Recipe for Srirancha Burgers with Bacon and Blue Cheese

From the bottom of its spicy beef patty to the mountain of  Swiss cheese, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and Sriracha-blue cheese dressing that top it off, my socks were totally rocked.

Sriracha Burgers with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Adapted from The Sriracha Cookbook

Burgers:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 5 tbsp Sriracha
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 4 sesame seed buns, toasted
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• Lettuce and sliced tomato, if desired

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp buttermilk
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• pinch of sugar
• 2 tbsp Sriracha

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup), and set a wire rack in the baking sheet.
2. Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Lightly combine the ground beef, soy sauce, Sriracha, and pepper, taking care not to over mix. Pat the meat mixture into 4 evenly sized patties, and press a dimple into the middle of each burger with your thumb. Arrange the burgers on the wire rack.
4. Fry the bacon in a 12″ skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel, but don’t drain the bacon drippings.
5. Return the pan to the heat and add the sliced onions, cooking them in the drippings over medium-low heat until they’re nicely caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. While the onions are working, put the rack of burgers in the oven, and let them bake for 10 minutes (for medium rare), up to 15 minutes. You can insert a thermometer into one of the burgers to get the inside temperature exactly, or make a small cut into one of the burgers to test it for doneness.
7. To assemble the burgers, spread the sauce generously on both halves of each bun. On each burger patty arrange a slice of cheese, the bacon, caramelized onions, and lettuce and tomato, if using.
8. Top with the other half of the bun and serve. Drizzle with more sauce as desired.