Are unique burger combinations your thing? If so, this PB and J Burger is just what you’ve been looking for. A brioche bun slathered with peanut butter, and homemade bacon jam, then a juicy burger with lots of cheese and jalapenos loaded on top. The perfect boring burger escape.
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What TV show pairs well with burgers and beer?
For this Mitten Movie Night, we are watching Stranger Things. In honor of it, I decided to go all out and try to make something special to coincide with a night of binge-watching this awesome show. If you follow my blog you know that I love recreating regional favorites.
Whether it’s Michigan or Memphis Hot Dogs or recreating a sandwich I had in Ohio, I’m in for taking a culinary trip with my taste buds. So, why not make something from Indiana which is where the show takes place? The Peanut Butter Burger.
Even though I live very close to Indiana, I’ll be honest I’m not totally immersed in what foods are big there. So off to the little ‘tell me what I don’t know box called the internet I went. With some research, I found 9 Strange Food Combinations Only People In Indiana Will Love from Only In Your State. Right at the Top #1-Peanut Butter and Hamburgers. Hmm…..this might just be interesting enough to try. Never had it, but I’ll try it. The article said that it usually comes with jalapenos so, of course, this was going to be delicious with the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors all working together.
What beer pairs well with a peanut butter burger?
The beer: I thought a Halloween-themed beer would be good so Voodoo Ranger 8 Hop Pale Ale from New Belgium it is.
While a more locally sourced craft beer would probably have been better, this beer was purchased in Mishawaka at Costco so close enough! Now on to this peanut butter burger that really was a delicious surprise.
Ingredients
- Ground beef mixed with seasonings. Mixing the ground beef with a simple seasonings mixture will let the burger seasoning I use to roll the meat in before cooking really lend its own unique flavor to the meat as it cooks.
- Simple homemade bacon jam. Diced bacon cooked slowly in brown sugar lends a sweet and salty flavor combination.
- Peanut butter. Use creamy peanut butter that melts nicely with the heat from the burger. Grab the napkins!
- Brioche burger buns. The perfect addition to this burger, and all burger recipes really in my opinion.
- Burger toppings. I like to use pickled jalapenos, lettuce, and tomato.
Visit YouTube for a video of how to make these
PB and J Burgers
How to make peanut butter and jelly burgers step-by-step
In a bowl, mix together the ground beef with the seasonings.
Use your hands to incorporate the seasonings, then roll the meat into 4 balls.
On a plate sprinkle the burger seasoning and roll the balls in the seasoning to coat them.
Proceed to cook the burgers by pressing them down into patties, or however you like, in the skillet or on the grill.
NOTE: I like to cook my burgers on the stovetop in a large skillet smash burger style. If you want to make them this way, use two spatulas or a burger press to press down on the balls and thin them out to about 1/4 inch thick. Cook on each side for 5 minutes until they are your preferred doneness.
Make sure that the thickest part of the burger patty reaches 160 degrees F.
So the ‘PB’ is of course for peanut butter, but the ‘J’ is for jam. Bacon jam to be exact. I thought this would be a good addition. I recently had a burger with it at a local brewery and now I’m obsessed.
Dice and cook the bacon in a medium saute pan. Do not drain the grease.
Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
Set the heat to low on the stovetop and let the liquid slowly cook down until it thickens up, taking about 10 minutes.
Let the mixture cool then pulse in a food processor.
Spread the peanut butter onto the bottom bun.
Top with the cooked cheeseburger patty and spread bacon jam onto the top bun.
I like to add pickled jalapenos, lettuce, and tomato as well.
Tips & Variations
- If you do not want to take the time to make the bacon jam, you could find store-bought bacon-flavored jam in the specialty jelly and jam section at the grocery store.
- The above hamburger recipe is just the way that I like to make burgers so feel free to choose to make them on the grill.
- When cooking the bacon jam, watch the consistency. Don’t let it get too thick. You want it to be thick but not fully cooked out where it starts to harden around the bacon.
Storage
Take the leftover cooked burgers and place them on the buns. Place in a covered container. Place the bacon jam in a sealed container. Refrigerate both. Reheat the burgers and jam in the microwave.
It is not recommended to freeze this recipe.
More burger recipes
And here you are…..
From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!
PB and J Burger
Equipment
- medium sautee pan
- large skillet
- 2 spatulas if making smash burger style
- food processor
Ingredients
Smash Cheeseburger
- 1 pound ground hamburger (80/20 mix)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons burger seasoning
- 4 tablespoons peanut butter 1 tablespoon per burger
- 1/4 cup jalapenos from jar
- 4 slices Colby jack cheese
- lettuce & tomato for garnish
- 4 hamburger buns
Bacon Jam
- 1 pound bacon diced
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Smash Cheeseburger
- Mix the ground beef, pepper, salt, and garlic powder and shape into 4 round balls.1 pound ground hamburger (80/20 mix), 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Roll the balls into the burger seasonings.2 tablespoons burger seasoning
- If cooking smash burger style: use spatulas or burger press to press the balls down. Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Top with the sliced cheese and let melt for 2-3 minutes.4 slices Colby jack cheese
- Spread the peanut butter on the bottom, burger, jalapenos, and bacon jam. Add lettuce and tomatoes if you wish. Enjoy!4 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/4 cup jalapenos from jar, 4 hamburger buns, lettuce & tomato for garnish
Bacon Jam
- Dice the bacon and cook in a sautee pan until golden and crispy.1 pound bacon
- Set the heat to low and add the brown sugar, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid cooks down and thickens up.
- Let the mixture cool then add to a food processor and pulse until the bacon is minced up.
Video
Notes
Tips for making this recipe:
- If you do not want to make these burgers in a pan on the stove, feel free to use the mixture to make these on the grill or however your favorite way to make burgers is.
- Check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the burger to make sure it registers at 160 degrees F.
- Make sure to not let the bacon jam gets too thick while cooking down or it will be too hard to pulse in the food processor.
- Don’t have a food processor, you can skip this step it should still spread well on top of the burger.
- To store: keep each ingredient separate before reheating. Add the burger and bacon jam to separate covered containers. Eat within 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Originally published in October of 2017. Updated photos and expanded bacon jam recipe with photos in October of 2022.
Bacon jam recipe inspired by Easy Skillet Bacon Jam from Tablespoon.com
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Last Updated on April 3, 2023 by Erin@BottomLeftoftheMitten
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