Step up your homemade burger game with these Avocado Bacon Cheeseburgers with Creamy Pepper Sauce. Ready in 40 minutes, they’re packed with bold flavor, thanks to a creamy pepper sauce that adds a spicy, tangy kick your family will love.
If the sauce taste familiar, it might be because you're a fan of Whataburger. The creamy pepper recipe is a copycat of Whataburger's sauce. It's creamy, tangy, and has a little heat. It's the perfect addition to the avocado and bacon.
If you want more sandwich dinner recipes, try my 30-Minute Ground Beef Philly Cheesesteak or Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwich recipes.
Jump to:
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bacon – You'll only need about 6 oz of bacon. I love to use thickly sliced applewood smoked bacon. I cook it int he oven on a lined your baking sheet for easy cleanup.
- Ground Beef – I like using 85% ground beef. It's the perfect compromise between a lean patty and a juicy patty. I’ve made these with 90% ground beef, too— they’re a bit drier, but the avocado and creamy pepper sauce can cover that up.
- Cheddar Cheese – You can use cheddar cheese, American cheese, or pepper jack cheese.
- White Vinegar – The vinegar adds a little tang to the pepper sauce. If you're out of white vinegar, red wine or rice vinegar work well, or you can switch it up with a splash of lemon or lime for a fresh twist that will pair well with the avocado.
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below
How to Make an Avocado Bacon Cheeseburger
Step 1 | Bake the Bacon
Preheat the oven to 400F. Arrange the bacon on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2 | Prepare Toppings and Sauce
While the bacon cooks, slice the onion, tomato, and lettuce. Mash the avocado with salt and pepper, and mix together the creamy pepper sauce.
Step 3 | Cook the Burgers
Form the beef into four patties and season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side.
Step 4 | Assemble the Cheeseburger
Toast the buns and assemble your Avocado Bacon Cheeseburgers.
Notes
The USDA recommends cooking hamburgers to an internal temperature of 160°F for safety. If you like your burger medium, use freshly ground beef to reduce any risk.
And don’t press down on the patties while cooking – it just squeezes out the juices and makes them dry.
Common Questions
Cooking your burgers at too high a temperature can cause the fat to burn, creating a lot of smoke. To cut down on the smoke, lower the heat.
Choose an avocado that's slightly soft when pressed, but not mushy. It should be dark green to black. If the stem comes off easily and reveals green, it’s ripe.
Place the avocado in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana. The ethylene gas will speed up the ripening, usually within 1-3 days.
Sides
- Potato Wedges: Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside – a perfect match for your burger.
- Side Salad: A fresh mix of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and your favorite dressing offers a light, refreshing contrast.
- Potato Chips: Crispy and crunchy, they make an easy side for your burger.
Have you tried this recipe yet? I'd love to know how it turned out! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below or tag @MeganVsKitchen on social.
Ingredients
- 8 slices of bacon
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1 tomato thinly sliced
- lettuce leaves
- 1 avocado
- 1 lb 85% ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 slices mild cheddar cheese
- 4 burger buns
Creamy Pepper Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ tablespoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until crispy to your liking. Check around 15 minutes to prevent the bacon from burning. Once done, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- While the bacon cooks, slice the onion, tomato, and lettuce.
- In a bowl, mash the avocado with salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the creamy pepper sauce. Stir until smooth.
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions and shape each into a 5-inch patty, about ¼-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the patties to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side for well-done burgers. For safety, ensure the internal temperature reaches 160F, as recommended by the USDA.
- After cooking, transfer the burgers to a plate and top each with a slice of cheddar cheese. The heat from the patty will melt the cheese.
- While the burgers cook, toast the burger buns in a separate skillet or under the broiler until lightly golden.
- To make your burger, layer the bacon, patty, tomato slices, onion slices, creamy pepper sauce, and mashed avocado.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary based on the ingredients used.
More Weeknight Dinner Recipes
Save This For Later
Enter your email & we'll send you a link to the post. Plus, you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!