Crack burgers are very addictive due to the tasty combo of flavors such as bacon, ranch seasoning, and cheddar. This burger gets its name, as well as most of its ingredients, from crack chicken.
The recipe is simple and the end result is addicting…hence the name!
Burger Ingredients
- Ground Beef – 80/20 preferred
- Bacon
- Cheddar cheese – shredded
- Sour cream
- Ranch seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Toppings as preferred
Cooking the Bacon
First things first: cook the bacon. Take six strips of bacon and cook either on a griddle or in a skillet at medium heat. Flip the strips as they start to shrivel and cook to desired doneness. For this recipe, I cook them to be a crispy so they crumble easily. If cooked to be a bit more soft, then dice up cooked bacon into 1/4 inch pieces. This should make about 1/2 cup of diced up bacon or crumbles. Set aside.
Mixing the Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, add in one and a half pounds of ground beef. I recommend 80/20 blend (80% beef, 20% fat) due to the extra flavor the fat brings. Going leaner (anything more than 85/15) removes more of the natural flavor and burgers can be at risk of drying out easier during the cook.
With your ground beef in the bowl, add in those bacon pieces from earlier, along with one cup of shredded cheddar cheese, two tablespoons of ranch seasoning, and a fourth cup of sour cream. Mix by hand (I like to wear nitrile gloves) until the ingredients are well blended.
Making Crack Burger Patties
To form the burger patties, grab one-fourth of a pound of the ground beef mixture and roll into a ball. Once the ball is formed, press the burger into a patty by pressing your hands together and pushing together any cracks that may form on the edges. Doing this will make six burger patties.
Pro tip: press a divot into the center of each burger patty. Doing this will help keep the burger from shrinking up and forming a big clump in the middle. You will have a nice, even burger patty this way.
How Long to Cook Burgers
Cook the burgers on medium high heat (350-375 degrees) on a greased griddle. This can also be done over direct heat on a grill, too. I prefer the griddle (or skillet) in order to get a nice, even crust on the outsides of the burgers.
These burger patties should cook for five minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for four minutes on the other side before adding a slice of cheese on top. Once that cheese slice is on the crack burger, let cook for another minute or until the cheese is perfectly melted.
Pro Tip: to speed up the cheese melting process, close the lid to your grill or griddle. If no lid is available, covering with a metal mixing bowl works too.
Toasty Buns
Toasting hamburger buns is easy. After your burgers are done cooking, place hamburger buns face down on the same griddle or grill space. The grease left over will give the buns a little extra flavor and keep them from burning too quickly. Check every 30 seconds until it is toasted perfectly with a nice browned surface.
Crack Burger Toppings
Ideal toppings for a crack burger are burger sauce and pickles. I have a burger sauce recipe that uses a mix of ketchup, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, relish, and Worcestershire sauce. It’s tangy and sweet flavor is perfect for burgers! It also makes for an excellent dipping sauce for your fries.
Another topping I love on cheeseburgers is caramelized onions. You only need three ingredients for these: onions, butter, and salt. These are pretty easy to make, but take about an hour so I recommend making ahead of time. Follow my simple tutorial on how to make caramelized onions here.
Similar Recipes to Try
Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders
Crack Burger Recipe
Crack burgers are very addictive due to the tasty combo of flavors such as bacon, ranch seasoning, and cheddar. Top with cheese and put on a toasted brioche bun (with other toppings as desired) for an irresistible burger!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef 80/20 blend
- 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ Cup sour cream
- ½ Cup bacon crumbles (six strips of bacon)
- 2 Tbsp. ranch seasoning
- 6 cheese slices
- 6 brioche hamburger buns
Optional Toppings
- Burger sauce
- Caramelized onions
- Pickles
Instructions
- Cook six strips of bacon until crispy. Remove and cut into small pieces or break into crumbles. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing, and bacon bits. Mix altogether.
- Form six 1/4 pound patties.
- On a preheated griddle, cook patties for five minutes on one side. Flip and cook for four minutes. Add cheese slices, cover, and cook for one more minute or until cheese is melted on top. Remove.
- Place on a brioche bun and serve with your favorite toppings. I recommend burger sauce, caramelized onions, and pickles.
Notes
- Substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream.
- Can use other ground beef blends besides 80/20. Keep in mind blends with less fat will have less flavor and may taste more dry if overcooked.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 burgerAmount Per Serving: Calories: 450Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1100mgCarbohydrates: 28gSugar: 4gProtein: 32g
Note: Nutritional information isn't always accurate.
