Nothing says summer like burgers on the grill. We love grilling up a couple of burgers on a hot day. While we are happy to have plain burgers or a burger with cheese, sometimes it's nice to make a gourmet burger at home.
Now I've made some fun burgers in the past. I usually choose a cheese and maybe a sauce and then go from there. It's interesting trying to pair toppings, cheese, and sauces together to make a burger that tastes great but isn't overwhelmed by the toppings.
This week Sunday Supper is sharing hamburger and hot dog recipes. I think this is a great summer theme and can't wait to see more of the burger recipes. I'm always looking for new inspiration for my gourmet burgers. While I'm not a hot dog person, my husband sure is.
In this burger there are two stars. One is the burger and the other is the Bourbon BBQ Sauce. The Bourbon BBQ Sauce is made inside on a stove and is made by combining water, pineapple, ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and bourbon in a pot. You can also put this in a disposable foil pan covered with foil and cook it on the grill. It's sweet with just a kick of spice and a bit of a bite from the bourbon. It's pretty awesome.
The burgers are just my classic everyday burger with a bit of BBQ mixed in. I used both BBQ seasoning and BBQ sauce in the burgers. I decided to turn them into sliders because those were the buns I had in the house. I ended up making a juicy slider topped with Havarti cheese, bacon, lettuce, and the Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
These sliders are incredible. The crispy, salty bacon pairs well with the juicy burger and the Bourbon BBQ Sauce is just over the top. It's a delicious burger that would be great in regular size as well as these sliders. I'll admit, I also dipped my fries into this sauce, YUM!

Bourbon BBQ Bacon Burger Sliders
Make this juicy BBQ burger topped with Havarti cheese, bacon, and a homemade Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
For the BBQ Sauce:
- 1 c. water
- 1 c. crushed pineapple in juice
- ½ c. ketchup
- ¼ c. Bourbon
- ¼ c. prepared BBQ sauce
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
For the Burgers:
- 1 ½ lb. 85/15 ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon BBQ seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon BBQ Sauce
For assembling the burger:
- 8 slider buns
- 8 slices Havarti cheese
- 8 lettuce leaves
- 8 slice bacon, cooked and halved
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a small saucepan. Place in over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce thickens up. Remove from heat.
- To make the burgers put the ground beef, brown sugar, BBQ seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, Montreal seasoning, and BBQ sauce in a bowl. Mix together with your hands and form into 8 sliders.
- Place the sliders on a grill heated to medium high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side or until desired temperature is reached. Place a slice of Havarti cheese on each slider and close the lid for 1 minute or until melted.
- Remove from grill and place the sliders on the buns. Top with bacon and a lettuce leaf. Slather with the bourbon BBQ sauce and serve.
Notes
A Hezzi-D Original Recipe

More Burger Recipes:
- BLT Burgers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Blue Cheese Burger with Fig Jam by Garden Matter
- Caprese Burgers by The Redhead Baker
- Meatball Parmesan Burgers by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Greek Lamb Burgers with Blistered Tomatoes and Tzatziki Spread by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Miso Tuna Burgers by Caroline’s Cooking
Morgan
Mmm, this sounds so good, especially the barbecue sauce! Grilled corn is always a treat, too! Looks like a great meal! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Eileen Gray
That BBQ sauce sounds amazing with the pineapple and bourbon!! Can't wait to try it.
HezziD
The BBQ Sauce totally makes this burger!
Cindy
Double BBQ flavor sounds great to me!
Shelby
Well, I think you know that I like bourbon a little bit. 😉 This sounds amazing, love that sauce!
Denise Wright
That sauce sounds amazing! I never thought to put bourbon in....gott a try that!
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
That barbecue sauce sounds incredible!
Renee @ReneesKitchenAdventures
Oh that BBQ sauce! Wow. Totally going to try this!
Liz
The bourbon BBQ sauce sounds like an amazing addition! Can't wait to try it!