Breakfast Burgers

This breakfast burger recipe is the perfect excuse to host a weekend brunch. It brings all the best things about breakfast to the table: English muffins, maple bacon, eggs and mashed avocado. A schmear of Sriracha mayo gives each breakfast burger bite the perfect kick.

Indulge your guests by serving burgers with crispy potatoes and a bloody Mary bar.

Breakfast Burger Ingredients

• Ground turkey: This recipe uses ground turkey for a slightly leaner patty, though if you prefer ground beef, you can easily use that instead.
• Bread crumbs: Dry bread crumbs hold the burger patties together and keep them moist. Homemade bread crumbs are super easy to make, but you can also use store-bought crumbs.
• Mayonnaise: Mayo is another binder for the meat. It also adds fat to the burger, ensuring that it won’t dry out.
• Seasonings: Salt, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper are all added to the turkey patty for a savory seasoning.
• Cheddar cheese: The recipe calls for cheddar cheese, but use whatever cheese you like to top your burgers with. I think melty cheeses like cheddar, American or Swiss tend to work best.
• Sriracha mayo: Make your own Sriracha mayo by mixing mayonnaise, Sriracha, lemon, salt and pepper.
• Butter: Fry your eggs in butter because butter makes everything better!
• Eggs: I like my eggs cooked over medium, so there’s a bit of runny yolk to act as another sauce.
• Maple bacon: Make your own maple bacon by brushing bacon with maple syrup before cooking it, then flipping it over halfway through and brushing the other side with maple. It’s so crispy, sweet and delicious!
• Avocado: Find a ripe avocado that’s slightly soft to the touch.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice keeps the avocado from turning brown. Squeeze a bit on the avocado as you mash it up and it will stay bright green.
• English muffins: English muffins make a perfect vessel for breakfast sandwiches, including breakfast burgers.

Directions

Step 1: Make the Sriracha mayo

Make your Sriracha mayo by mixing the following ingredients in a small bowl: 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons Sriracha, 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mix well, then set the sauce aside.

Step 2: Form the turkey burgers

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, mayonnaise, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Add the ground turkey and mix lightly but thoroughly until all the ingredients are combined. Divide the mixture into four equal portions, then form each portion into a 3-inch patty.

Editor’s Tip: The less you work this meat mixture, the better! Keep your burgers from being dense and dry by not overmixing the meat when adding the seasonings. Then, form the patties quickly without overworking them.

Step 3: Cook the burgers

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Cook the burger until a thermometer reads 160°F, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Top each patty with a slice of cheese. Cover the pan and cook until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Remove the burgers from the heat and keep them warm. Wipe the pan clean to use again.

Step 4: Fry the eggs

Heat the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot and sizzling, break the eggs into the pan one at a time and reduce the heat to low. Cook the eggs for a couple of minutes until the whites are set and the yolks begin to tighten up. Carefully flip the eggs once, if desired, to cook them over easy, medium or hard.

Editor’s Tip: Crack each egg into a small bowl first before adding it to the pan. This helps the egg hold its shape so the yolk doesn’t break, and you’ll be able to fish out any stray shell pieces that have fallen in.

Step 5: Assemble

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In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the lemon juice and spread over the English muffin bottoms. Spread some Sriracha mayonnaise over the tops. On top of the avocado, layer the burger, then the egg and bacon.

Breakfast Burger Variations

• Use different buns: This breakfast burger is super versatile, so use any bread appropriate for a breakfast sandwich, like a brioche bun, ciabatta roll or even a bagel.
• Use a different meat: Replace the turkey with a classic ground pork breakfast sausage patty. Or, if you’re a fan of beef burgers, use ground beef instead. There are a lot of different opinions about which ground beef is best for burgers, but I think both lean and fatty meats can work well here, since it’s a thick patty with other fat mixed in.
• Change up the toppings: Top your breakfast burger with a different sauce, like a sun-dried tomato spread or homemade Russian dressing. Or cook onions into the patty like in our Oklahoma onion burgers. You could also replace the bacon with a slice of Canadian bacon, or add lettuce for color and crunch.

How to Store Breakfast Burgers

Store your leftover breakfast burgers in a couple of ways. If they’re already fully assembled, wrap them in foil or plastic so you have a quick meal that’s ready to go. Or store the burger patties and other ingredients in separate airtight containers in the fridge, then assemble your breakfast burgers whenever you’re ready to eat.

How long do breakfast burgers last?

When fully assembled, breakfast burgers are best eaten within two days, since the sauces will make the bread soggy. If the burgers are not assembled and the ingredients are stored separately, they can stay good for up to five days.

Can you freeze burgers?

Freeze the raw patties if you’d like, or freeze the assembled breakfast burger so that you can thaw it overnight and have a quick meal. If you freeze an assembled burger, I recommend leaving the Sriracha mayonnaise and avocado off until you’re ready to eat, since their textures will be affected by freezing.

How do you reheat a breakfast burger?

• From the fridge: Reheat your breakfast burger in the microwave for a minute or two until it’s warmed through and the cheese is melted again.
• From frozen: Pull the burger from the freezer the night before you want to eat it. Once it’s thawed, reheat the burger in the microwave for a minute or two, then add the Sriracha mayo and mashed avocado.

Can you make breakfast burgers in advance?

Yes, I like to make breakfast burgers ahead, since it’s such a hearty breakfast to have on hand. The English muffin holds up well for up to two days before it gets too soggy. However, if you prefer it freshly assembled, you can make all of the ingredients and quickly assemble the burgers when you’re ready to eat.

Breakfast Burger Tips

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What’s the best way to fry an egg for a breakfast burger?

This breakfast burger recipe is the perfect reason to learn how to fry an egg. Don’t skimp on the butter, and use a nonstick pan for the easiest cooking and flipping. I like mine done over medium, so they’re a bit runny but I’m not overwhelmed by the yolk. I flip my egg once the bottom is fully set and I can easily move the egg around with a spatula.

What should I cook my breakfast burger in?

Use a nonstick skillet so there’s no chance of your burger falling apart. You can try using a cast-iron skillet, too. If you get the pan nice and hot it gives you a really good sear on each side of the burger, which adds to both flavor and texture. And cooking anything fatty on the cast-iron is great because it helps season the pan.

What can you serve with a breakfast burger?

Breakfast burgers are delicious with all things breakfast, of course! Serve them for breakfast with crispy hash brown potatoes and a bowl of fruit, or have them for dinner with oven fries or Tater Tots.