To make delicious bacon burgers, add ground bacon to the beef. It makes the patties incredibly juicy and flavorful!
You can go for a 50/50 ratio, but I prefer to add 4 ounces of bacon for each pound of ground beef.
I started making these bacon burgers after transitioning to a low-carb diet in 2011. Suddenly, with no bun, the burger became the star of the show, and I wanted it to be as flavorful and juicy as possible.
I make burgers quite often, including broiled burgers, grilled burgers, and baked burgers. They are all excellent. But if you want to make the ultimate burger, mix ground bacon into the meat. It makes for an incredibly flavorful and juicy burger.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these burgers. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Bacon: Use your favorite brand. You'll need 4 ounces, which is half a standard 8-ounce package.
- Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef (85/15). I find that leaner than that is too dry, even with the addition of bacon.
- Seasonings: I almost always use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes.
Variations
- You can substitute three cloves of minced fresh garlic for the powder.
- Experiment with different spices. Some spices I've enjoyed include dry mustard, chili powder, dried thyme, and cumin. You can use a teaspoon of any additional spice or herb with the exception of cumin - this spice is potent, so add just half a teaspoon.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
You start by cutting the bacon into pieces.
Process the bacon pieces in your food processor until it's finely ground.
Combine the ground bacon, ground beef, and seasonings.
Form the mixture into patties. Make a dimple in the center of the burgers to help them retain their shape.
Cook the burgers over medium heat until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side.
Expert Tips
- You can go for a 50/50 ratio, mixing 8 ounces of ground beef with 8 ounces of ground bacon. But I like to keep things a bit less fatty and salty (though still delicious!) by mixing 4 ounces of bacon into a pound of ground beef.
- After cutting the bacon into pieces, it's helpful to freeze them briefly. This makes it easier for the food processor to chop them. They only need 15-20 minutes or so in the freezer.
- You can par-cook the bacon in the microwave to ensure it becomes fully cooked. In this method, there’s no need to chop and freeze it. Place the four bacon strips on two paper towels on a microwave-safe plate. Cover them with two more paper towels. Microwave for three minutes, allow to slightly cool, and then chop and mix the par-cooked bacon into the ground beef.
Recipe FAQs
There's no need for any type of filler (such as breadcrumbs) or binder (egg) in these tasty burgers. Simply mix the ground beef and bacon, add the seasonings, shape into patties, and pan-fry.
Toppings can include smoked cheddar cheese (my personal favorite), a fried egg, bacon, or avocado. Or all of the above!
Yes. But if you do, you should cook the patties until they're cooked through. If you prefer your burgers medium-rare, you should cook the bacon and crumble it before mixing it into the ground beef.
The USDA recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F, which ensures that the bacon is fully cooked, too.
Serving Suggestions
Bacon burgers make the perfect low-carb meal - no bun needed. See the photos on this page? That's how I usually serve them, on a plate. Sometimes, I add sriracha mayo.
Unless you want a bun, of course, such as cloud bread or 90-second bread. You can also use a lettuce wrap.
As for side dishes, these burgers are excellent with fries. I often serve them with jicama fries or zucchini fries.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze these burgers for up to three months.
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Recipe Card
Bacon Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon - ½ package
- 1 pound lean ground beef - 85/15
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsely
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into pieces and freeze the pieces for 20 minutes to make them easier to process.
- Process the bacon in a mini food processor on the "chop" setting until finely ground.
- Mix the ground bacon into the beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes.
- Form the mixture into four ¾-inch-thick patties. Use your thumb to make a shallow dimple in the middle of each burger. This helps them retain their shape.
- Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the burgers. If the skillet is well-seasoned, there's no need to add oil. Otherwise, add a tablespoon of oil to the pan before adding the burgers.
- Cook the burgers until cooked through, for about 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat.
- Serve immediately with your favorite hamburger toppings.
Video
Notes
- You can par-cook the bacon in the microwave to ensure it becomes fully cooked. In this method, there’s no need to chop and freeze it. Place the four bacon strips on two paper towels on a microwave-safe plate. Cover them with two more paper towels. Microwave for three minutes, allow to slightly cool, and then chop and mix the par-cooked bacon into the ground beef.
- You can go for a 50/50 ratio, mixing 8 ounces of ground beef with 8 ounces of ground bacon. But I like to keep things slightly less fatty and salty (though still delicious!) by mixing 4 ounces of bacon into a pound of ground beef.
- The nutrition info is for the burgers only and does not include toppings.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze these burgers for up to three months.Â
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Albert L J Hall
I'd go easy on the salt myself, simply because bacon is already salty of course. By the way, I'd have no objection to use what we call "cooking bacon" - basically, the off-cuts from commercial slicers. It makes for very cheap burgers if I use 13% Ground beef.
Vered DeLeeuw
Thanks for the feedback, Albert! Very interesting.
Vicki J.
I broke this recipe down to make just one burger for myself. The spices sounded like a lot, so I cut their amounts in half. Grilled it outside today on my charcoal grill. Delicious! So good, I had it plain. Just the burger in a Hawaiian bun. Will definitely be making this again.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Vicki! Thank you for the feedback about the spices.
Vicki J.
Okay, I made a bacon burger tonight with the full amounts of the spices (but no red pepper flakes, as I don't like spicy). It was delicious! I'll be making my burgers this way whenever I have bacon on hand. Thanks for a wonderful burger recipe.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! Thanks for the update, Vicki!