Lunch / Dinner
Classic Cheeseburgers with Bacon-Onion Jam
Elevate the classic cheeseburger by topping it with a sweet-and-salty bacon-onion jam. Searing the burgers in a cast-iron skillet ensures a crisp, brown crust across the whole patty.
But don't relegate this bacon jam only to burgers-the serving options are endless. Besides slathering it on cheeseburgers, try serving it at a party on crostini. Or toss it with cooked pasta. And, it’s especially good on baked potatoes topped with a dollop of sour cream.
Ingredients
FOR THE JAM, COOK:
MELT:
STIR IN:
FOR THE CHEESEBURGERS, COMBINE:
OFF HEAT, TOP:
Test Kitchen Tip
You can use any kind of bun you like — sesame seed, onion, kaiser, artisan, you name it. Just make sure it’s the freshest available.
Instructions
For the jam, cook bacon in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and discard all but 1 Tbsp. drippings.
Melt butter with drippings in skillet over low heat. Add onions and thyme; cook, covered, until onions are translucent, 10 minutes.
Stir in brown sugar, broth, tomato paste, vinegar, and Worcestershire; cook until onions caramelize, 10–15 minutes more. Discard thyme, stir in bacon, season jam with salt and pepper, and transfer to a bowl. Wipe out skillet.
For the cheeseburgers, combine chuck, oil, salt, and pepper; shape into four 6-oz. patties.
Heat cast-iron skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes. Add patties and cook 3 minutes; flip and cook 3 minutes more.
Off heat, top burgers with Cheddar, cover skillet, and allow cheese to melt, 1–2 minutes.
Serve cheeseburgers on buns with jam.
Adding olive oil to the ground chuck provides flavor and moisture and produces a tender burger.
Shaping the meat in a round cutter is a quick and easy way to make uniform-sized patties.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving with 2 Tbsp. jam
Calories: 892
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 59g 90%
Saturated Fat 26g 130%
Cholesterol 207mg 69%
Sodium 1759mg 73%
Carbs 33g 11%
Protein 61g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.