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This Bacon Cheeseburger is everything a backyard burger should be, with a juicy BBQ-seasoned patty, melty cheddar, crispy bacon, and a pile of sweet, sticky Coca-Cola onions. It is the burger my family begs for all summer long, and those soda-braised onions are the secret that makes people ask for the recipe. Fire up the grill and serve them with crispy fried pickles on the side.
With a simple seasoned beef blend and easy caramelized Coca-Cola onions, this loaded bacon cheeseburger tastes like a gourmet burger joint right from your own backyard.
Bacon Cheeseburger Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 burgers
- ⚡ Calories: 1102kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Juicy BBQ beef, melty cheddar, bacon, and sweet Coca-Cola onions
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, great for the grill
Quick Answer
To make these bacon cheeseburgers, first caramelize sliced sweet onions in a skillet, then add Coca-Cola and cook until the onions are sticky and browned. Mix ground beef with bbq sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, then form into patties with a dimple in the center. Grill the burgers until cooked to your liking, topping each with cheddar to melt. Build each burger on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, crispy bacon, and a generous spoonful of the Coca-Cola onions.
Jump to:
- Bacon Cheeseburger Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Bacon Cheeseburger FAQs
- Other Recommended Burgers and Cookout Favorites
- Bacon Cheeseburgers with Coca-Cola Onions
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Coca-Cola onions add a sweet, sticky topping. Slowly cooking sweet onions with Coca-Cola caramelizes the sugars into a glossy, savory-sweet onion jam that sets these burgers apart.
- BBQ sauce in the beef keeps it juicy. Mixing barbecue sauce right into the ground beef seasons it through and locks in moisture so the patties stay tender.
- An 80/20 blend means flavor. Ground beef with about 20 percent fat gives you a juicy, beefy patty that does not dry out on the grill.
- A dimple keeps patties flat. Pressing a small indentation in the center of each patty stops it from puffing up into a dome as it cooks.
- Melting the cheese on the grill is key. Adding cheddar in the last minute over the heat gives you that perfect, gooey, draped melt every time.
- Brioche buns hold it all together. Soft, buttery brioche buns are sturdy enough for all the toppings while staying tender in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is loaded with juicy beef, crispy bacon, melty cheddar, and sweet Coca-Cola onions.
- The soda-braised onions taste gourmet but could not be easier to make.
- It is the ultimate cookout burger, perfect next to smash burgers or a turkey option like our best turkey burger.
Key Ingredients
Here is everything you need for these loaded bacon cheeseburgers and the signature Coca-Cola onions. Simple cookout staples come together into something special.
- Ground Beef: An 80/20 blend gives you the juiciest, most flavorful patties. Leaner beef can turn out dry.
- BBQ Sauce: Mixed right into the beef to season it and keep it moist. Use your favorite smoky or sweet variety.
- Sweet Onions and Coca-Cola: The duo behind the sticky, caramelized onion topping that makes these burgers unforgettable.
- Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar melts beautifully over the hot patties. Swap in American or pepper jack if you like.
- Thick-Cut Bacon: Cooked until crispy for that salty, smoky crunch in every bite.
- Brioche Buns: Soft and buttery, sturdy enough to hold all the toppings together.
- Lettuce and Tomato: Crisp green leaf lettuce and juicy tomato slices add fresh crunch and balance.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper season the beef and the onions through and through.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These bacon cheeseburgers are easy to customize. Here are a few favorite ways to switch them up.
- Change the cheese: Try pepper jack for heat, Swiss for nutty richness, or blue cheese crumbles for a bold twist.
- Use a different soda: Dr Pepper or root beer caramelize into delicious onions too.
- Make them spicy: Add sliced jalapenos or a swipe of spicy mayo for a kick.
- Add a fried topping: Pile on crispy onion petals like our fried sides or a few fried pickles for extra crunch.
- Cook them inside: No grill? Sear the patties in a hot cast-iron skillet for a great crust.
- Go low carb: Skip the bun and serve the burger lettuce-wrapped with all the toppings.
How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger
- Slice the sweet onions into rounds and separate the rings. Cook them in a large skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper over medium heat for about 15 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Pour the Coca-Cola into the skillet with the onions and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply caramelized, sticky, and almost all of the liquid has cooked out, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with the bbq sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until just combined. Using your hands makes this easiest.
- Divide the beef into 6 even portions and form into patties, pressing a small dimple into the center of each so they stay flat while cooking.
- Grill the patties over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes per side until cooked to your liking, adding a slice of cheddar to melt at the end. Build each burger on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, bacon, and a pile of Coca-Cola onions.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use 80/20 ground beef for juicy patties; leaner beef dries out fast on a hot grill.
