Bacon Cheeseburger with Secret Sauce

There is just something about biting into a classic bacon cheeseburger. The ooey-gooey cheese, drippy sauce, and crunch of the toasty bun are the absolute best. Now, there’s a time and a place for a healthier burger alternative, like a lettuce-wrapped burger, or perhaps a substitution with grilled chicken, but sometimes you just need a classic, ordinary cheeseburger. (Okay, full disclosure, I did use turkey for this recipe, but still.) Given how delicious this recipe is, you are never going to believe that this is a macro-friendly dinner. But it is.

Bacon Burger

This burger is a healthier take on an old classic so you can get your burger fix without compromising on your macros! Not only is this bacon cheeseburger super tasty, but it’s also easy to make! I like to cook these in my cast iron skillet so I can cook multiple patties at a time and have dinner on the table stat!

I love this bacon cheeseburger on a brioche bun. FYI, my favorite brioche buns are labeled at 3 fat and 23 carbs, in case you’d like to find a bun with similar or better macros. I also love to get large round Kaizer rolls from the bakery section of the grocery store. To save a few carbs, I slice the bottom very thin and hollow out the top. If you go this route, try and get your bread weight to 46 grams to match the 23 carbs.

Bacon Cheeseburger Ingredients

This bacon cheeseburger is SO GOOD. It’s truly the toppings that make this burger the best of the best. You just gotta have a gorgeous brioche bun, caramelized onions, bacon, and my secret burger sauce on this bacon cheeseburger. It makes all the difference!

Here’s what you’ll need for the burgers:

• Brioche hamburger bun
• Burger sauce
• Ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
• Garlic powder
• Salt & pepper

Snag the following for the burger sauce:

• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• Pickle juice
• Sweet or dill relish
• Honey mustard (feel free to use yellow mustard instead)
• Ketchup

For the toppings, grab the following:

• Cheddar cheese
• Caramelized onions
• Bacon
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Pickles

Equipment Needed to Make Bacon Burgers

You don’t need much to make these bacon cheeseburgers, but I love using my HUGE cast iron skillet when cooking these burgers so I can cook several burgers at once.

And while this is not a necessity to make these burgers, a food scale comes in super handy to help you weigh your ingredients. If you are looking for an excellent food scale, the My Weigh KD-8000 scale is the way to go. I’ve had mine for years and only have had to replace the batteries a handful of times. It can handle my big pots and weigh out little toppings for things like my nightly shake.

How To Make a Bacon Cheeseburger

Are you ready to make this awesome bacon cheeseburger? I know I am! Here’s how to make a bacon cheeseburger that is healthy and ready in a flash:

1. Weigh and season the meat. Weigh meat into 4 oz balls and place them on a plate or sheet pan. Season the meat liberally with kosher salt, garlic powder, and a few cracks of pepper. I go heavy on salt and garlic here. I used the organic Fulton Farms 93/7 lean ground turkey from Costco which is labeled at just 4.5 fat/4 oz. It’s my favorite, but it needs lots of seasoning.
2. Cook the patty. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan to high heat. Next, spray your pan with a light mist of avocado oil spray and let it get nice and hot. Small the meat patties as flat as you can, then place them in the pan, seasoned-side down. Season the uncooked tops while they cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip. If you are adding cheese, slap it on top and cook the other side for a couple of minutes.
3. Caramelize the onions. Add sliced onion to a hot pan. Spray the onion with a mist of olive oil spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let your onions cook for a minute or two and then turn it down to medium heat. Cook the onions for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are soft and sweet.
4. Make the sauce. Stir together the Greek yogurt, pickle juice, relish, honey mustard, and ketchup. If you hate sweet relish or just only want to buy one jar of pickles, you can use dill relish or finely chopped pickles! If you aren’t a fan of honey mustard, feel free to use yellow mustard instead. Both the relish and honey mustard add or take away 1 carb, so I say just go with your preference.
5. Toast the buns and assemble the burgers. Spray the buns with olive oil spray and toast on a hot skillet until golden brown. You’re ready to build your bacon cheeseburger with all your favorite toppings!

Serving Suggestions

This bacon cheeseburger is almost like a classic greasy cheeseburger, but not. Haha. It goes without saying that it’s lighter and macro-friendly. Pair it with a simple salad, a side of parmesan carrot fries, or loaded smashed potatoes!

Similar Burger Recipes

Looking for more delicious burger recipes that are light and Macro-friendly like this bacon cheeseburger? Be sure to check out these other recipes!

• My Favorite Burger
• Pineapple Pork Jalepeño Sandwich
• Greek Turkey Burger
• Green Goddess Turkey Burger on Ciabatta
• Easy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Bacon Cheeseburger Recipe

I honestly love a good burger, piled high with toppings. This almost classic bacon cheeseburger tackles the craving but leaves you feeling good. You would probably never guess that this is a macro-friendly recipe!

If you’re looking for more recipes, check out my cookbooks. They’re full of tasty recipes that have the macros figured out for you before you even start cooking. I also love sharing the new recipes I am trying on Instagram @lillieeatsandtells so come join me there as well!

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you. I may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.