Three hot honey burgers for National Burger Month

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May is National Burger Month, but these burgers work for a cookout whenever you want to try them. Choose a classic cheeseburger, bacon and blue cheese, or ground chicken with hot honey ranch. Each recipe makes four burgers.

These recipes have not been independently kitchen-tested by Hot Honey Fever. The credited photographs illustrate ingredients, preparation and serving ideas; they do not show these recipes or establish that hot honey is pictured.

Before you cook

Use a food thermometer to check every patty. Ground beef needs to reach 160°F and ground chicken 165°F, according to FoodSafety.gov's safe minimum temperature chart. For a thin patty, insert the thermometer from the side so its sensing area reaches the center. Cooking time, color and grill marks do not establish safety.

The times below tell you when to start checking, not when a burger is guaranteed to be done. Keep raw meat and its juices away from buns, toppings and cooked food. Use a clean plate and utensils for the cooked patties. See USDA's grilling guidance for handling and thermometer instructions.

Classic hot honey cheeseburger

This version puts a tablespoon of hot honey on each cheeseburger, with thousand island dressing on the bun.

Ingredients for four burgers

• 1.5 lb ground beef, 80/20 blend
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices cheddar or pepper jack cheese
• 4 burger buns
• 4 butter lettuce leaves
• 4 tablespoons hot honey
• 4 tablespoons thousand island dressing
• Pickles, sliced red onion and sliced tomatoes, as desired

Method

1. Divide the beef into four equal patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the grill over medium-high heat. Start checking after about 3–4 minutes per side; continue cooking as needed until the center of every patty reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
3. Put one slice of cheese on each patty during the last minute of cooking and cover the grill to help it melt. Check the temperature before removing the patties.
4. Lightly toast the buns on a separate pan or grill area.
5. Put a lettuce leaf and a cooked cheeseburger on each bottom bun. Drizzle each patty with 1 tablespoon of hot honey and spread each top bun with 1 tablespoon of thousand island dressing.
6. Add the pickles, onion and tomato you want, then close the burgers and serve.

Hot honey, bacon and blue cheese burger

Blue cheese and bacon give this burger a different set of toppings. A little Dijon goes into the mayonnaise spread.

Ingredients for four burgers

• 1.5 lb ground beef, 80/20 blend
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 4 oz blue cheese crumbles
• 4 burger buns
• 4 tablespoons hot honey
• 1 cup arugula
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Sliced red onion and tomatoes, as desired

Method

1. Cook the bacon according to its package directions. For an oven method at 400°F (about 200°C), start checking at 15–18 minutes; thickness and oven performance affect the time. Follow the package's handling and cooking instructions. Drain the cooked bacon and cut each slice in half.
2. Divide the beef into four equal patties, about ¾ inch thick, with a shallow indent in each center. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat. Start checking after about 4–5 minutes per side, then continue as needed until every patty reaches 160°F in the center. Add 1 oz of blue cheese to each patty near the end of cooking and cover for 1–2 minutes to help it melt. Before removing the patties, check again that the center of each has reached 160°F.
4. Lightly toast the buns. Mix the mayonnaise and Dijon in a small bowl.
5. Divide the arugula among the bottom buns and add the cooked patties. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon of hot honey, then add two bacon halves, onion and tomato.
6. Divide the mayonnaise mixture among the top buns, close the burgers and serve.

Chicken burger with hot honey ranch

This recipe uses ground chicken patties. All four tablespoons of hot honey go into the ranch mixture, which is divided among the four burgers.

Ingredients for four burgers

• 1.5 lb ground chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices pepper jack cheese
• 4 burger buns
• 4 tablespoons hot honey
• 4 tablespoons ranch dressing
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, optional
• Butter lettuce leaves
• Pickles, sliced red onion and sliced tomatoes, as desired

Method

1. Shape the ground chicken into four equal patties and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat. Start checking after about 4–5 minutes per side. Continue cooking as needed until the center of every patty reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
3. Add a slice of cheese to each patty during the last minute of cooking and cover to help it melt. Check the temperature before removing the patties.
4. Lightly toast the buns. In a small bowl, mix all 4 tablespoons of hot honey with the ranch and optional hot sauce.
5. Put lettuce and a cooked chicken patty on each bottom bun. Divide the hot honey ranch among the top buns. Add pickles, onion and tomato as desired, then close and serve.

Condiments to consider

You can use the hot honey you already have in these recipes. If you are buying a bottle, Mike's Hot Honey Original is one option. The Amazon link below selects one 12-ounce squeeze bottle; the maker's own store may offer a different pack count.

Check Mike's Hot Honey Original, one 12-ounce bottle, on Amazon (paid link)

Maille x Mike's Hot Honey Dijon Mustard combines Dijon mustard with Mike's Hot Honey. The selected Amazon package is one 9.4-ounce squeeze bottle. Try it as a separate condiment, or in place of the plain Dijon in the mayonnaise spread if you want that variation.

Check Maille x Mike's Hot Honey Dijon Mustard, one 9.4-ounce squeeze bottle, on Amazon (paid link)

Kinder's Honey Hot BBQ Sauce is another topping option. The name is Honey Hot. The Amazon selection linked here is a Choice Bundle with two 15.5-ounce sauce bottles, a BBQ guide and a keychain bottle opener, for 31 ounces of sauce in total. It is a third-party bundle, not a single bottle or a manufacturer-endorsed bundle.

Check the Choice Bundle with two 15.5-ounce Kinder's Honey Hot BBQ Sauce bottles, BBQ guide and bottle opener on Amazon (paid link)

Read the current package ingredients and allergen information before choosing a condiment. Check the flavor, bottle size, pack count, seller, price and availability on the retailer page before ordering. These links identify the reviewed packages; they do not promise stock or a fixed price.

For a homemade option, follow Mike's Hot Honey's BBQ sauce recipe. It is the manufacturer's recipe, not a documented Hot Honey Fever kitchen test. You can also whisk a little hot honey into mayonnaise for a bun spread, adjusting a small portion to taste.

Five side ideas

These are serving ideas rather than complete measured recipes. Use a full recipe for any cooking or storage instructions you need.

• Slaw: toss shredded cabbage and carrots with a dressing of mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, hot honey and a touch of olive oil. Serve it beside the burger or add some to the bun.
• Potato salad: mix a little hot honey into your usual dressing, tasting a small portion first.
• Sweet potato wedges: add olive oil, salt, smoked paprika and a little hot honey to a complete roasted-wedge recipe.
• Macaroni and cheese: stir 1–2 tablespoons of hot honey into the cheese sauce, adjusting for the size of your batch.
• Fruit: mix Greek yogurt with a little hot honey and spoon it over fresh fruit.

Refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or within one hour when the temperature is above 90°F. FoodSafety.gov's handling guidance explains these limits.

More cookout planning

For the rest of the menu, see our guides to hot honey glazes for grilled meats, five ways to serve hot honey with vegetables and hot honey salad dressings. Adults of legal drinking age can also browse the hot honey cocktail guide.