We’re taking the classic summer BLT sandwich and turning it into a juicy burger with a creamy ranch sauce. Cook the bacon (extra crispy!) and make the sauce ahead – then all you have to do is grill the burgers, slice up the tomatoes and lettuce, and lay everything out for everyone to assemble. Read to the end of the recipe for my suggested order of assembly (no one likes a soggy bottom!).
Ingredient highlight
Beef! Is an extremely nutrient-dense meat with lots of iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium to name a few. Try to buy grass-fed organic (and local if that’s an option) beef when possible.
This is a great article to help you understand what to look for when buying grass-fed beef.
Servings 4
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 7 minutes Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lbs ground beef
- Salt and pepper
- 4-8 slices cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, pepperjack)
- 4 burger buns
- Iceberg lettuce or other crunchy lettuce
- 1-2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
- 8 slices bacon, cooked
For the ranch:
- 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried dill AKA dill weed
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder (optional)
- ½ cup chopped chives, scallions, or dill (optional)
- Pro tomato tip! ~ When eating tomatoes (in a sandwich, on a burger, etc…), slice them up and then sprinkle them with salt and let them sit for 10-30 minutes, then pat dry. The salt will draw out extra water and concentrate/elevate the tomato flavor for a much more delicious slice!
Instructions
- Heat up the grill over high heat for at least 10 minutes (or cook the burgers in a skillet).
- Divide the beef into 4 (4-6 ounce) balls. Place them on a flat surface and press them into a thin patty (make it much larger than your bun!). Season generously with salt to coat on both sides (I just eyeball this, but it’s usually about 1-1.5 teaspoons salt total to season all of the patties).
- Grill or pan-fry for 3-5 minutes or until you have nice grill marks and/or browning. Flip each patty and top with cheese. Cover the grill or put a lid on the skillet and let it cook for 1-2 more minutes or until cooked through and the cheese is melted. Toast your buns on the grill or in your skillet once you’ve removed the patties.
- To make the ranch, add all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Assemble your burgers! I suggest this order: bottom bun > lettuce (to prevent soggy bottom bun) > tomato > patty > bacon (press lightly into the cheese) > ranch > top bun. Keep extra ranch on the side!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 8 slices bacon
- Slice tomato into ¼-inch thick rounds
- Make the ranch
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, make these Ultimate Black Bean Burgers in place of the beef patty and skip the bacon.
- To make vegan, see above (read subs section for egg replacement), use a dairy free yogurt or replace the yogurt with mashed avocado. Use a vegan cheese or skip the cheese.
- For GF, use a GF bun or turn it into a burger bowl or taco.
- You can use any ground meat in place of beef.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Patties: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Bacon: up to 7 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Ranch: up to 6 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up the patties and the bacon either in the microwave or in a covered skillet until warmed through.
- Chop up the patty and turn it into a BLT Ranch Burger bowl/pasta salad. Thin out the ranch with a bit of water and toss cooked pasta or other cooked starch (like roasted potatoes) with lettuce + tomatoes in it. Top with the chopped patty, crumbled up bacon, and more of the ranch dressing. If you have extra herbs on hand, scatter those all over.
- Make it a taco! Chop up the patty and add all the burger fixings to the tortilla. Top with ranch and more cheese.
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