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    Framed Cooks ยป Recipes ยป Recipes

    Spiked Cheeseburgers

    Published: Apr 10, 2011 ยท Modified: Sep 16, 2022 by Kate Morgan Jackson ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 15 Comments

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    Put a kick in your regular cheeseburger with a secret ingredient. This recipe for spiked cheeseburgers is for adults only! Sorry, kiddos! 😀

    PIN this recipe now… So you can make it later!

    It was a happy, happy day last week, because for the first time since this long, hard, relentless winter started one billion years ago, it was actually warm enough to crank up the old grill and cook some cheeseburgers. 

    The Southern husband was happy.  The teenager was happy. 

    The dog was deliriously happy, because she is convinced that if she waits long enough, one day someone is going to grill her a cheeseburger instead of just dumping another cup of kibble into her dish.  A dog can dream…

    Anyway.  This momentous occasion seemed to call for something other than your normal wonderful cheeseburger.  Something adventurous.  Something celebratory. 

    Something involving a little, well, alcohol.  Take another look at that picture up top…see that scrumptious sauce oozing down the burger?  Let’s just say that is special sauce.  Very special.  As in, contains just the right hit of vodka in it.

    ingredients needed for these Grown-Up Cheeseburgers!

    • Mayo
    • Mustard
    • Ketchup
    • Vodka
    • Ground Beef
    • Pickles
    • Cheese Slices
    • Hamburger Rolls

    Here’s How to make these delightful burgers!

    STEP ONE: Mix up some ketchup, some mayo and a little mustard.  And then you add…wait for it…about 4-5 tablespoons of vodka.  (If you are a responsible parent like me, you hold back some of the sauce in a separate dish for your underage teenager before you add the vodka.  More spiked-ness for the old folks).

    STEP 2: Form a pound of ground beef into patties and grill up those burgers however you like ’em, and don’t forget to toast the buns.  (Note: you can definitely add in the cheese the way you usually do, but I like to take the top bun after it is toasted, lay the cheese on it and nuke it for about 20 seconds, so the cheese is adhering to the bun and not the burger.  But you be you, cheese-wise.)  

    STEP 3: When that’s all done, toss a few pickles on the bottom of the bun, lay the burger on them, and put a generous amount of sauce on top.  This is not the time to be stingy with the sauce. 

    STEP 4: Top bun over the whole thing, and dig in. 

    More tips for making these naughty burgers!

    What kind of ground beef is best for these spiked cheeseburgers?

    I always suggest 80% lean for burgers of any type. Leaner ground beef can give you a dry cheeseburger, and NOBODY wants that!

    Can I use American Cheese instead of cheddar?

    Have you been talking to the Southern husband? Because he always votes for American cheese…and yes! Use whatever kind of melty cheese your heart desires.

    Can I cook these burgers on the stove instead of grilling them!

    You sure can! If you want to cook them inside, a griddle or a cast iron pan – both super hot – are your best bets. And a regular old frying pan will also work.

    Have a question that I didn’t cover?

    Put your question in the comments below and I promise to answer pronto!

    Be very happy.  Happier than a cheeseburger usually makes you.   Happy.

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    Spiked Cheeseburgers

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    Put a kick in your regular cheeseburger with a secret ingredient. This recipe for spiked cheeseburgers is for adults only!  Sorry kiddos! ????

    • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 12 minutes
    • Total Time: 27 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Grill
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 3/4 cup ketchup
    • 5 tablespoons vodka
    • 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
    • 6 hamburger rolls
    • 6 slices cheddar cheese
    • sliced pickles

    Instructions

    1. Mix mayo, mustard, ketchup and vodka together and mix well. Set aside.
    2. Form beef into 6 patties and salt and pepper them. Grill to your liking, adding cheese at the last minute to melt. Toast the rolls during the last minutes of grilling.
    3. Place several pickles on the bottom of each roll, top with burger, and spread about 2 tablespoons of sauce on each burger.
    4. Place top of bun over all and serve at once.

    Equipment We Used to Make This Recipe

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    Notes

    Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)!  Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag @FramedCooks on Facebook or Instagram…we want to see it!

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    Comments

    1. Audrey Ellen says

      April 19, 2011 at 5:07 pm

      Like a vodka pasta sauce on a burger! How creative!

      Also I am new to your blog and I have to say that your pictures are phenomenal! You have a way with capturing color.

      Reply
    2. Patty H. says

      April 17, 2011 at 1:55 pm

      Your burgers look awesome, and the sauce sounds delicious! Not quite grilling weather for me yet, but maybe by mid-week!

      Reply
    3. Ling says

      April 16, 2011 at 11:35 am

      Spiked burger sauce – that sounds awesome!

      Reply
    4. Mama.Mommy.Mom. says

      April 14, 2011 at 5:46 pm

      Wow, those look yummy! I found your blog linked on the Pioneer Woman's site and I'm so happy to have found it!

      Reply
    5. Ron ~The Old Geezer says

      April 12, 2011 at 6:18 pm

      Greetings from Southern California

      I am your newest follower
      I invite you to visit and follow my blog

      God Bless You :-)

      Reply
    6. Anonymous says

      April 11, 2011 at 7:20 pm

      This is just fantastic. Not only did I laugh out loud when I read your post, but your pictures had me drooling.

      We're breaking out the grill tonight – I'm so excited! My husband will love this whole vodka idea.

      Reply
    7. Anonymous says

      April 11, 2011 at 6:34 pm

      There's nothing wrong with giving the dog healthy people food. Their food is boring if you give them the same thing all the time. My dogs get a lot of good people food. They deserve the best!

      Reply
    8. Angie says

      April 11, 2011 at 3:44 pm

      OOOOOHH…I love special sauce. The next grilling extravaganza is going to include this sauce.

      Reply
    9. Erin says

      April 11, 2011 at 4:48 am

      Hand to God, when I saw the title for this post I actually got excited that the booze would be IN the burger somehow :) But this is maybe better because you could use that sauce for other things, I'm sure :)

      Reply
    10. a Broad says

      April 11, 2011 at 12:58 am

      If I ate hamburgers, I would definitely do this .. maybe I will try to sauce on a chicken sandwich :)
      Happy to hear that the endless winter has ended ..

      Reply
    11. Joanne says

      April 10, 2011 at 11:54 pm

      Haha now that I've started studying for the medical boards, I think I need to also start sneaking alcohol into as made places as I can…for good measure. This special sauce sounds fantastic!

      Reply

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