Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burger
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Want to step up your burger game and impress your friends this Summer? Here’s how — Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burger! That’s right, BLUEBERRIES on grilled hamburgers. It’s a surprising and amazing burger mashup that’s perfect for 4th of July barbecues and all Summer long!
Slather basil aioli on a bun, add a pile of arugula and a juicy grilled hamburger, then top with homemade blueberry barbecue sauce, crispy smoked bacon, and plenty of blue cheese crumbles for just the right combination of sweet and savory.
With all these layers of flavor, Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers are messy, but so very, very good. Grab an extra napkin, or better yet, a knife and fork, then get ready to enjoy a flavor explosion in every delectable bite.
Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers
The idea for Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers started when my daughter set out to recreate a burger she had eaten at The Stock & Barrel, one of our favorite downtown restaurants. So, yes, this is a copycat recipe. Well, sort of…
The Bernie Burger, as it’s called, is topped with blue cheese, Benton’s bacon, blueberry preserves, and fried jalapeños. My hubby isn’t a fan of really spicy food, so we left off the fried jalapeños and added a fresh basil aioli instead.
We love making our own barbecue sauce when we smoke ribs — and love BBQ sauce on burgers — so I thought, why not blueberry barbecue sauce? The sweet barbecue flavor with the aioli was spot on!
Blueberry barbecue sauce
Sweet and tangy, this yummy barbecue sauce couldn’t be any easier to make. Just dump the ingredients into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then simmer for five minutes and you’ve got an amazing sauce!
If you like, make the blueberry barbecue sauce ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week, then warm it up once you’re ready to serve.
Other than fresh blueberries, all the other ingredients are probably in your pantry already.
- Blueberries
- Balsamic vinegar
- Ketchup
- Chili sauce
- Honey
- Garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Benton’s hardwood smoked bacon
If you can find it in your area, Benton’s Bacon is my first choice for adding distinct flavor to this burger. Since it’s a local product, we expect to see it in ingredient lists on restaurant menus around here, but Benton’s bacon has also gained popularity among top chefs around the world.
What’s so special about it? Benton’s Bacon is cured with a mixture of salt and brown sugar, aged at least 10 days, and smoked with intense, almost-burnt hickory from small wood-burning stoves.
That being said, this burger is still delicious with any thick-sliced bacon, but for a real treat splurge on Benton’s.
Assembling the burgers
- Place the condiments — fresh arugula, basil aioli, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, and blueberry barbecue sauce — in small bowls so guests can build their own burgers.
- Spread basil aioli on the cut side of each bun, both top and bottom pieces. Pile arugula on the bottom bun and top with a grilled hamburger.
- Ladle blueberry barbecue sauce on the burger — it’s ok if it drips over the sides!
- Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles, add pieces of bacon, and the top with the bun. This burger is a mouthful, for sure!
Related recipes
Fire up the grill and enjoy this other gourmet burger and sandwich recipes:
- Italian Grilled Burgers are topped with warm marinara, melty mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves. All on a grilled garlic butter bun, no less!
- Greek Turkey Burgers are so flavorful and juicy you’ll forget that they are actually healthy, too! Seasoned with Feta cheese and Greek spices.
- Steak Sandwich with Homemade Horseradish Aioli is piled high with tender grilled flank steak and dressed with horseradish aioli, sliced tomatoes, and red onions.
- New York Style Hot Dogs dressed with onion sauce seasoned with chili powder and cinnamon along with roasted red pepper relish are a perfect combo.
Let’s grill some gourmet burgers!
Remember, cooking time for grilled burgers depends on the grill’s temperature and the thickness of the burger patty. We like to cook our burgers at a higher temperature (about 450 degrees) so we quickly get nice grill marks and seal in the juices.
For this recipe, the burgers cook for about 6 minutes on the first side, then cook another 4 minutes on the other side.
Burgers should be cooked until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees for safety. To be absolutely sure the burger is done, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the burger patty to test for doneness.
Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burger
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground round beef 85% lean
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 ½ cups arugula leaves
- 4 oz. blue cheese crumbles
- 4 slices thick-sliced smoked bacon cooked until crisp
Blueberry Barbecue Sauce
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Basil Aioli
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
Basil Aioli
- Coarsely chop enough fresh basil leaves to make 1/2 cup.
- Combine the chopped basil with the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic, stirring until smooth. Season with kosher salt to taste, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Blueberry Barbecue Sauce
- In a small saucepan, bring the blueberries and other barbecue sauce
ingredients to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Keep warm until ready to use.
Burgers
- Lightly oil the grates of a gas grill and preheat to 450 degrees.
- Form the ground beef into 4 equal patties, being careful not to overly pack the meat together. Season both sides liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook the burgers over direct heat for 6 minutes, watching carefully for any flare ups.
- Flip the burgers and cook for 4 more minutes on the other side, or until done.
Assemble the burgers
- Spread basil aioli on the cut side of each bun, both top and bottom pieces.
- Next, pile arugula on the bottom bun and top with a grilled burger.
- Spread a tablespoon or two of the blueberry barbecue sauce on the burger.
- Top with blue cheese crumbles, bacon, and the top bun. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