- Do not overmix the beef; handle it gently and just until the seasonings are combined so the patties stay tender.
- Make a dimple in each patty so they cook flat instead of puffing into a dome.
- Caramelize the onions low and slow; rushing them over high heat will scorch the sugars instead of sweetening them.
- Cook bacon ahead of time so it is crispy and ready when the burgers come off the grill.
- Melt the cheese with the lid down for a minute so it drapes perfectly over the patty.
- Toast the brioche buns on the grill for a few seconds for extra flavor and to keep them from getting soggy.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These bacon cheeseburgers are best served hot off the grill, piled high with Coca-Cola onions and a side of chips or fries. Set out extra napkins because they are gloriously messy in the best way.
They are the star of any cookout. Serve them alongside crispy fried pickles, golden fried okra, or tangy fried green tomatoes for the ultimate summer spread.
For a backyard feast, round things out with a rack of BBQ ribs or a platter of ham and cheese sliders so there is something for everyone.
The Coca-Cola onions also keep well, so make a double batch and pile them on hot dogs, brats, or steak sandwiches all week long.
Bacon Cheeseburger FAQs
Coca-Cola onions taste like deeply caramelized onions with a sweet, sticky, almost barbecue-like glaze. As the soda cooks down with the onions, the sugars caramelize and the cola adds a subtle vanilla and spice note. They are savory, sweet, and a little jammy, which is why they are so good piled on a burger.
Yes, the onions are great to make ahead. Cook them completely, let them cool, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat them gently in a skillet or microwave before piling them on your burgers. They actually taste even better the next day.
An 80/20 blend, meaning 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat, is ideal for juicy, flavorful burgers. The fat keeps the patties moist and adds beefy flavor as they cook. Leaner blends like 90/10 tend to dry out, especially on a hot grill.
Absolutely. Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and cook the patties for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, adding the cheese to melt at the end. A cast-iron pan gives you a fantastic seared crust, and you can caramelize the onions in the same pan first.
The most reliable way is to use an instant-read thermometer. Cook the patties to 160 degrees for medium and up to 165 degrees for well done. If you do not have a thermometer, cut into one patty to check that the center is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Classic cookout sides are perfect here. Think french fries, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, or chips. For something extra special, serve them with fried pickles, fried okra, or fried green tomatoes for a crispy, crunchy contrast to the juicy burger.
Craving more cookout classics? Fire up our perfect smash burgers next.
If sweet and savory onions sound good, our bacon cheeseburger with Coca-Cola onions is a fun twist.
Bacon Cheeseburgers with Coca-Cola Onions
Ingredients
For the Coca-Cola Onions:
- 4 medium sweet onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Coca-Cola
For the burgers:
- 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For assembly:
- 6 slices cheddar cheese
- 6 brioche buns
- 6 to mato slices
- green leaf lettuce
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon cooked crispy
Instructions
- Cut the onions into ¼ inch rounds discarding the root and skin. Separate the rings and set aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, onions, salt, and pepper, stir to coat the onions in the oil and seasonings. Cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes until the onions are translucent and starting to soften.
- Add the Coca-Cola to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Continue to cook until caramelized, browned, soft, and almost all of the liquid is cooked out, 15-20 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.
- While you are cooking the onions, make the burgers. Mix the ground beef, bbq sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined. I feel using my hands makes it easier to mix.
- Divide the meat into 6 even portions and make them into patties, make an indention in the middle of the burgers so they don’t plump in the center while grilling, place on a sheet tray until ready to grill.
- Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the burgers, cook for about 5-8 minutes on the first side, flip them over and continue to cook until your desired temperature is reached. Do not overcook, at 165°F they are well done. Take off the heat and add a slice of cheese to each burger to melt.
- Place a bottom of a brioche bun on your serving plate. Top with lettuce and a slice of tomato. Add a burger patty followed by a piece of bacon broken in half so it will fit. Top with the Coca-Cola onions and add the top bun. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This makes a nice large 6 burger batch, but you can double it.
- Other cheeses can be used, see above on other suggestions.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- We like to have the onions be the star and do not add any additional sauces, the burger is nice and juicy and flavorful without them. But, if you love sauce you can add more bbq sauce, ranch, honey mustard, ketchup, A1 sauce, or mustard.
- Other yummy toppings ideas: avocado, pickles, jalapenos, or a fried egg.
- We like to use a higher quality ground beef so use at least 80/20 for this recipe.
- We like to use thick cut bacon for a heavier bacon flavor, but you can use whatever you have on hand or leave it off completely.
Nutrition
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