Western Bacon Cheeseburger (Copycat)
Dinner · Meat & Poultry Mains
Western Bacon Cheeseburger (Copycat)
Crisp onion rings, bacon, American cheese, and barbecue sauce top four homemade beef burgers. Sesame buns bring together this restaurant-inspired combination.
- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Cook
- 30 minutes
- Total
- 50 minutes
- Serves
- 4 burgers
Bring it to the table
About this recipe.
A homemade burger inspired by the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, with breaded onion rings, bacon, American cheese, and barbecue sauce on sesame buns.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Check your pantry before you begin. Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- ¼ Cup Milk (whole)
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt (divided between onion coating and patties, or to taste)
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper (divided between onion coating and patties, or to taste)
- ½ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ¾ Cup Breadcrumbs (panko preferred)
- Canola Oil (as needed for frying, plus 2 teaspoons for skillet)
- 1 Large Yellow Onion (cut into 1/4-inch rings and separated)
- 8 slices Bacon (thick cut and hardwood smoked)
- 1 lb Ground Beef (raw; divided into four 4-ounce patties)
- 4 Slices American Cheese
- BBQ Sauce (to taste; use your preferred barbecue sauce)
- 4 Sesame Seed Buns
Prepare the toppings first
Keep the cooked onion rings and bacon warm while the burgers cook. Check each patty with a thermometer, then assemble just before serving so the onion rings keep their crunch.
Inspired by Carl’s Jr.’s Western Bacon Cheeseburger. This is a homemade interpretation.
The cooking plan
How to make Western Bacon Cheeseburger (Copycat).
Whisk milk, egg, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and half the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Mix flour and cornstarch in another bowl and put panko in a third. Pat onion rings dry. Coat in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then panko.
Heat the oven to 225°F. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. In a deep, heavy pot, add enough canola oil for frying while keeping the pot no more than half full. Heat to 375°F using a deep-fry thermometer.
Lower coated rings carefully into the oil in small batches. Fry about 3–4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Let oil return to temperature between batches. Transfer rings to the rack and keep warm in the oven. Discard leftover raw egg coating.
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat, turning as needed, until crisp, about 8–12 minutes depending on thickness. Drain and keep warm on a separate tray in the oven. Carefully remove excess fat from the skillet.
Form beef gently into four patties with a slight indentation in the centers. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties about 3–4 minutes per side, or until each reaches 160°F on a food thermometer inserted from the side into the center. Add American cheese during the final minute.
Toast the bun cut sides in a dry skillet if desired. Spread barbecue sauce on both bun halves. Put two cooked onion rings on each bottom bun, followed by a cheeseburger patty and two bacon slices. Add the top buns and serve immediately.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Western Bacon Cheeseburger (Copycat)
A homemade burger inspired by the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, with breaded onion rings, bacon, American cheese, and barbecue sauce on sesame buns.
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Ingredients
¼ Cup Milk whole- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt divided between onion coating and patties, or to taste
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper divided between onion coating and patties, or to taste
- ½ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ¾ Cup Breadcrumbs panko preferred
- Canola Oil as needed for frying, plus 2 teaspoons for skillet
- 1 Large Yellow Onion cut into 1/4-inch rings and separated
- 8 slices Bacon thick cut and hardwood smoked
- 1 lb Ground Beef raw; divided into four 4-ounce patties
- 4 Slices American Cheese
- BBQ Sauce to taste; use your preferred barbecue sauce
- 4 Sesame Seed Buns
Equipment
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Whisk milk, egg, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and half the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Mix flour and cornstarch in another bowl and put panko in a third. Pat onion rings dry. Coat in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then panko.
- Heat the oven to 225°F. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. In a deep, heavy pot, add enough canola oil for frying while keeping the pot no more than half full. Heat to 375°F using a deep-fry thermometer.
- Lower coated rings carefully into the oil in small batches. Fry about 3–4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Let oil return to temperature between batches. Transfer rings to the rack and keep warm in the oven. Discard leftover raw egg coating.
- Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat, turning as needed, until crisp, about 8–12 minutes depending on thickness. Drain and keep warm on a separate tray in the oven. Carefully remove excess fat from the skillet.
- Form beef gently into four patties with a slight indentation in the centers. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties about 3–4 minutes per side, or until each reaches 160°F on a food thermometer inserted from the side into the center. Add American cheese during the final minute.
- Toast the bun cut sides in a dry skillet if desired. Spread barbecue sauce on both bun halves. Put two cooked onion rings on each bottom bun, followed by a cheeseburger patty and two bacon slices. Add the top buns and serve immediately.
Notes
This is a homemade interpretation, not the restaurant’s official recipe or sauce formula. Frying and bacon times vary by batch size and thickness. Use thermometer readings rather than color alone for burger doneness. The onion may make extra rings; serve them alongside.
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