll need ground beef, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, burger buns, salted butter, American cheese, scallion, and pickles for topping.

Place the bacon in a medium saucepan.

Cook the bacon over medium heat until brown and crisp.

Remove the cooked bacon from the saucepan using a slotted spoon and set it aside. Keep the bacon drippings in the pan.

Add the onions to the pan, stir to combine with the bacon drippings, and saute until soft and lightly brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to the pan, whisk to combine, and bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, return the bacon to the pan, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, make the burgers by placing the ground beef, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Using your hands, mix until thoroughly combined.

Divide the burger mixture into 8 even balls.

Spread the buns with softened butter and toast until lightly golden. Set aside.

Spritz a large skillet or griddle pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat.

Once hot, working in batches if necessary, add the burger balls to the skillet, and sear for 1 minute.

Firmly press the burgers flat using either a burger press or a slightly smaller (heavy-bottom) skillet.

Cook for 2 minutes or until deeply seared.

Flip the burgers, reapply the press, and sear for another 2 minutes on the other side until deeply seared.

Remove the press and top burgers with American cheese slices (1 slice per burger).

Once the cheese has melted, stack 2 burgers on a toasted bottom bun.

Generously top the burgers with BBQ sauce.

Garnish the sauced burgers with scallions and pickle slices before capping with the toasted top bun and serving.

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If you've ever enjoyed the delicacy that is a well-made smash burger, you'll know that the patties are much thinner than regular burger patties. This thinness is only possible thanks to the cooking technique, which involves pressing or smashing them down (otherwise, burgers have a tendency to shrink inward and actually become thicker as they cook). "When it comes to smash burgers, you must apply pressure," Watkins says. "You need to achieve max sear, and that occurs with constant weight." That weight also helps achieve the desirable outside texture of a smash burger, which is super crispy and caramelized. 

So, why repeat the process of pressing the burgers down? "Thin burgers, once pressed and released, have a tendency to pucker/bubble up, losing that contact with the hot cooking surface," Watkins explains. If the surface of the patty loses contact with the hot surface of the pan, it means that you'll also lose some sear, which is the opposite of what you want with a smash burger. Luckily, as long as you repeat the smashing process for both sides (either using another heavy pan as Watkins did, or using a burger press), you should end up with deeply-seared, perfectly thin patties.

There are plenty of typical suspects that might go into a burger patty mix, like the ground beef itself, an egg for binding, and some sort of seasoning. A less-common inclusion is mayonnaise, but Watkins swears by the addition for three key reasons. If you've ever made a grilled cheese with mayonnaise on the outside instead of butter, you'll understand the first reason, which is that mayo helps achieve optimal caramelization. "You'll achieve a more uniform, crispy brown crust as well as a faster-forming crust," Watkins explains.

The second reason comes down to moisture retention, and more specifically, ensuring that those patties stay nice and juicy (even once they're pressed down super thin). "Thinner burger patties release their moisture faster than thick ones," Watkins says. "Mayo helps maintain and enhance that juiciness thanks to its oil/fat-based ingredients." Finally, mayo simply enhances the flavor of the patty, adding more savory depth and a certain tangy richness that beef alone can't quite provide. Ultimately, Watkins does note that you can omit the mayo from the burger mix, but if so, be sure to opt for a higher-fat ground beef with an 80/20 or 85/15 fat ratio (and avoid lean beef). 

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