Get the griddle going to whip up this superb Bacon Lover’s Smash Burger Recipe on the Cuisinart Twin Oaks Pellet & Gas Grill! With a ton of succulent bacon and the easiest homemade bacon aioli, this burger beats even the best restaurant version, and you don’t need to get takeout when you can make it at home! You’ve mastered pulled pork, now master this burger and keep the fam happy all summer long.
For The Love Of Bacon
You know me and my love of bacon. From maple bacon breakfast burgers to bacon jam, to bacon-wrapped hot dogs, I’ve got you covered in all things bacon.
Today we hit the next level of bacon goodness with a smash burger recipe that’s infused with bacon, topped with bacon, and slathered in a homemade bacon aioli that’ll have you dumping mayo for good.
This. This is the ULTIMATE Bacon Lover’s burger, and I know you are 100% here for it!
How To Prepare Bacon Smash Burgers
It’s honestly pretty simple. We’re breaking out the griddle on the gas side of the Twin Oaks Grill for this dish, and we start by cooking up some bacon, of course!
Chop up eight ounces of raw bacon and throw them on the hot griddle, cooking them down until they’re almost crispy, but not quite. Scoop them up and cook the remaining eight ounces of bacon to use on the burgers themselves.
Throw the chopped up bacon into a bowl with the ground beef, and add some grated yellow onion, then mix by hand and form into balls. Season with salt and pepper, that’s it!
How To Smash a Smash Burger
You would think it’s a no-brainer, but nope. A standard spatula isn’t going to cut it. Trust me, I tried. Oops.
If you can, invest in a meat smasher. Seriously, worth it.
If you can’t, you need something big, heavy, and with a flat bottom. I used a giant glass jar of uncooked rice.
The purpose of smashing the burger is to quickly sear and caramelize the outside of the burger, giving it that delicious crispness, while still maintaining juicy moisture inside. Once you’ve smashed it the first time, you don’t want to do it again.
So, smash that beef good and hard on the first try.
These burgers take only minutes to cook since you’re smashing them thin, which makes them great if you’re in a hurry, or serving a large family. Minimal waiting! With the large cooking area on the griddle of the Twin Oaks Grill, you can throw down multiple burgers at a time, which is fabulous.
Bacon Lover’s Smash Burger Recipe with Bacon Aioli
Let’s not forget that bacon aioli! You can make this in advance because you need some of the grease and you need it to be room temperature.
Just whiz up some egg yolks with garlic, then drizzle in oil and bacon grease until an emulsion forms (thick and yellow, almost like mustard), then add in the dijon, honey, red wine vinegar, and bacon bits and BAM! Delicious.
Whip up this bacon burger recipe all summer long, and then maybe make them in the fall and winter and spring too! The Twin Oaks Pellet & Gas Grill will keep you outdoors all year, no problem.
Bacon Lover's Smash Burger Recipe with Bacon Aioli
Ingredients
For The Bacon Aioli
- 8 oz raw bacon
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
For the Bacon Smash Burgers
- 16 oz bacon divided
- 1 small sweet yellow onion grated*
- 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese
- 8 buns
- 8 tablespoons bacon aioli
Instructions
For the Bacon Aioli
- Preheat Twin Oaks Gas Grill to medium high with the griddle centered over the grates. Chop bacon into small strips, then cook until crisp, around 5 minutes. Place bacon a paper towel-lined plate and reserve bacon grease in a cup to cool until room temperature.
- Once bacon grease has cooled, add egg yolks and garlic to a food processor and pulse until combined. While still processing, slowly drizzle in the canola oil until an emulsion forms. Slowly add in bacon grease, up to ¼ cup, then drizzle in red wine vinegar. Add in the dijon mustard. honey and cooked bacon and pulse a few more times. Season with salt and pepper as needed, then scoop into a jar and keep in the fridge until ready to use, up to 7 days in advance.
For the Bacon Smash Burgers
- Preheat grill to medium-high with the griddle centered over the grates. Divide bacon into equal portions, then chop half of it into small strips. Add all bacon to the griddle and cook until almost crisp for the chopped pieces, and as desired for the strips, between 2-6 minutes depending on doneness. Remove from griddle and drain on paper towels, reserving strips for finished burgers.
- In a large bowl add the cooked bacon bits, ground beef, and grated onion* and mix by hand until combined. Portion the mixture into ¼-pound balls and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add a burger-ball to the pre-heated griddle and smash with a meat smasher until very thin**. Let cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes without pressing down again. Add a slice of cheddar cheese after flipping, and sprinkle with shredded monterey jack cheese. Serve on your favorite burger buns with a hearty smear of bacon aioli, a strip of bacon and your favorite burger toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
**To make smashing easier, you can place small squares of parchment on each meatball before pressing.
Nutrition
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billy junior says
I’ve only recently discovered smashed burgers, love ’em! I’m also constantly experimenting with Umami tweaks. I smash my burger on the countertop in a sandwich bag. Remove it and apply Gochujang to one side. Toss it in the medium+ heated non-stick pan and, immediately apply Kewpie mayo to the other side. All the flavor sought with high heat and searing is not only there but there plus, after two minutes of frying on each sides.
Just a thought.
Love your recipe and presentation.