Grilled Pimento Cheese Burger with Peppered Bacon and Maple Bacon Onion Jam

close up of a burger dripping with melted pimento cheese on a bun with bacon, jalapenos, and maple bacon jam

Grilled Pimento Cheese Burger with Peppered Bacon and Maple Bacon Onion Jam

Fire up the grill for Pimento Cheese Burgers featuring juicy ground sirloin patties topped with jalapeño pimento cheese. These epic burgers are guaranteed to steal the show at your next cookout!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings burgers

Calories 571kcal

Author Amee

Ingredients

16 oz ground sirloin beef
homemade burger seasoning or salt and pepper, to taste
8 slices center-cut bacon
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsp prepared Southern-Style Jalapeño Pimento Cheese
4 brioche hamburger buns or sweet Hawaiian burger buns
8 large butter lettuce leaves
4 tbsp maple bacon onion jam I use Stonewall Kitchen
*optional: 4 tsp Duke's mayonnaise
¼ cup pickled jalapeños

Instructions

Form the ground sirloin into 4 patties (can season with burger seasoning, if desired (add link to recipe) and pop them into the fridge to chill.
Prep and preheat the grill to medium heat and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (because we’re going to multitask and get the bacon going at the same time).
Place bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and sprayed lightly with olive oil spray, and cover the top with freshly ground black pepper, to taste. I usually just make the whole package. Who doesn’t love extra bacon for breakfast? 😉
Cook the bacon for 12-18 minutes (depending on thickness and bacon used ) until beginning to crisp. Reference package directions for oven baking, if needed. Lay bacon onto paper towels to drain and cool.
Grill burgers until desired doneness (it's about 4 min per side for medium). Move the patties to one side of the grill and turn off the burner for indirect heat.
Place 1 heaping tablespoon of pimento cheese on top of each burger (or more, to taste), close the lid, and allow the cheese to melt. Transfer to a plate.
Place a couple of butter lettuce leaves on the bottom of each bun, then top with the burger, 2 slices of bacon, a tablespoon of maple bacon jam, optional mayo, and sliced pickled jalapeños.

Notes

- Avoid overworking the meat. This can lead to dense, tough burgers. Instead, shape the patties with a light touch just until they hold together. I also like to make a thumbprint indentation in the center of each patty to help prevent them from puffing up and shrinking.

- Cold burgers grill better. So pop those babies into the fridge for 15-30 minutes before grilling. This helps them firm up and hold their shape, giving you a gorgeous sear on the outside without overcooking the inside.

- Keep an eye on the bacon. We want it just starting to crisp (it’ll firm up a little more as it cools). If you bake it too long, it can get overly crunchy and shatter when you bite into the burger. When in doubt, check the package’s oven directions as a guide.

- Let the cooked burger patties rest for a minute or two. This helps the juices absorb back into the meat.

Nutrition