This juicy, restaurant-style Big Pig burger features a 50/50 patty piled high with savory BBQ pulled pork, crispy bacon, and melted cheddar cheese.
Jump to RecipeThis past week Nicole and I made a nice big batch of Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork for lunches and easy dinners. By the end of the week we were still eating delicious BBQ pulled pork but needed a new dish to incorporate it. Naturally my first thought was a pulled pork burger. We’ve both had some great pork-themed restaurant burgers, but we wanted to put our own spin on it.
These burgers normally consist of three different types of pork. There’s always bacon and pulled pork, but the third item is where places normally mix it up. Sometimes it’s ham, sometimes sausage, and we’ve even seen chorizo. But for our third element, we wanted to blend the pork into the patty to get the pork flavor to really take over. By creating a 50/50 beef and pork patty, the burger can showcase the great flavors without being overwhelmed by salty meat piled high on top. Plus as ground pork tends to be a little on the fatty side, it creates an extra juicy burger patty that melts in your mouth.
Since we wanted to keep this burger simple to allow for the 50/50 patty, bacon, and pulled pork to swine… a little bit of melted cheddar cheese and a dash of BBQ sauce were the only other toppings needed. Throw it all on a sweet brioche bun, air fry up some onion rings, and this meal comes together perfectly. Juicy, savory, and surprisingly easy to eat.
If only we had a cold beer to wash it all down…
Luckily, the other day Nicole and I went to a local brewery, Casa Agria, with some friends and quickly fell in love with their Blueberry Cheesecake Frutaleta. With a four-pack to go we had our local beer to pair with our Burger of the Month.
So fry up a side, crack your local, cold beer, and enjoy a memorable meal featuring everything but the restaurant.
The Big Pig Burger
Equipment
- Burger press optional
- Cast iron grill pan optional
Ingredients
The Patties
- ½ lb ground beef 80% lean
- ½ lb ground pork
- 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- Dash liquid smoke
- Pinch salt
The Toppings
- 3 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ lb pulled pork*
- 2 tbsp barbecue sauce plus extra for topping
- 3 to 6 slices bacon
The Buns
- 3 brioche buns
Instructions
How To Make The Big Pig Burger
- Begin by preparing the patties and the bacon (see directions below).
- Then prepare the pulled pork and toast the brioche buns while the burgers cook (see directions below).
- Finally, assemble the Big Pig burger: transfer patties to toasted brioche buns, top each with 1-2 slices of crispy bacon and a pile of pulled pork, and drizzle with extra barbecue sauce, if desired.
- Serve with your favorite side, a cold beer, and enjoy!*
Prepare the Patties
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, and salt. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
- Form meat into 3 equal sized balls to size patties consistently.
- Press balls into patties, approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter and set aside.
Prepare the Bacon
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Lay bacon strips flat on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between them.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Prepare the Pulled Pork
- Heat prepared pulled pork over medium-low heat in a frying pan for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 2 tbsp barbecue sauce and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Toast the Buns
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
- Place sliced buns on a small baking sheet, cut side up, and toast in the oven until slightly crispy, about 10 minutes.
Cook the Patties
- Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer patties to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Flip patties and cook for another 2-3 minutes, topping with cheese immediately after flipping.
- Check for doneness and remove from heat.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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I just had to comment on the Big Pig Burger.
1) Delicious. If I were served this as a $15 restaurant burger, I would be completely satisfied. It lost nothing being made at home.
2) I had the full version as a slightly decadent Father’s Day cookout treat. Full of flavor – a cross between a pork BBQ sandwich and a burger. Meatier and juicier at the same time.
3) Tried the burger again the other day, without the pork BBQ to get a better appreciation for the pork/beef patty mix. Again, delicious. This time the bacon came through better. Juicy and tender, I might consider adding some pork regularly to other burger patty recipes!
Thank you for this idea and recipe. Keep them coming!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!