Bacon Crusted Pork Smash Burgers

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Put some pork on your fork this tailgate season with our Bacon Crusted Pork Smash Burgers. These thin, double stacked smash burgers are made with fresh Alabama ground pork, crusted with bacon bits and smashed to perfection with onions and Southern Flavor seasoning.

A cheeseburger with melted cheese, ketchup, mustard, and a grilled patty is placed on a white plate next to a serving of crispy pork rinds.

This was a sponsored recipe developed in partnership with Alabama Pork Producers. All opinions expressed are my own.

We are about to change the game with these bacon crusted pork smash burgers! I love a great burger! In fact, we have just really become hooked on the smash burger craze. They are the perfect food for tailgating and with the popularity of flat top cooking, these are easy and really delicious.

And the best thing? You don’t have to have a flat top to make them. Smash burgers can be easily done on a griddle, griddle pan or even our fave, a cast iron pan right on top of the stove.

Ingredients for the best pork smash burgers!

Fresh ground pork takes center stage here. This quick cooking method helps you reach the optimal internal temperature for ground pork of 160° in no time! We use a simple seasoning, sweet onions and let the pork do the talking here!

A cheeseburger with bacon and cheese on a white plate, accompanied by several crispy chips and a bowl of salsa. A partially visible can of soda and a basket of chips are in the background. The setup is on a wooden surface outdoors.

Ground Pork – fresh and local is always best but there are options at your local market too. If you don’t see it, ask your butcher. If you are local in Alabama, visit SweetGrownAlabama.org, to find a local pork producer for the freshest and best pork options. Support a local farmer!
Cooked Bacon – this can be done ahead of time. We cook it up, let it cool and crumble it into small pieces. Best to roll the burgers in my dear!
Sweet Yellow Onion – sliced thin and perfect for a quick caramelization that pairs so well with the pork.
Garlic Southern Flavor – our favorite home grown seasoning made right here in Alabama. All of their varieties are fabulous but this garlic is perfect with the pork.
Cheese Slices – our preference is for sharp cheddar or colby jack but get crafty here and use what you love.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Cooking your bacon crusted pork smash burgers to the perfect 160° internal temp, as recommended by Pork.org, has never been easier or faster than with these beauties. Here we show you how simple it is to have something so dadgum good!

We cooked one pound of bacon good and crispy ahead of time. Drained it, allowed it to cool and crumbled with our food processor to a fine bacon garnish.

A baking sheet covered in foil holds 12 evenly spaced, uncooked meatballs. Beside the sheet, there is a partially filled bowl with a mixture that looks like breadcrumbs, and a gold measuring cup is nearby on the black counter.

Mix your ground pork with 1/4 cup of garlic southern flavor well. Portion patties, 2 per smash burger in 1/4 cup portions and roll them into balls.

A kitchen counter displays a baking tray lined with foil, holding uncooked meatballs. In the foreground, there are sliced onions on parchment paper. A jar of Southern Flavor seasoning and a measuring cup are on the side. A stove is in the background.

Slice one whole sweet onion thinly and set aside. Roll each pork burger ball in cooked and crumbled bacon, carefully forming to get bacon to stay on outer side of smash burger.

Two small, round mounds of breaded food items are placed on a dark, greasy baking sheet. The baking sheet appears well-used, with some grease and food residue visible on its surface.

Heat flat top to medium to high heat. When hot, place two burger balls and allow to sit a bit until they start to steam a bit or fat starts to render.

A hand is holding a cast iron press over a piece of parchment paper, pressing a beef patty flat on a hot griddle. The patty is partially cooked and surrounded by a greasy residue.

Using a clean piece of parchment paper and a press or heavy spatula, press each burger ball thin and allow to cook for about a minute.

A hand places sliced onions on one of two uncooked burger patties on a hot, flat griddle.

Before turning, add a handful of sliced onions to the top of one of the patties.

Close-up of a person pressing thinly sliced onions into a hamburger patty on a griddle with a wide metal spatula. Another hand is holding a scraper tool against the griddle beside the patty.

Carefully turn each patty and allow to cook for a minute or two more until browned and slightly crispy.

