The Ultimate Cowboy Burgers

Sharing the perfect homemade gourmet burger today! My Ultimate Cowboy Burgers are perfect for entertaining all summer long!

Ultimate Cowboy Burgers

I LOVE making gourmet burgers, it brings me back to my competitive cooking days at the Build A Better Burger competition. Now mind you, these burgers in this recipe are HUGE! You can certainly make your patties smaller, but when I make burgers as you can see from my pictures, I don’t hold back 🙂

I LOVE all of the flavors going on in this burger, bacon, onion rings, lettuce, tomato and BBQ sauce, I am drooling just thinking about it! For a fun side, I whipped up some fun zucchini kebabs with some of the leftover bacon drippings. They were incredible!!

Be sure to try my Feta Turkey Burger Recipe too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

cowboy burger ingredients

What You’ll Need To Make Cowboy Burgers

  • bacon– Use fresh bacon for best tasting results.
  • ground beef– Use 80% lean or higher ground beef.
  • fresh minced garlic– Use fresh garlic to mince or use the already minced garlic that is sold in jars near the produce section of the grocery store.
  • worchestershire sauce– Find this tricky to pronounce sauce near the BBQ sauces at the grocery store.
  • kosher salt– Kosher salt is a course salt commonly used in cooking and baking. I prefer it over table salt.
  • fresh cracked black pepper– For best tasting results use freshly cracked black pepper.
  • shredded cheddar cheese– Mild shredded cheese works great.
  • seeded onion rolls, split and toasted– Check the bakery section of your grocery store for a good seeded onion roll.
  • mayonnaise– Use your favorite variety of mayonnaise.
  • iceburg lettuce– Use nice crispy iceburg leaves for your burgers.
  • slices tomato– Slice fresh tomatoes for each burger.
  • baked onion rings- Check the freezer section of the grocery store for onion rings. Bake according to package directions.
  • BBQ sauce– I used KC Masterpiece.

preparing cowboy burger patties

How To Make Homemade Gourmet Burgers

  1. Preheat grill to medium high. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisped. Drain and save drippings. In a large bowl combine the beef, garlic, worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Form into 2 large patties and grill for 4-5 minutes each side. During the last few minutes, add additional cheddar cheese to melt. Place mayonnaise onto both sides of split rolls and layer lettuce, tomato, burger, onion rings then BBQ sauce on bottom rolls. Place roll on top and serve!

cowboy burger cooking in grill pan

What Kind of Grill Should I Use To Make Homemade Burgers?

You can use an indoor grill pan or cast iron skillet like shown in the photo above or an outside grill to make homemade burgers. I go back and forth between both all summer long.

cowboy burgers on serving napkin

How To Serve Cowboy Burgers

Serve burgers at any occasion where burgers are the star of the show. Best eaten within 10 minutes of being grilled. Note, these are giant burgers. Cut in half to share if desired. Also note, these are very messy. Grab extra napkins.

How To Store Leftovers.

It’s best to store just the patties that are leftover. Store leftover patties in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat as needed.

cowboy burgers on serving napkin

The Ultimate Cowboy Burgers

These Ultimate Cowboy Burgers are the perfect burger to entertain and impress your guests! Giant, juicy and delicious!
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 1333kcal
Author: Jenny
Cost: $25
Print Pin

Equipment

  • large mixing bowl
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • Grill
  • spatula

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bacon
  • 1 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese plus 1/2 Cup for topping burgers
  • 2 seeded onion rolls split and toasted
  • 4 Tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 Cup shredded iceburg lettuce
  • 4 slices tomato 1/2 inch thick
  • 4 baked onion rings
  • 2-4 Tablespoons BBQ sauce I used KC Masterpiece

Instructions

  • Preheat grill to medium high. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisped. Drain and save drippings. In a large bowl combine the beef, garlic, worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Form into 2 large patties and grill for 4-5 minutes each side. During the last few minutes, add additional cheddar cheese to melt. Place mayonnaise onto both sides of split rolls and layer lettuce, tomato, burger, onion rings then BBQ sauce on bottom rolls. Place roll on top and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 1333kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 107g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 43g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 1949mg | Potassium: 1027mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 649IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 7mg
Keywords: cowboy burger recipe, cowboy burgers, homemade burgers, how to make homemade burgers

photo collage of cowboy burgers

31 Responses
    1. Jenny

      Will edit, you cook bacon separately, let it cool then add it when you put burger together after patty is cooked.

