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Jill McOwen
Updated April 9, 2026

Bourbon Burgers

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Deliciously seasoned and grilled beef burgers topped with bourbon caramelized onions and melted Provolone cheese.

Bourbon Burgers

If you are at all familiar with my recipes and blog you know I am a bourbon fan. I live just a few miles north of the Kentucky boarder and so I’ve really learned to appreciate bourbon over the years. It’s my cocktail of choice (I like a Kentucky Mule – bourbon and ginger beer) and I enjoy cooking with it too.

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Bourbon Burgers

So when I found this recipe for Bourbon Burgers several years ago I knew my husband and I would both enjoy it. It apparently ruined me for all other burgers for quite a while because burger recipes are woefully lacking on my blog. But I plan to start trying to remedy that this summer.

Bourbon Burgers

These burgers are simple in their toppings. The star being the onions, caramelized in butter, sugar and bourbon. Add a little fresh lettuce and melted provolone cheese and they are good to go. So gorgeous to look at too. Am I making you hungry?
Bourbon Burgers

Tips for making Bourbon Burgers:

  • Find the best burger buns that you can. I usually scour the bakery section of my grocery store and found these amazing looking pretzel buns that are pictured
  • For grilled burgers a higher fat content in your ground beef is preferable so that your burgers stay juicy. I recommend beef that is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat for grilling
  • As in cooking with wine, cook with a bourbon that you also enjoy drinking. Don’t use the super high-end stuff but don’t the super-cheap stuff either. I like Jim Beam white label and Bulleit bourbon for cooking
Grilled bourbon burger on a plate with a pretzel bun and an ear of corn on the cob
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5 from 12 votes

Bourbon Burgers

Deliciously seasoned and grilled beef burgers topped with bourbon caramelized onions and melted Provolone cheese.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Bourbon Burgers
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 417kcal
Author Jill McOwen

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef 80/20 - fat ratio
  • 3 tbsp bourbon
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground oregano
  • 1 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 6 slices smoked Provolone cheese
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 2 sweet onions thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
Start Cooking

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. 
  • Add the 1/4 cup bourbon, onions, sugar, salt and pepper.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and lightly browned, at least 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, add the ground beef to a large bowl with the 3 tablespoons bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Lightly mix with your hands and form into six patties.
  • Heat grill and scrape the grates clean. Cook the burgers, searing on the higher heat side and flipping to finish cooking on the lower heat side. Cook the burgers until the internal temperature is 145 degrees F for medium rare or 160 degrees F for medium. 
  • Add a slice of the Provolone cheese to the top of each burger in the last minute of cooking to melt.
  • Serve the burgers topped with the caramelized onions and fresh leaf lettuce.
  • Add your own favorite condiments, like mustard or mayonnaise.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1240mg | Potassium: 761mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 5mg

Deliciously seasoned and grilled beef burgers topped with bourbon caramelized onions and melted Provolone cheese.

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Don’t miss my other bourbon recipes:

 

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbye says

    5 stars
    I’ve never even considered putting bourbon in a burger. I don’t eat meat but my husband would love these. Passing on the recipe to him asap.

    Reply

  3. Hannah says

    5 stars
    These burgers look sooo good and the images are really inviting, makes me wanna make them in the middle of the night! 😀 I love the bourbon touch, it makes them tender and moist. 🙂

    Reply

    • foodtasticmom says

      The bourbon is just there to provide bourbon flavor. You can make these without it and they’d still be delicious. You could add a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to the meat before forming the burgers and grilling.

      Reply

  5. Ann says

    5 stars
    This is going on my summer grilling list! The Kentucky Mule you mentioned really piqued my interest too. I’ll have to try that on my husband. Bourbon is his liquor of choice too and I bet it would be great with these burgers 🙂

    Reply

  10. Traci says

    Whoah! You had me at bourbon…and then you combined it with my weakness food. I srsly need to make this recipe. I’ll be bookmarking and sharing for sure! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply

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