BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO POPPER BURGER

The bacon wrapped jalapeno popper burger is a perfect blend of appetizer and main dish. A burger topped with bacon, three types of cheeses, roasted jalapeno, all packed within a toasted brioche bun? Does it get much better? You be the judge.

For starters…

Let’s reference the bacon wrapped jalapeno popper recipe from a previous post. To make these, you’ll need jalapenos, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, chili lime seasoning, and bacon. Before you start prepping the jalapeno poppers, preheat your grill to 375 degrees with hickory wood over indirect heat. Now that you’ve done this, grab a cutting board, sharp knife, spoon, and the jalapenos. Cut the stem off the tops of the jalapenos. Next, slice them in half longways and use the spoon to scoop out the insides (seeds, rib, placenta).

In a medium sized bowl, mix a pack of softened cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese together. Note: if you want to add a little heat to the poppers, mix in some shredded pepper jack cheese. Even hotter? Leave some of the jalapeno seeds in. Take the spoon and scoop the cheeses into the sliced jalapenos. Sprinkle the chili lime seasoning on top. Now grab the strips of bacon and wrap one strip around one jalapeno popper. To keep the bacon from unraveling during the cook, I suggest wrapping the bacon a little tighter. Tucking in the ends of the bacon strips will help. Once this is done, sprinkle a little more chili lime seasoning on top.

Now that the grill is up to 375 degrees (remember, indrect heat), place the poppers on a baking sheet or cooling rack and cook for 30 minutes or until the bacon reaches your desired crispiness.

Where’s the Beef?

Since the jalapeno poppers will take a half an hour to cook, now is the time to get the burgers prepped. Using a pound of 80/20 ground beef, mix in a bowl with Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Make 1/3 pound burgers, so divide the one pound of ground beef into thirds (math is power, y’all).

On a separate grill, use direct heat to cook your burgers. Flip once during the cook, twice if you need. When nearing the finish, place a slice of pepper jack cheese on the burgers. Remove when cheese is melted.

Buns are the X-factor

Don’t underestimate the clout the hamburger bun brings to this bacon wrapped jalapeno popper burger, or any burger for that matter. I prefer brioche buns because they provide a little more dense flavor that only enhances the burger eating experience. With this said, toast the buns face down. Toast them to your liking, but I recommend getting them golden brown before removing from the grill.

Bringing it All Together

Now that everything is done cooking, put it together! Put the beef patty on first, then the jalapeno poppers. You can fit either two or three on top. Since I like a little sauce, I like to mix ketchup, mayo, and hot sauce together and use as a spread on the bottom half of the bun.

Make sure to snap a picture of your freakin’ amazing bacon wrapped jalapeno popper burger because it won’t last long!

The Recipe!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Burger

Yield: 3 burgers

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Cheeseburgers are good, but cheeseburgers with bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers on top are better.

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Ingredients

• 5 jalapenos, sliced long ways
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp chili lime seasoning
• 9 strips bacon
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 preferrred)
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 slices pepper jack cheese
• 3 brioche buns

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to 375 degrees over indirect heat. Cut jalapenos in half, slicing long ways. Take spoon to scoop out seeds. In separate bowl, combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Place mix into each jalapeno half. Wrap filled jalapeno halves with one strip of bacon each. Apply chili lime seasoning on top when done.
2. Place bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers on cooling rack or baking sheet and place in grill for 30 minutes or until bacon is to desired crispiness. Remove when done.
3. While poppers are cooking, combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder in medium-sized bowl. Mix ingredients together with hands. Form into 1/3 lb. patties.
4. On separate grill, place hamburger patties on grill over direct heat. Flip once or twice until done. When almost done, place slices of pepper jack cheese on burgers. Remove burgers from grill when cheese is melted.
5. Toast brioche buns on grill until golden brown. Put burger patty on bottom part of the bun, then place bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers on top. Put top bun on and eat up!

Notes

1. To make optional sauce, combine 1/4 Cup mayo, 1/8 Cup ketchup, 1 tsp hot sauce in small bowl. Mix until blended.

2. To make this burger spicier, keep some jalapeno seeds in the poppers. Also, put shredded pepper jack cheese in them.

3. It is recommend to prep and cook the burgers while the poppers are on the grill to optimize time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 burgers Serving Size: 1/3 lb burger
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 750Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1560mgCarbohydrates: 39gSugar: 3gProtein: 40g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.