Grocery Basket
Ground beef, Glazed Donuts, Bacon, American Cheese, Condiments (Ketchup, Mayo, and Mustard), Butter
Category
Burgers
Servings
4
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Oh my carnie, how much do you love a great county fair? The last time we went, we lost like 50 bucks on the rigged basketball game with the plastic covered rims within five minutes, and we also clogged all of our arteries with one mind-blowing treat after the next. Deep fried skittles? Check. Giant smoked turkey leg? Check. Barbecue sundae? Hell yes!!!
However, we have to say the blue-ribbon winner of every fair is neither the 1,000-pound hog, nor is it the person who shimmies up the greased pole. It’s the true American delicacy, the carnival burger.
The carnival burger is a creature that can only
be concepted within a setting such as a county fair. Like a guaranteed
touchdown trick play out of Belichick’s back pocket, the carnival burger
combines three of the greatest ingredients ever: glazed donuts, deep-fried
bacon, and a hamburger. It’s the trifecta of perfection. This burger goes from
the taste buds straight to our collective waistlines, but it’s all fully worth
it.
Ingredients
2 pounds 80% ground beef
4 glazed donuts (Krispy Kreme is very extra but would be amazing)
8 medium slices of bacon
8 pieces of American cheese (cheddar is OK too)
Condiments (ketchup, mayo, mustard)
1/4 stick of butter
Salt and pepper
Directions
Place half the butter in a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium heat.
Cook thethe bacon in the pan for 7 minutes, flipping midway through.
While the bacon cooks, prep your donuts and burgers. To prep your donuts, slice them like a burger bun. To prep your burgers, form the meat into 4-ounce meatballs.
Remove the bacon from the pan and let it rest on a few paper towels.
Without removing any of the oil and bacon fat from the pan, dip the cut side of each donut into the pan to brown it just a bit. Set aside on a paper towel as well.
Working one at a time, take each meatball and smash it into a patty in the hot pan, cooking for about 4 minutes on each side. When you flip to cook the other side, add in your salt, pepper, and two slices of cheese.
Final step: Build your burger. Start with the bottom donut, meat patty, two slices of bacon, cheese, and then add the top donut. It sounds insane, right?
Condiments are up to you because you have so many flavors going on. You really don’t need to add any, but as they say, “when in fair…”
Recipe Note
PRO TIP:
If the Hungry Fans you’re feeding are extra adventurous, get a sampling of different glazed donuts. Chocolate and maple are obvious choices, but don’t forget about the peanut butter donut if you can find one.