Western Barbecue Burgers W/Beer Barbecue Sauce

We loved these burgers and the sauce is so good for dipping. We grilled our burgers with the onions on top of the patty and then I put Pepper Jack cheese on top of that. This recipe came out of one of those small cookbooks you find at the check out registers at the grocery store.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8  slices bacon, thick cut
• 1  cup barbecue sauce, smoky flavor
• 1⁄4 cup  brown ale
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1⁄2 lbs lean ground beef
•  nonstick cooking spray
• 1  red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 4  hamburger buns
•  lettuce
•  tomatoes

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a skillet over med-high heat. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour barbecue sauce into a small saucepan and add ale, salt and pepper. Boil one minute and remove from heat.
2. Shape burger into 4 patties. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Spray stove-top grill or large skillet with nonstick spray. Heat over med-high heat until hot. Add onion slices and cook, turning often, until softened and slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add burger patties to grill pan and cook 3-5 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
4. Place patties on bun bottoms, top with onions, bacon and then barbecue sauce. Place lettuce and tomatoes on top bun. Serve open face on plate.