The Best BBQ Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers
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These BBQ bacon blue cheese burgers have smoky BBQ-glazed shallots and jalapeños, salty bacon, and fluffy brioche buns for a savory, sweet, next-level dinner situation. These burgers are simply decadent and one of my favorite meals to serve at BBQs in the summer!

When it comes to burgers, I am completely un-snobby. I can appreciate a Wagyu burger just as much as I enjoy In-N-Out or a classic smash burger. But, there’s something about grilling a burger, adding fancy cheese, and topping the whole thing with something jammy that makes you feel like a real grown up.
Enter these burgers.
Besides the fact that it snowed less than 2 weeks ago and I got an entire sniffle about it, I think we’ve officially hit summer BBQ weather. And these burgers are all I will be serving to my friends and family this year. They’re inspired by a recipe I learned in culinary school, and they’re absolutely amazing with a super cold beer.
And listen, I know blue cheese can be polarizing, but if there were ever a time to give it a good ol’ college try, it would be for these burgers. They are one of the best burgers I’ve ever had, I honestly had a hard time resisting a second one even though I was miserably full from the first haha.
P.S. If you’re looking for more summery mains, look no further! My smoked tri-tip and melt-in-your-mouth Dr. Pepper pulled pork are so good.
80/20 ground beef
When it comes to burgers, I always use 80/20 ground chuck for a flavorful, juicy burger. For the rest of the recipe, get some thick-cut bacon, blue cheese, BBQ sauce, brioche buns, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Kosher salt, black pepper, shallots, jalapeños, lettuce, & tomato.
And when it comes to blue cheese, I highly recommend getting a block of blue cheese and crumbling it yourself over buying pre-crumbled. It has so much more flavor and creaminess! Try gorgonzola, Danish, Stilton, or Roquefort.
You can replace the shallots with red onions or sweet onions. If you’re sensitive to spice, feel free to replace the jalapeños with extra onions or shallots instead!
BBQ shallots & jalapeños
Grilled burgers
Here’s a tip I learned in culinary school for light (never dense) burgers. When you’re forming the patties, don’t compact them too much. Divide the meat into loose balls and form them into patties just enough that they stick together. Perfect burgers every time!
Stove top burgers
If you don’t have a grill, it’s no problem! You can totally make this recipe indoors on the stove top.
- Heat a small pat of butter or a drizzle of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Next, carefully place the patties in the hot pan, leaving a little space between each burger. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until they have a nice sear and they reach your desired doneness.
- A couple minutes before you finish cooking the burgers, top each patty with blue cheese. Allow it to melt for about 2 minutes.
Storing leftovers
To store any leftovers, place the patties in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy the burgers, just heat them in the microwave in 30 second increments until hot. Or, reheat in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 5-6 minutes, until warmed through.
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Easy BBQ Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers
Ingredients
BBQ Shallots & Jalapeños
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño, de-seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
Blue Cheese Burgers
- 4 brioche buns
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 pounds 80/20 ground chuck
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon (about 1/2 pound)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Lettuce, tomatoes, etc., for serving
Blue Cheese Burgers
Instructions
BBQ Shallots & Jalapeños
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and jalapeños. Cook until the veggies are tender and starting to brown on the edges, 6-7 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the BBQ sauce. Stir quickly to coat the veggies. Then, return the pan to the stove. Keep the mixture warm on the lowest heat, stirring occasionally, while you make the burgers.
Blue Cheese Burgers
- Heat half of the grill to medium-high heat (between 375-400°F). Heat the other half over medium heat (325-350°F).
- Halve the buns and lightly butter both cut sides with unsalted butter. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, 1/4 cup of the blue cheese crumbles, and black pepper to taste. Using clean hands, combine the meat mixture until everything is incorporated.
- Divide the meat into 4 loose balls. Gently press each ball into a patty, making an indentation in the center.
- Place the patties on the medium-high side of the grill. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and cook for 4 minutes, until you have a nice sear. Flip the burgers, sprinkle with more salt, and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare, 4 minutes for medium, 5 minutes for medium-well, or 6 minutes for well done. During the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of blue cheese over the top of each burger and allow it to melt.
- Meanwhile, lay the bacon across the grates on the medium side of the grill. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Place the cooked bacon on paper towels to soak up any extra fat. Break each piece of bacon into 2-3 pieces.
- During the last minute of cooking the burgers, place the buns halved-side down on the grates and let them cook until toasted.
- To assemble the burgers, lay each patty on the bottom half of each bun. Top each burger with 2-3 slices of bacon, BBQ shallots and jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, and the top of the bun. Enjoy!
Notes
Originally posted on May 25, 2022.