Chef John's Grilled Bacon Meatloaf Burgers

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A delicious meatloaf-inspired burger with bacon, perfect for grilling.

I added some fried onions to the recipes to get more crunch - Noel

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

3 1/3 hours

Servings

4

Burger
Main Dish
Grilling
Comfort Food

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 egg large, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • dried thyme pinch
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
  • 2/3 cups bacon chopped, cooked
  • 1 pound ground chuck beef 85% lean

Preparation

  1. Whisk egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
  2. Add breadcrumbs and chopped cooked bacon.
  3. Crumble in the ground beef.
  4. Mix with your fingers until bacon and breadcrumbs are distributed evenly.
  5. Form mixture into 4 burgers with your wet hands.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled thoroughly, about 3 hours.
  7. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
  8. Place burgers on the grate and cook, turning occasionally, until firm and cooked to your desired doneness. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read between 145 and 150 degrees F (63 degrees C).
  9. Let burgers rest for a few minutes before serving.