Firecracker Bacon Burger

We’re finally tackling one of our most-requested recipes… burgers. But of course, we couldn’t just make a basic burger.

This is Brad’s Firecracker Bacon Burger: A smoky, cheesy, bacon-loaded burger packed with jalapeños, cooked in bacon grease in a cast iron, and finished with our secret weapon: Meat Rushmore BBQ’s Regulator Gold mustard sauce.

Built with crispy bacon, melty gouda, toasted brioche buns, and plenty of Smoke ’n Magic Rib Rub, this burger brings serious backyard BBQ flavor with just the right amount of heat.

Special thanks to our good friend Joel Fleetwood from Meat Rushmore BBQ for helping us bring this one to life.

Ingredients

For the Burgers

• 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef
• 1 lb Daly’s thick-cut bacon
• 1½ cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 2 large jalapeños, deseeded, deveined, and chopped
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
• 2 tbsp Smoke ’n Magic Rib Rub

For Assembly

• Sliced gouda cheese
• Brioche buns
• Everything bagel jalapeño seasoning
• 1 stick butter, melted

Optional Toppings

• Meat Rushmore BBQ Regulator Gold mustard sauce
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Sliced red onion
• Pickles
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayo

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Instructions

1. Preheat the Smoker and Cast Iron
   • Preheat your smoker to 450°F and place a cast iron skillet inside to preheat as well

2. Cook the Bacon
   • Place the bacon into the hot cast iron skillet and cook until crispy, rendering out the fat
   • Remove the bacon and set aside, but leave the bacon grease in the skillet
   • Once cooled slightly, chop the bacon into your preferred size pieces

3. Build the Hamburger Mixture & Patties
   • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onion, chopped jalapeños, egg, crushed Ritz crackers, Worcestershire sauce, and Smoke ‘n Magic Rib Rub, and chopped bacon.
   • Mix gently by hand until just combined.
   • Pro tip: Don’t overwork the meat, keeping the mixture light helps maintain a better burger texture. You don’t want it mushy like you would do for meatloaf!
   • Form the mixture into burger patties, approximately ⅓ pound each

4. Cook the Burgers
   • Place the patties directly into the cast iron skillet with the reserved bacon grease
   • Cook, flipping occasionally, until both sides are evenly browned and the internal temperature reaches about 150°F
   • Top each burger with sliced gouda cheese
   • Return to the smoker until the cheese is melted
     
5. Toast the Buns
   • Brush the tops and insides of the brioche buns with melted butter.
   • Sprinkle the tops with everything bagel jalapeño seasoning, then place directly on the smoker to toast lightly
     
6. Assemble the Burgers
   • Build your burgers with your favorite toppings. We love ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Vlasic pickles.
   • Our secret ingredient? A layer of Meat Rushmore BBQ’s Regulator Gold mustard sauce on the bottom bun, underneath the burger patty!

Serve hot, and enjoy!

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If you do end up making these Firecracker Bacon Burgers, don’t forget to share it with us on social media using #SmokeNMagicRecipes! And let us know what you’d put on YOUR burger in the comments below.