A delicious bacon jam filled beef burger, with a fried egg and cheddar ale sauce.
It’s BBQ season and burgers are in heavy rotation around here. I decided to go a bit over the top on this burger and used a bacon jam-filled burger patty, topping it with a fried egg and then serving it with a Cheddar Beer sauce. I have to tell you, my family is still talking about this one!
The bacon jam cooked in a beef burger is the most perfect taste combination. The sweet and salty flavours of the jam infused the burger with flavours that made it one of the best burgers I think I’ve ever enjoyed. The toppings are based on the classic British dish – Welsh Rarebit – which features a cheddar/beer sauce and is often served over a fried egg and toast.
Bacon Jam Filled Beef Burger
A BBQ burger with a nod to the Brits. This burger patty is filled with homemade bacon jam, topped with a fried egg and served with a Cheddar Beer Sauce. Decadent and delicious!
Cheddar Beer Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. powdered mustard
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup beer (plus more to thin, if necessary)
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 drops hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Bacon Jam (makes enough to fill 4 hamburger patties):
- 6 slices bacon (diced)
- 1 shallot (diced)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1/4 cup strong coffee
- 3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
For the burger (for 4 burger patties):
- 1 1/2 lb. medium ground beef
- Salt and pepper
- 4 eggs
- 4 burger buns
- 4 tomato slices
- 4 large lettuce leaves
- For the bacon jam: In a frying pan over medium heat, fry bacon until the fat has rendered off and it is starting to brown. Remove the bacon to a bowl, then remove all but 1 Tbsp. of bacon fat from the frying pan. Add the onion and shallot to the pan and cook until they are softened and translucent. Add to the pan the coffee, cider vinegar, brown sugar and maple syrup. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Add bacon back to the pan and stir to coat. Simmer, stirring regularly, on medium low until most of the liquid has evaporated and it is thick and syrupy, 5-10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and allow to cool completely. (*Never put warm bacon jam in uncooked meat. You want your bacon jam to be the same temperature as your beef when you fill it). If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate until needed. To loosen it up if you need to, simply microwave for 10 seconds or so.
- For the Cheddar Beer Sauce: In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the flour. Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the beer and whisk to combine. Pour in cream and whisk until well combined and smooth. Gradually add the cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the hot sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately. To thin for serving, microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- For the burger: Mix ground beef with salt and pepper. Press meat in to the bottom of the burger press. Use the top to make a pocket in the beef. Fill with room temperature bacon jam. Press some more beef on top and press to seal. Repeat with all 4 burger patties. Refrigerate if not cooking immediately.
- Heat BBQ grill. Cook burger patties until cooked through (internal temperature of at least 160° F.). Toast your buns lightly. Meanwhile (or ahead of time), fry 4 eggs and set aside.
- To assemble burger: Place a lettuce leaf on bottom but, then put a slice of tomato on top of lettuce. Top with burger patty. Top burger patty with a fried egg and then spoon Cheddar Beer Sauce over top. Top with top bun. Enjoy!
LOVE the bacon-jam stuffed burger! Like — Meat Inception. Wow, sounds so good! I’m not usually big on bacon but I think I would smear that jam on just about anything! Great cheese sauce, too…. with beer and Worcestershire, yum! My husband loves eggs on burgers, I’m sure that if I served this he would think he had died and gone to heaven ;)
Thanks Sophie. I have been smearing the bacon jam on everything. It’s killer in a grilled cheese sandwich! The bacon jam cooks up quickly and just makes a small batch, so it’s easy to whip up a bit whenever.
I’ve had bacon marmalade ON burgers, but never IN them. What a great idea. Love the addition of beer cheese and eggs. I’m so impressed with the creativity of these recipes. And Stephanie’s right. It’s a great burger photo!
Thanks Charmian. I’m a bit addicted to bacon jam, so it was the first thing I thought of when it came to stuffing a burger :)
Just checked out your blog after you left me a comment, it’s lovely! And this post is perfect, I was just thinking of doing sliders for a 4th of July party and these look delicious!
Thanks so much, Jessica. (Still thinking about your lovely pavlova, btw. Must make one soon :)
I bow to your burger prowess! This is amazing (and one of the best burger photos ever) and I love the inclusion of bacon jam INSIDE the burger – what a great twist on a regular bacon-burger!
We love making homemade burgers (so much tastier than frozen) so I will definitely be trying this recipe soon this summer!
Thanks so much, Stephanie. I LOVED the bacon jam inside. All the flavours of the jam infused the beef so nicely. I’ll be doing that over and over this summer :)
If you add a slice of pickled beet to the burger you could be in Australia and have a burger with the lot
I think I’d like that :)