Beef / Dairy Free / Diet Specific / Gluten Free / Paleo / Recipes / Whole30

Buffalo Bacon Burger

09.15.15

bacon burger!-5

you guys have been SO patient with me waiting for this burger recipe.  i promise – it does NOT disappoint.

i may have ate another two… because i HAD to shoot this recipe for you, so like.. why not?

Frankie's a little jealous, he comes home from Disney today and didn't get to have them again.  Little does he know, I put two in the freezer when I made them last week so we can have them for dinner when he gets home.  i'm such a good girlfriend.

bacon burger

can we discuss this ^ cast of characters?  You'll notice the list of ingredients we're dealing with here is… quite short.  even for me.  for a dinner recipe?  i think there are like six ingredients (INCLUDING SALT/PEP).  that's how you know it's easy.  its possibly the easiest thing I've ever made.  and i might have an argument for the most delicious.  although four ingredient pulled pork is CALLING MY NAME PEOPLE, it's angry i'm making these statements.

but seriously.  this is a 20 minute recipe, INCLUDING prep work.  it's simple, no fuss, get in the kitchen and you're out in no time.

bacon burger!

And don't think i don't see you there giving me the side eye because of the mustard/hot sauce combo.  i don't know how to explain it, or why i even decided to try it – it could have been a fail of epic proportions, but… it just WORKS.  it works so well.  i promiseeeeee. just trust me.  i know i always say that but COME ONNNN.

maybe you need a little back story on this guy.  maybe it'll help you understand better.

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this is the burger i made the night i was getting SUPER stressed out over eating “out” on my whole30.  I was practically in tears over the menus of places we were looking at and i just couldn't handle it.  I finally got over myself and just said i was going to the store to get stuff to make something.  Frankie didn't care – he had one request, he wanted burgers.  (which i should have known because he was trying to convince me to go to Bare Burger – which btw, is highly publicized as a whole30 friendly establishment – but i was still stressing)

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so i said okay, i'd make burgers.  I bought the beef and just went for it.  got back to my kitchen and before i knew it i was frying up bacon, mixing mustard and hot sauce (i really think this might have happened because they're both whole30 compliant condiments), and slicing up a pineapple*.  it just came to me. in that way that the best recipes just DO.

bacon burger pineapple

when i was all done frankie looked at my creation like i was crazy.  i think he couldn't get over the pineapple.

but that first bite though.  it was priceless.  You know that feeling when you watch someone have pure joy over eating something that YOU made.  yeah, it's about twenty times better when you made something THAT good within the rules of whole30.  so. much. better.

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after he took that first bite, he proclaimed “THIS IS GOING TO BE AN AFTER WHOLE30 MEAL.”

as if i couldn't already tell from his face.  and my own tastebuds.  because, honestly.  it really is an out of this world burger.  i might go as far as saying… the best burger i've ever had?  i'm trying to think of a better one, i really am.  i just… can't.

bacon burger topped!

after eating another couple of them. i can tell you it wasn't just our hunger talking.  they really are THAT good.  the sweet pineapple cuts through the kick from the hot sauce and it's just… wonderful.

also, i can say something i never thought i'd hear myself say – you don't need a bun.  even if you're not doing a whole30 – CONSIDER tackling this guy without a bun.  i won't tell you that you can't have the bun – because i do LOVE bread – but i'll tell you it might… take away from the experience? WHO AM I????

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I should probably just stop talking now before i dig a hole i can't get out of.

now, i KNOW all you beef haters out there are coming at me like CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE GROUND MEAT?  the answer is… yes, but i make no promises.  if you use ground chicken or turkey it might not have enough juice/fat to mellow out the mustard.  i'd probably cut back to half a tablespoon and then assess how much hot sauce you want based on how spicy you like things.  I imagine the FLAVOR of this burger will be stronger with a leaner meat.  but what do i know?

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OH OH  and if you're giving me the side eye for using national brand condiments that MUST have bad things in them… um no.  both frank's red hot sauce and french's yellow mustard are whole30 compliant… which essentially means they're just whole ingredients.  frank's red hot is: aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt and garlic powder and french's mustard has: Distilled Vinegar, Water, #1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors and Garlic Powder.

so basically. you're good to go. nothing bad up in here.

bacon burger!-10

its SO worth your time. i promise.  not that 20 minutes is really an “Investment.”

OH. what to serve it with. um. so. i've honestly just eaten them by themselves…. because that's my life.  but you can serve them with some broccoliiiii (steamed is the way to go) or or or our favorite roasted cauliflower.  top notch choice there.  or maybe spiralize some zucchini noodles and break the burger up on top of them?  you do you. unless you're inclined to pull some fries out of a frozen bag.  then you should just cut up a potato and roast them yourself…. i'm just saying.

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Buffalo Bacon Burger

  • Author: Ashley Renee
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bacon (sugar free if you're planning this for a whole30 – it's slightly hard to find, look for ones that say “paleo approved” and then just review the ingredients to confirm
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/4 cup frank's red hot buffalo sauce – original
  • 1 tablespoon french's yellow mustard
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 4 rings of pineapple

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon in a large pan/skillet over medium heat. Reserve the bacon grease and set bacon on a plate with paper towel to drain.
  2. While the bacon is cooking, combine the buffalo sauce and yellow mustard until well mixed. Pour that over the ground beef and add the pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients together with your hands, then shape into four patties.
  3. Add a tablespoon of the bacon grease back into the hot pan and place the burger patties in the pan. Cook on one side for 5-7 minutes and then flip and cook for another 3 minutes or so. This brings your burgers to medium/medium-well. Adjust the cooking time as necessary. Remove the burgers from the pan when cooked and set on a plate to rest. (keep in mind, the burgers will continue to cook when you remove them from the pan!)
  4. Add another tablespoon to the hot pan and place the four rings of pineapple into the pan and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. You want them to be a little caramelized on both sides!
  5. Assemble the burgers! I normally put the bacon on top of the burger and then finish with the pineapple to hold it together. If you're not doing paleo/whole30 – you have the option here to use a bun, if you ARE doing paleo/whole30 – you can use a butter lettuce leaf to hold it all together. My personal favorite way of eating this is to just attack it on a plate, no bun, no lettuce, no additional sauces – it's absolutely perfect the way it is!

Nutrition

  • Calories: 1671
  • Sugar: 0
  • Sodium: 4235
  • Fat: 119
  • Saturated Fat: 42
  • Unsaturated Fat: 61
  • Trans Fat: 4
  • Carbohydrates: 3
  • Protein: 138
  • Cholesterol: 454

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you could also take that empty pineapple ^ and put some coconut rum in it…. but that wouldn't be very whole30 of you.

Make it? Lemme see it! Hashtag it: #thepikeplacekitchen

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