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copycat Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger with crispy onion rings, bacon, and BBQ sauce on a toasted seeded bun

Copycat Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger

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Author: Laurie Fleming
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Description

Charbroiled beef patty, melted American cheese, crispy bacon, air fryer onion rings, and tangy copycat BBQ sauce on a toasted seeded bun. Tastes like the drive-thru original.

Ingredients 

BBQ sauce

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, hickory
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons water

Onion rings

  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick (8 rings)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Cooking spray

Burgers

  • 1 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 slices American cheese
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp
  • 4 sesame seed hamburger buns
  • 1 tablespoon butter or bacon fat, for toasting buns

Instructions

  • Whisk sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes over low, stirring. Set aside.
  • Cook bacon until crisp (air fryer 375°F, 8 to 10 min). Drain; save 1 tbsp fat.
  • Dip onion rings in buttermilk, then seasoned flour-panko mix. Repeat for a double coat.
  • Air fry rings at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping and spraying halfway, until golden. Hold in a 200°F oven.
  • Form beef into four 6-oz patties, 1/2 inch thick, dimpled in the center. Season both sides.
  • Cook on a smoking-hot Blackstone or cast iron 3 minutes. Flip, add cheese, cook 2 to 3 minutes more.
  • Brush bun cut sides with butter or bacon fat; toast on the griddle 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Build: sauce on bottom bun, patty with cheese, 2 bacon strips, 2 onion rings, more sauce, top bun. Serve immediately.

Equipment

  • Blackstone griddle (or cast-iron skillet)
  • Air Fryer
  • Small Saucepan

Notes

  • Double: two 4-oz patties and two slices of cheese per burger. Triple: three.
  • Spicy: pepper jack instead of American, plus pickled jalapeño coins.
  • Sauce keeps 2 weeks refrigerated. Breaded rings freeze raw; air fry from frozen 12 minutes at 400°F.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 1094kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 48gFat: 62gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 2825mgPotassium: 1072mgFiber: 3gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 845IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 413mgIron: 8mg