  1. camille

    Made these Burgers for dinner last night. They were DIVINE!!!! Thank you!!! We are going to try the kabobs later this week!!

  2. Robyn Mackelprang

    I made these this weekend and they were a HUGE hit! I also made the s’more brownies for 4th of July and I already want to bake another batch. Thanks for sharing all of your great creations!

  3. Janette

    I think I am in love…….I just followed a link to a link to….and found your site. I’m hooked just after this page. Darn my stove is broken. Buying one tomorrow. Must start cooking again. My family will be surprised. YUM

  4. Sues

    Oh man, this fully-loaded burger looks absolutely amazing!!! It’s almost 11:30 p.m. and I’m now starving 🙂

  5. Frank @ Cookingfishmonger

    The burgers look delicious. I like that you used an onion roll.
    I love the idea of serving the grilled kebabs along with the burger. I’m going to grill some of them up this weekend.

  6. charlene

    Thanks for the Suddenly Salad giveaway – I am so excited to win!
    I think this looks absolutely wonderful. I plan to make it this week-end!

  7. Jenny

    Yes, you can absolutely use an indoor grill or even a grill pan that you put on your stovetop!! Hope you enjoy 🙂

  8. Amanda

    This looks to DIE for – seriously, it looks great! But, I was just wondering – is there anyway of making ALL of the above without a grill? I live in a teensy-tiny apartment, and I dont have an outdoor OR indoor grill (which, you know, in the summer months really bites).

  9. Jen @ How To: Simplify

    Wow, these are some serious burgers! I just bought a bunch of zucchini and yellow squash yesterday. I’ll have to make these!

  10. Chef Dennis

    OMG….you are the Burger Master!!!! that cowboy burger has everything on it you could possibly want! wow!!
    Now I’m hungry!
    Dennis

  11. Brenda

    Jenny…I think this may have been a contender for the $100,00!! I am glad you are a California girl now, but….that would have been a sweet check! Come out to the winery as a guest this year, we would love to see you again!

  12. Jamie

    Oh my, you are killing me Jenny. Those burgers look amazing. We love our burgers here. I love the onion rolls. I never think to get those since my girls don’t like them, but next time I will definitely get those for me and my husband. I love the grilled zucchini kabobs too.

  13. marla {family fresh cooking}

    I love this recipe. These burgers and those kebabs are a great combo for the grilling season. LOVE the western font you found…..xxoo
    btw: welcome home, hope your trip was fab!

  14. Pat

    These look wonderful, but, unfortunately, not on my diet at the present time before my cruise. 🙁

  15. Kim in MD

    This burger looks amazing! I love the kebob idea, too! Would you share your recipe for the baked onion rings? They would be so much healthier than fried! 🙂

  16. Filipino Recipe

    Wow this looks sinfully delicious. I love the look of this burger and my tastebuds would surely love the taste. I would skip my favorite Filipino recipe for a bite of this.

  17. sibylle

    They look great!!! We also celebrated the 4th July yesterday over here in Geneva/Switzerland! The American Clubs always organize a lovely celebration.
    We had very warm weather and enjoyed burgers, coleslaw, cheesecake, live music in a park.
    Have a great week
    Sibylle

Welcome to Picky Palate!

Picky PalateWelcome to my online kitchen! Picky Palate is where you’ll find family friendly recipes along with the best Disney eats, tips and copycat recipes! Read More...

Recipe Categories

Picky Palate Disney Hungry

Never Miss an Update!

Sign up to get easy recipes or Disney tips delivered to your inbox for FREE!