So two of my absolute favorite things about weekends are meal planning and grocery shopping with Justin. Those might not seem like very exciting things to do for most couples, but for two people like us who love to eat and cook, it’s just SO much fun! Normally, I am the one finding new recipes to try but this week, I let Justin take the reigns. Now I know that my husband knows good food so I don’t know why I was surprised…but he picked some really amazing dishes for this week.
These Bourbon Burgers were absolutely phenomenal and simple to make! {Caramelizing onions is not exactly a “quick” thing to do, so keep timing in mind with this recipe.} I’d put this burger up there in my top 3 favorites and I cannot wait to make them again for friends and family. Our Memorial Day BBQ menu is certainly coming together…starting with these burgers!
Bourbon Burgers with Caramelized Onions
Yield 6-8 Burgers
Recipe adapted (and slightly altered) from FoodtasticMom.com. {Love what she makes!}
Ingredients
For the Burgers
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 6-8 slice sharp white cheddar cheese
- 6-8 ciabatta buns {or small burger buns, whatever you prefer}
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
For the Onions
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large Vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized, about 20-30 minutes.
- Increase the heat, add the bourbon and allow it to simmer until the liquid is thick and syrupy. Stir in the brown sugar and remove it all from the heat.
- While the onions are cooking, pour 1/2 cup of bourbon in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and reduce the bourbon by half. Remove it from the heat.
- In a large bowl, gently mix together the ground chuck, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and reduced bourbon.
- Form the meat into 6 burgers {be sure to size them properly to your ciabatta/burger buns – if using small buns, you might want to make 8 patties} and grill them to your desired doneness, topping the burgers with a slice of cheddar cheese during the final minutes on the grill.
- While the burgers are cooking, split the buns and brush the insides and tops lightly with melted butter. Place the buns on a sheet pan, cover them with foil, and place them in a 250 degree oven for about 15 minutes. {This step really makes a difference so don’t skip it!}
- To serve, spread mayonnaise on the bottom of the buns, top with the burgers and cheese and a generous amount of bourbon-caramelized onions.
- Enjoy one of the best darn burgers you’ll ever make.
