Whiskey Burger

Ground Beef – Choose 80/20 good quality ground beef! This will give the burger a good amount of fat to make it tender and juicy. At the very least, I recommend going up to 85/15 ratio.

Egg – I started adding egg a couple of years ago and I did notice a difference in the texture. The egg really helps keep the meat from falling apart.

Salt and Black Pepper – These are simple seasonings, but when you add them inside and on the outside of the beef patty, they make the flavors sing.

Whiskey – yes, you really should use real whiskey and not any kind of cooking wine. It does not have to be an expensive whiskey and make sure not to choose any flavored ones.

Mushrooms – baby bella mushrooms are always and good choice and are widely available, but you can choose any mushrooms you’d like. You can even use leftover sauteed mushrooms if you have any, just chop them smaller.

Beef stock – try to choose bone beef stock if using store bought, and choose one that’s labeled either “low sodium” or “no salt added.” Of course, if you have any, homemade beef stock would be the best choice.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Burgers:

Combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce, whiskey, egg, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl (1). Mix it quickly and thoroughly.

Divide into 4 qual weight portions if you’re making 1/2-lb burgers or 6 equal portions if you’d rather make 1/3-lb burgers. Shape the patties as quickly as you can and lay them out on a metal tray covered with parchment paper.

Season each patty with some more salt and pepper on both sides and cover the tray with plastic wrap (2). Refrigerate for 2-4 hours prior to cooking.

When ready to cook, preheat either a cooking pan or a stove-top griddle and add some oil. Add the patties to the hot pan and cook for 5-8 minutes per side (4). The timing will depend on how well done you want them.

Pour in some whiskey after you flip the burgers and finish cooking them.

Let the cooked patties rest on a plate for about 5 minutes prior to serving. Keep them warm by loosely tenting with foil.

Mushrooms and Whiskey Sauce:

While burgers are chilling, you can make the mushrooms and the sauce.

Mushrooms: Preheat the cooking pan over medium to medium-low heat and add oil and butter. Let butter melt and add sliced mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until they get golden brown (3). Take out and set aside.

Whiskey Sauce: add a little more oil and butter to the same pan and sliced onions (4). Sauté until they start to get golden brown and sprinkle flour over them (5). Start to slowly pour in whiskey as you stir the onions (6). It will start to gently simmer and thicken (7).

Slowly pour in beef stock as you stir (8). Once combined, stir in Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Stir it in until all combined. Season with salt and pepper and add bay leaf. Let the sauce gently simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes (9). Take off heat.

Tips for Grilling a Burger

• Make a little well: take the patties out of the refrigerator and use your fingers to make a well in each center, about half way deep. This truly does help to keep the centers from raising and bulging.
• Oil the meat not the grill: spray each patty with some cooking spay before placing it on the grill. Place them over direct heat.
• Don’t make your grill too hot. Let the grill preheat on medium-high.
• It’s always a good idea to prepare either a gas or charcoal grill by creating two temperature zone fire so you have a hot side and a cool side just in case. (If burgers are thick, you may need to move them over to the cool side to finish cooking so they don’t char.)
• Do not disturb: once on the grill, do not touch them again until ready to flip. Fight the urge to readjust or move them around.
• Do not press: for the love of everything that is good and pure, do not press the burgers. It breaks my heart to see people squeezing all those wonderful meat juices out.
• Let it rest: when done, take them off the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before eating. This will give a chance for all the juices that have compressed during the cooking process to spread out and give you a nice juicy bite every time.

Burger temperatures

To take the temperature: hold a hamburger patty with tongs and insert the thermometer probe through the side toward the very center. The reading should be of the center of the patty.

Burger Temperatures:

• For medium-rare burgers –  130°-135°
• For medium – 140°-145°
• For medium well – 150°-155°
• For well done – 160°-165°

Safe Temperature: The FDA recommends that hamburgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. If you choose to cook them to a lower temperature, be sure you’re using the freshest and best quality beef or even making your own ground beef!

Recipe FAQs

Make Ahead Instructions

Absolutely! You can make all the parts of the burger ahead of time, except cooking the hamburger patties.

Whiskey sauce: you can make the whiskey sauce and store it in its own air-tight storage container, in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Make sure to cool the cooked sauce first. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds or in a sauce pot over medium-low heat.

Bacon: you can also cook the bacon ahead of time and store it. Make sure to cool the bacon first and store it in its own air-tight container, in the refrigerator, for up to a week. It’s best to reheat the bacon in a pan on stove-top.

Mushrooms: cooked mushrooms also reheat well. Cool sauteed mushrooms to room temperature and store in its own food storage container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s also best to reheat cooked mushrooms in a pan on stove-top.

Burgers: I do NOT recommend cooking the burgers ahead of time because they will be tough when reheated and most likely overcooked. You can prepare the hamburger patties and store them overnight or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator before cooking. Just make sure they are completely air-tight.

More Recipes To Try

• Stuffed Taco Burger
• Cheddar Ranch Chicken Burger
• Irish Beer Burger
• Shrimp Burgers
• The Best Chicken Burgers