Sharing is caring!

If you're looking for a burger that is big, messy, cheesy, smoky, and packed with flavor, this BBQ Cowboy Burger is exactly what you need. A juicy grilled burger is piled high with homemade pimento cheese, sharp cheddar, smoky bacon, sweet grilled onions, fresh tomato, and plenty of barbecue sauce.

This is not your basic backyard burger. It's the kind of burger you make when you're firing up the grill for a summer cookout and want something that feels a little over the top—in the best possible way.

The combination of creamy pimento cheese and barbecue sauce gives this burger a Southern twist, while crispy bacon and grilled onions add that classic cowboy burger flavor.

Why You'll Love This BBQ Cowboy Burger

There is so much going on with this burger, but somehow all those flavors work perfectly together.

The beef is smoky and juicy from the grill, the pimento cheese is creamy and tangy, and the sharp cheddar adds even more cheesy goodness. Then you get a little sweetness from the grilled onions and barbecue sauce, saltiness from the bacon, and freshness from the tomato.

It's basically everything I want on a burger piled onto one bun.

And while there are several toppings, you can prep most of them before you ever start grilling.

Ingredients for BBQ Cowboy Burger

For the burgers, you'll need:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably 80/20
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 hamburger buns
• Butter for toasting the buns

For the Toppings BBQ Cowboy Burger

• Homemade pimento cheese
• 8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
• 1 large onion, sliced into thick rings
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• Your favorite BBQ sauce

You can use store-bought pimento cheese if you're short on time, but homemade pimento cheese really takes these burgers to another level.

How to Make a BBQ Cowboy Burger

1. Cook the Bacon

Start by cooking the bacon until it's nice and crispy. Transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside while you prepare everything else.

You can make the bacon earlier in the day and refrigerate it until you're ready to assemble the burgers.

2. Prepare the Burgers

Divide the ground beef into four equal portions and gently shape each portion into a patty.

Try not to overwork the meat. The more you handle ground beef, the tougher your finished burgers can become.

Make the patties slightly larger than your hamburger buns because they will shrink a little as they cook.

Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.

3. Grill the Onions

Brush your onion slices lightly with oil and place them on a hot grill.

Cook until they're softened and have those beautiful charred grill marks, flipping once during cooking.

I like leaving the onions in fairly thick slices so they don't fall apart on the grill.

4. Grill the Burgers

Place the burger patties on a preheated grill and cook until they reach your preferred level of doneness.

During the last minute or two of cooking, place a slice of sharp cheddar cheese on each burger and close the grill lid so the cheese gets nice and melty.

For food safety, ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

5. Toast the Buns

Lightly butter the cut sides of the hamburger buns and place them cut-side down on the grill for a minute or two.

Don't skip this step!

A toasted bun adds flavor, but it also helps keep all that pimento cheese and BBQ sauce from immediately soaking into the bread.

How to Assemble Your Cowboy Burger

Now comes the fun part.

Spread some BBQ sauce on the bottom bun and add your grilled cheeseburger patty.

Then pile on:

• Homemade pimento cheese
• Grilled onions
• Crispy bacon
• Sliced tomato
• Extra BBQ sauce

Finish with the top bun and get plenty of napkins ready!

There really isn't a wrong way to stack these burgers. If you love BBQ sauce, add more. If you're a huge pimento cheese fan, pile it on.

That's the beauty of making burgers at home.

The Pimento Cheese Makes This Burger

Of all the toppings on this BBQ Cowboy Burger, the pimento cheese might be my favorite.

Pimento cheese is already fantastic on crackers, sandwiches, and burgers, but pairing it with smoky grilled beef and barbecue sauce is something special.

It melts slightly from the heat of the burger while still staying thick and creamy. Combined with the melted sharp cheddar underneath, you get two completely different layers of cheesy flavor.

Yes, we're putting two kinds of cheese on one burger.

And I have absolutely no regrets about that.

What's the Best BBQ Sauce for Cowboy Burgers?

Use whichever barbecue sauce you already love.

A sweet and smoky sauce works especially well because it complements the bacon and grilled onions. If you like a little heat, try a spicy BBQ sauce or add a few sliced jalapeños to your burger.

A tangier vinegar-based barbecue sauce can also help balance the richness of the bacon and cheeses.

Tips for the Best Grilled Burgers

Use 80/20 ground beef. A little fat helps keep grilled burgers juicy and flavorful.

Don't press the burgers with your spatula. Pressing them while they're cooking pushes those flavorful juices right out.

Make an indentation in the center. Press your thumb gently into the center of each raw patty before grilling. This helps keep the burgers from puffing up in the middle.

Season right before grilling. Salt and pepper are really all you need for a great burger.

Toast those buns. These burgers have a lot of juicy toppings, so a sturdy toasted bun makes a big difference.

Have everything ready before the burgers come off the grill. Burgers are best served hot, so prepare your bacon, tomato, pimento cheese, BBQ sauce, and other toppings ahead of time.

Cowboy Burger Variations

Once you've made the original, there are plenty of ways to change it up.

For a Spicy Cowboy Burger, add pickled jalapeños and use a spicy barbecue sauce.

For a Carolina Cowboy Burger, top it with a scoop of creamy coleslaw.

For an extra smoky version, use smoked cheddar instead of sharp cheddar.

You could even turn this into a Cowboy Burger Bar for a summer party. Grill a batch of burgers and set out pimento cheese, several kinds of sliced cheese, bacon, grilled onions, tomatoes, pickles, jalapeños, and a few different barbecue sauces. Everyone can build their own.

What to Serve with BBQ Cowboy Burgers

These burgers are pretty hearty, so simple cookout sides are perfect.

Try serving them with:

• French fries or potato wedges
• Onion rings
• Potato salad
• Pasta salad
• Coleslaw
• Baked beans
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Macaroni and cheese
• Fresh watermelon
• Pickles

For a backyard cookout, I love putting out a few cold sides ahead of time and then cooking the burgers right before everyone is ready to eat.

Can I Make These Ahead of Time?

You can definitely prep most of the components ahead of time.

The pimento cheese can be made several days in advance and kept refrigerated. You can also cook the bacon, slice the tomatoes, and prepare the onions earlier in the day.

Form your burger patties and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to grill.

Then all that's left to do is grill the onions and burgers, toast the buns, and assemble everything.

Storage and Reheating

If you have leftover burger patties, store them separately from the toppings and buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat the burgers and then assemble them with fresh toppings.

I don't recommend storing completely assembled burgers because the BBQ sauce, tomato, and pimento cheese can make the buns soggy.

The Ultimate Summer BBQ Cowboy Burger

This BBQ Cowboy Burger has everything a good cookout burger should have—juicy grilled beef, melted cheese, smoky bacon, grilled onions, and plenty of barbecue sauce.

But that scoop of creamy homemade pimento cheese is what really makes it stand out.

Serve these at your next backyard barbecue with potato salad, baked beans, and something cold to drink, and you've got one seriously delicious summer meal.

Love burger recipes? Check These Out

• Blackstone Smashburgers
• Blackstone Smashburger Asian Tacos
• Blackstone Smashburger Big Mac Tacos