When life gives you lemons (or stress, or a bad day), just say “hold my beer” and reach for a bacon cheeseburger with a side of onion rings the size of small countries. This classic American diner dish is like a warm hug in burger form, with its crunchy bacon, gooey cheese, juicy beef, and crisp onions, all conspiring to make your taste buds do a happy dance. And because time is of the essence when you’re looking to boost your mood, we’ve combined the best of both worlds into one dish so good, it should be illegal. So go ahead, treat yourself – you deserve it!

  • 1 lb steak
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 large white onion
  • 2 slices of cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2 mozzarella pearls, divided
  • 8 slices of cooked bacon, divided
  • Flour
  • Whisked eggs
  • Crispy fried onions

How To Make It

Step 1:

  • Mince the steak with a sharp knife. Tenderize the meat with a fork, season with salt and pepper, and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Take 1 portion and flatten it on your work surface.

Step 2:

  • Peel the onion, cut off the ends, and cut the remaining section into 2 equal pieces. Remove the rings from 1 of the onion sections and place the largest ring in the center of the meat on your work surface.

Step 3:

  • Cut 1 of the cheddar cheese slices into 4 strips that are the same height as the onion ring. Place the 4 cheese strips around the inner wall of the onion ring and place a smaller onion ring in the middle.

Step 4:

  • Place a rolled-up slice of cooked bacon inside the smaller onion ring. Place an even smaller onion ring inside the rolled piece of bacon and put a mozzarella pearl inside the smallest onion ring.

Step 5:

  • Place 3 cooked bacon slices over the layered onion rings and tuck the ends underneath.

Step 6:

  • Take another portion of minced steak, flatten it out, and place it on top of the bacon-wrapped onion rings. Seal the top and bottom layers of meat so that the inside is fully covered and coat the stuffed meat in flour, egg, and crispy fried onions.

Step 7:

  • Heat a pot of cooking oil to 350°F. Repeat the previous steps to make a second serving and fry each bacon cheeseburger onion ring in the hot oil for about 45 seconds. Transfer the fried bacon cheeseburger onion rings to a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven at 250°F for 25-30 minutes. You can fry it until done if you want just pay attention to the color of the crispy onions so they don’t burn.

NOTE: Try experimenting with different ingredients to get a taste of your favorite burger, for example: Add barbecue sauce for BBQ bacon cheeseburger onion rings, throw in some macaroni and cheese for mac & cheese burger onions rings, or swap out the beef for chicken if you’re craving some chicken burger onion rings – the sky’s the limit!