Kicking off the fall season with these amazing Maple Bourbon Bacon Burgers! These juicy simple burgers are going to be your new go to outdoor recipe and to continue grilling all year long! I even used pre-made burger patties (no brainer) and made the BEST smoky, sweet, tangy BBQ sauce with maple and bourbon. PLUS BACON. Need I say more?
This post is sponsored by my friends at The Honest Bison.
It's finally September. Which mean's it's officially my favorite time of the year! I think September-December is the best. Cooler weather, falling leaves, bonfires, cozy sweaters, and comfort foods. It's seriously the BEST. Perfect time for incorporating outdoor recipes!
But I still love to grill all year round. Which is why when The Honest Bison and I were talking about recipes...this bourbon bacon burger came to mind.
Y'all, I am not going to lie. I was on the fence when I started working with venison and elk cuts. Like eyebrow raised and not sure if it was going to be gamey.
I have been proven WRONG. Especially with these venison burgers. They were actually pretty marbled for a usually very lean cut. And they came out sooo juicy and full of flavor.
My kind of burger.
The Juicy details on these Maple Bourbon Bacon Burgers
Since the burgers were pre-made, I decided to spice things up with a fall-inspired BBQ sauce.
Guys, the sauce is UNREAL. It incorporates everything fall. Maple syrup, smoky spices (reminds me of cool camping nights), bourbon, and apple cider. I am not even a bourbon drinker and I LOVE this sauce. I want to marry it, bathe in it, and drink it. It brings these burgers to a whole new level.
The next is my take on "autumnizing" the caramelization process of onions. I used the method of making french onions soup- the onions are slowly caramelized in some sugar and butter. I swapped the sugar here for apple cider! Then the sugars in the juice are absorbed into the sweet onion and the salt from the butter equals a very very deep golden onion but with the sweet spice of cider.
The rest is pretty straight forward of adding melty cheese, crispy bacon, and spooning that sauce on these bacon bourbon burgers.
Some more wild eats if you like these!
Paleo Bison Burrito Breakfast Bowls
Florentine Style Bone-In Ribeye
Maple Bourbon Bacon Burger
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
The best fall Maple Bourbon Bacon Burger is a MUST for this season's menu! Juicy venison burgers are topped with caramelized apple onions, crispy bacon, and a maple bourbon BBQ sauce. It's the ultimate burger to grill out for the game, for a quick weeknight dinner, or just because you want a REALLY good burger! The perfect addition to your list of outdoor recipes!
Ingredients
For the burgers
3 Venison Burger patties (I used The Honest Bison) or 1lb of 85% fat ground beef
Cooked bacon (not optional)
White cheddar slices (optional)
Brioche buns
For the SAUCE
2 tbs grassfed butter
½ cup tomato sauce
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 tbs coconut sugar
¼ cup of bourbon
¼ cup of apple cider
For the caramelized onions
2 tbs grassfed butter
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
¾ cup apple cider
Buns, lettuce wraps, bed of greens (youre the boss!)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 350F. Place premade patties on the grill to cook. (About 8-10 minutes. For venison I like to take it off the grill around 140F for a medium cook (pink in middle).
- While, the burgers cook, make the BBQ sauce by adding all sauce ingredients MINUS THE BOURBON in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until it is simmering (about 5 minutes). Take pan off heat and stir in the bourbon. Simmer the sauce a little bit more to cook off the alcohol. (about 3 more minutes)
- Take burgers off the grill and add cheese (if using). Allow to rest while you caramelize the onions.
- Caramelize the onions on medium-high heat in a pan with the butter and apple cider. Key here is to use a large skillet to allow room for the onions caramelize properly and to stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Assemble the burgers and serve! I highly recommend making some crispy sweet potato fries as a side!
Notes
You may substitute these burgers for any you have available! But I HIGHLY recommend anything from The Honest Bison. You know I don't talk about brands unless I use and love them personally and I have been cooking with The Honest Bison meat selections for YEARS and the quality is UNREAL.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Tayler Ross says
We make these burgers all the time and love them! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Amanda says
WHAT! Thank you so much Tayler! Brings me so much joy to hear how much you love these burgers!
Andrea says
These burgers not only sound amazing, they look it too! I'm with you on this sauce, I want to drink and bathe in it. Just absolutely fabulous!
Amanda says
Hi Andrea! YES to this sauce. It truly is a MUST. Like mandatory. Thank you!
Anita says
The sauce is awesome. I use regular ground beef since there is not venison where I live, and it turned out delicious.
Amanda says
That's awesome Anita! Yes, ground beef would be the next best thing for these burgers! So glad to hear it was a hit!
Liza says
What a fantastic recipe! My favorite part of the ingredients list is: Cooked bacon (not optional)! The bourbon sauce is to die for, and this burger will definitely be on permanent rotation at our house.
Amanda says
Thank God for grilling season right??? And absolutely Liza, bacon it NOT optional in this recipe!
Andrea says
That bourbon sauce is AMAZING! Thank you so much. Excellence.
Amanda says
Thank you SO much Andrea! So happy to hear yo loved this sauce! ❤️
Austin says
BEST bourbon bbq sauce EVER!
It was the talk of our cookout!