BLT Ranch Burgers
Servings 4
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!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 8 slices bacon
- Slice tomato into ¼-inch thick rounds
- Make the ranch
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!
Notes
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.