Bourbon Bacon Burger

A sweet-smoky air fryer burger with sticky bourbon bacon energy.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 tbspbourbonAmount1 tbspIngredientbourbon
• 2 tbspbrown sugarAmount2 tbspIngredientbrown sugar
• 3maple baconAmount3Ingredientmaple baconPreparationcut in half cut in half
• 3/4 lbground beefAmount3/4 lbIngredientground beefPreparation80% lean 80% lean
• 1 tbspminced onionAmount1 tbspIngredientminced onion
• 2 tbspBBQ sauceAmount2 tbspIngredientBBQ sauce
• 1/2 tspsaltAmount1/2 tspIngredientsalt
• freshly ground black pepperIngredientfreshly ground black pepperPreparationto taste to taste
• 2Colby Jack cheese or Monterey Jack cheeseAmount2IngredientColby Jack cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
• 2Kaiser rollsAmount2IngredientKaiser rolls
• lettuce and tomatoIngredientlettuce and tomatoPreparationfor serving for serving
• 2 tbspmayonnaiseAmount2 tbspIngredientmayonnaise
• 1/4 tspground paprikaAmount1/4 tspIngredientground paprika

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat air fryer to 390°F and pour a little water into the bottom of the air...: Preheat air fryer to 390°F and pour a little water into the bottom of the air fryer drawer. This will help prevent the grease that drips into the bottom drawer from burning and smoking.
2. 2In a small bowl, stir bourbon and brown sugarAmount2 tbspIngredientbrown sugar together.
3. 3Place bacon strips in the air fryer basket and brush with the brown sugarAmou...: Place bacon strips in the air fryer basket and brush with the brown sugarAmount2 tbspIngredientbrown sugar mixture.
4. 4Air fry at 390°F for 4 minutes.
5. 5Flip bacon over, brush with more brown sugarAmount2 tbspIngredientbrown sugar mixture, and air fry at 390°F for an additional 4 minutes, until crispy.
6. 6While bacon is cooking, make the burger patties.
7. 7In a large bowl, mix ground beefAmount3/4 lbIngredientground beefPreparation80% lean, onion, BBQ sauce, salt, and pepper thoroughly with your hands and shape into 2 patties.
8. 8Transfer burger patties to the air fryer basket and air fry at 370°F for 15–2...: Transfer burger patties to the air fryer basket and air fry at 370°F for 15–20 minutes, depending on how you like your burger cooked.
9. 9Flip burgers over halfway through the cooking process.
10. 10While burgers are air frying, make the burger sauce.
11. 11In a bowl, stir BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, paprika, and black pepperIngredientfreshly ground black pepperPreparationto taste together.
12. 12When burgers are cooked to your liking, top each patty with 1 slice Colby Jack cheese and air fry for 1 additional minute, just to melt the cheese.
13. 13Pin the cheese slice to the burger with a toothpick if needed to prevent it f...: Pin the cheese slice to the burger with a toothpick if needed to prevent it from blowing off in your air fryer.
14. 14Spread sauce on the inside of the Kaiser rollsAmount2IngredientKaiser rolls.
15. 15Place burgers on the rolls, then top with bourbonAmount1 tbspIngredientbourbon bacon, lettuce, and tomato.
16. 16Serve immediately.