If you think you’ve already had the best whisky sauce burgers, these Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers are likely the only recipe that will change your mind, one messy bite at a time. Juicy beef patties, melty American cheese, fresh peanut butter, and a smoky bourbon bacon jam made with Pendleton Whisky Midnight. It sounds wild at first. Then, you take one bite, and it all makes sense! They’re so freakin’ delicious and so fun!
This is one of those fun recipes that pushes the boundaries in the best possible way. The peanut butter and savory bacon jam give off serious PB&J burger vibes, just built for grown-ups and cooked over fire. Sweet, salty, smoky, rich, and absolutely loaded with good things.
Post sponsored by Pendleton Whisky
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Burger
- Pro Tip: Why Pendleton Midnight Works So Well
- Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers Ingredients Round-Up
- Make the Whiskey Bacon Jam
- Build the Burger Patties
- Cook the Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers
- Toast the Buns & Build
- What to Serve with Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers
- Storage & Leftovers
- More Epic Pendleton Whisky recipes
- FAQs
- Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Burger
Honestly, this juicy burger, with all your favorites piled on, is what foodie dreams are made of. The fresh peanut butter melts into the warm bun and acts like the perfect complement to the smoky jam. Then the whisky bacon jam hits with maple syrup, brown sugar, and crisp bacon. The flavor explosion is unreal.
It’s next level without being complicated. No crazy techniques. No hard-to-find ingredients. Just smart flavor combinations and a little confidence.
If you’re the kind of person who likes trying something different on the grill, this might become your new favorite burger.
Pro Tip: Why Pendleton Midnight Works So Well
Pendleton Whisky Midnight brings deeper caramel and oak notes than a lighter whisky, which makes it perfect for bacon jam. It adds richness without overpowering the bacon or beef. That balance is exactly what you want in a burger like this.
If you like the vibes of this burger, check out these recipes next: Peanut Butter and Jelly Smash Burgers, and Cowboy Candy Rubbed Grilled Steak with Bacon Jam.
Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers Ingredients Round-Up
- Beef – Ground beef 80/20, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and beef tallow if needed. If you have some venison patties in your freezer, you can use these instead.
- Whisky Bacon Jam – Pendleton Whisky Midnight, bacon, brown sugar, maple syrup, neutral oil, and kosher salt.
- Burger Build – Fresh peanut butter, white American cheese, and burger buns.
Now that you know what to grab from the store or toss into your Instacart order, let’s build this thing right, from the ground up.
Make the Whiskey Bacon Jam
Preheat your grill to medium high heat, around 350F, for direct cooking. Let’s get a preheated skillet going next for the bacon. Set a cast-iron skillet or one of your favorite frying pans over the fire for a couple of minutes so it gets nice and hot.
Add the bacon and cook until it reaches your preferred crispness. I like it crispy enough to crumble, but not so far gone that it loses all texture. Once done, pull it off, let it cool for a minute, then chop or crumble it into small bits.
Carefully pour off about half of the grease, leaving enough in the skillet to carry flavor. Lower the heat to medium, then add the brown sugar and Pendleton Midnight Whisky. Stir everything together and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the maple syrup and crumbled bacon back in. Let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes over a medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes thick, sticky, glossy, and smells incredible. Pull it off the heat and keep warm while you cook the burgers.
Build the Burger Patties
Grab a handful of ground beef and gently shape it into burger patties, around quarter pound patties or a little larger, depending on how hungry everyone is.
Do not overwork the meat here. Press just enough to hold the patties together while keeping them tender. Make a small indent in the center of the patties so they cook evenly and do not puff up too much in the middle.
Season both sides generously with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Make sure the sides of the patties get some love too.
Place the patties in the fridge for about 1 hour so they firm up. This helps them hold shape and makes them easier to cook.
Cook the Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers
Preheat your smoker or charcoal grill to 250F. This lower heat gives the burgers time to pick up smoke flavor while cooking evenly from edge to center.
Place the patties on the grill grates and cook until they reach 135F internal. Depending on thickness, this usually takes around an hour.
During the last minute of cooking, top each burger with white American cheese and close the lid so it melts down over the patties.
Once done, pull the Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers off and let them rest for 1-2 minutes. That short rest helps keep them juicy.
Toast the Buns & Build
While the Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers rest, toast your buns until warm and golden. A toasted bun makes a big difference here since it helps hold up to the peanut butter and jam.
Spread a layer of fresh peanut butter on the bottom bun. Add the cheesy burger patty, then another swipe of peanut butter if you are going all in.
Spoon a generous amount of whisky bacon jam over the top, letting some run down the sides if it wants to. Add the top bun, serve hot, and get after it.
What to Serve with Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers
Keep it simple here. Crispy fries, kettle chips, onion rings, or coleslaw all work great. Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers have a lot going on already, so let the sides stay easy.
And yes, another pour of Pendleton fits the vibe perfectly.
Storage & Leftovers
Store leftover patties and bacon jam separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat the burgers gently in a skillet. Warm the jam over low heat until loosened up again. Leftover jam is also killer on toast, breakfast sandwiches, or wrapped over hot dogs.
More Epic Pendleton Whisky recipes
FAQs
Absolutely. Store-bought peanut butter works just fine here. Fresh peanut butter usually has a richer peanut flavor and looser texture, but a good smooth store-bought peanut butter spreads easier and still pairs perfectly with the smoky whisky bacon jam. Use what you like and what you’ve got on hand.
Easy. Add more heat to the bacon jam with a pinch of chili powder, red pepper flakes, or a diced jalapeño cooked in with the bacon. You can also use a spicy BBQ rub on the patties or finish the burger with hot sauce. The sweet and smoky jam can handle some extra fire.
Go with a soft but sturdy bun that can handle the peanut butter and whisky bacon jam without falling apart. Brioche buns are a great choice because they’re rich and toast beautifully. Potato buns also work really well and stay soft while holding everything together. Just make sure to toast them so they stand up to all that juicy flavor.
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Whiskey Bacon Jam Burgers
Ingredients
Beef:
- 1 lb Ground Beef 80/20
- 1.5 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1.5 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder
- Beef Tallow as needed
Whisky Bacon Jam:
- 3 oz Pendleton Whisky Midnight
- 6-8 slices Bacon crumbled
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1.5 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Neutral Oil
- Kosher Salt to taste
Burger:
- 1.5 cups Fresh Peanut Butter
- 6-8 slices White American Cheese
- Burger Buns
Instructions
Whisky Bacon Jam:
- Preheat your grill to medium high heat (about 350F) for direct cooking. Add a cast iron skillet to the grill 2 minutes before cooking.
- Add your bacon to the skillet and cook to your desired crispiness. Pull off, discard the excess oil and then crumble into small bits.
- Add brown sugar and Pendleton Midnight Whisky to the same skillet over low heat. Then add in the maple syrup and crumbled bacon. Roll together and pull off.
Burgers:
- Grab a handful of ground beef (around 1/3 lbs… ish) and gently form into burger patties. Season generously with SPG and then set in the fridge for 1 hour to get firm.
- Add your burgers to a smoker at 250F and let cook until 135F internal (about 1 hour). Right before they are done, top with cheese and let melt. Once the patties are done, pull off and let cool for 1-2 minutes.
- Toast your buns then build your burger with the bun, peanut butter, burger patty, peanut butter, bacon jam and top bun. Serve and enjoy!
