With summer in full swing, people are busting out their barbecues and spatulas in pursuit of the perfect burger. With this recipe, look no further! Try out this recipe at your next cookout. 

Bacon Cheeseburgers

Prep time: 10 min. | Cook time: 20 min. | Total time: 30 min. 

Servings: 4 patties

Ingredients:

(For burger patty)

1 pound ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs 

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

 Salt and pepper, to taste

(Other)

1 tomato

1 avocado

4 pieces of bacon

4 slices of mild cheddar cheese

4 pretzel buns

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg and breadcrumbs. 
2. Add Worcestershire sauce, crushed red pepper, minced garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Mix with clean hands.
3. Divide beef mixture into four equal portions. Roll into balls.
4. To form the patties, gently flatten the balls into a disc shape.
5. Place patties onto a skillet or grill on medium heat. Wait until browned, then flip — about three to four minutes per side.
6. Before removing from heat, place cheese slices on top of patties and let them melt.
7. Place bacon onto skillet or grill on medium heat. Cook until crispy, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and dab excess grease off with paper towels.
8. Toast pretzel buns. Layer with mayo. Place burger patties atop buns.
9. Slice bacon pieces into halves. Place onto burger.
10. Slice tomato. Add on top of the burger.
11. Cut avocado in half and remove the pit. Slice avocado and smear onto the top bun.
12. Place the top bun on the burger.
13. Dig in!

These juicy, well-seasoned burgers have just the right amount of kick. The added touch of the ooey-gooey melted cheese is heavenly. Loaded with smoky bacon, creamy avocado and the freshness of the tomato, it’s everything you could ever want in a burger.

The only thing that could improve this recipe is the addition of lettuce on top of the burger, however, I accidentally mistook cabbage for lettuce at the grocery store when shopping for this recipe, so I went without it this time. Rookie mistake. 

If you’re willing to put in just a bit more time and effort than the drive-thru, these burgers will have you drooling, and you’ll get more bang for your buck than any fast food joint could muster.