Two burger patties on a cooking surface, one stacked with two slices of cheese and the other plain. The patties appear to be cooking on a flat-top grill or griddle. Some crumbs and grease are visible on the cooking surface.

Top the patty without onions with one to two slices of cheese and allow to sit a few seconds until the cheese starts to melt.

A metal spatula presses down on a cheeseburger patty atop a flat griddle. The melted cheese is visible underneath the patty. The griddle surface shows some food residue around the cooking area.

Top the cheese garnished burger with the onion patty and carefully remove from the flat top.

Three smashed cheeseburgers cooking on a griddle. The burgers have melted cheese oozing out the sides and are topped with thinly sliced shallots. The griddle surface is slightly greasy.

Allow the pork smash burgers to rest for 1 to 3 minutes.

An open hamburger on a white plate. The top bun has ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. The bottom bun holds a grilled meat patty and melted cheese. The background includes a window and part of a table edge.

Add to your favorite bun, dress with your favorite condiments and enjoy!

A cheeseburger with melted cheese, ketchup, and other condiments is placed on a white plate. The burger is accompanied by a side of potato chips. A can and blurred background are visible in the backdrop.

The most PERFECT bacon crusted pork smash burger you will EVER eat! For more great pork recipes, check out our INSTANT POT PULLED PORK or even our BLUEBERRY GLAZED PORK LOIN RECIPE.

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

Smash burgers are a craze now for good reasons! They cook up quick and pack a ton of flavor. Ground pork is perfect for this burger fix because it has a ton of flavor on its own. We think it is the perfect way to have those smash burgers!

Substitutions and Variations

Smash burgers are great to make your own. We hope you will try our version too but here are some great ideas for substitutions and different takes on the recipe. Just remember to use the ground pork for the perfect smash burger every time.

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Spicy – top these beauties with pepper jack cheese or even jalapeños for a spicy kick!
Seasoning – if you don’t have any southern flavor garlic seasoning, you can use garlic powder. Just make sure that whatever seasoning you use, you either add salt or it has salt in it. Salt accentuates the flavor of the ground pork and is a must!
Onions – we love the sweetness of the vidalia with the ground pork and maximum caramelization, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand or love. Red onions will make them a bit spicy and plain white onions will be good too with a milder onion flavor. You can even skip them altogether.

Equipment

🔧 I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!

Storage

Once cooled to room temperature, these can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in a warm oven.

Prep the pork patties and roll them in the bacon bits and freeze on a sheet pan individually. After an hour or so, transfer them to a freezer bag to keep on hand. Thaw at room temperature and cook as normal.

A close-up image of two hands holding a partially eaten hamburger. The burger has visible layers of beef patty, cheese, mustard, and ketchup. A beverage with an open cap is on a surface below the hands.

⭐ LOVE THIS RECIPE? It would mean so very much to me if you would take a moment to rate this recipe and leave me a sweet comment in the recipe card below! ❤️❤️We hope you love all of the Southern and healthy recipes we share here at The Buttered Home and would love to see you back here often!

A cheeseburger with melted cheese, ketchup, and grilled onions sits on a white plate surrounded by potato chips. In the background, there is an aluminum can and another dish with a blurred green foliage backdrop.

A cheeseburger with melted cheese, pickles, ketchup, and a toasted bun is on a white plate next to a serving of chips. A can of soda is also present in the background, along with blurred elements of food on a wooden table.

Bacon Crusted Pork Smash Burgers

Turn the heat up at your next tailgate with these bacon crusted pork smash burgers. Delicious ground pork dusted with bacon bits and cooked to perfection with sweet onions and garlic southern flavor. Perfect for game day or any day of the week!

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Serving Size

Ingredients

2 pounds ground pork
1/2 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
1 Vidalia onion
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup garlic seasoning

Instructions

Cook, drain and cool bacon. Crumble or process in a food processor until small. Mix ground pork with garlic southern flavor seasoning and mix well.
2 pounds ground pork, 1/2 pound bacon, 1/4 cup garlic seasoning
Portion ground pork into 1/4 cup portions and roll into balls. Each burger will have two patties. Slice onion into thin slices. Roll each pork burger ball in crumbled bacon and set aside.
1 Vidalia onion
Heat flat top or griddle or pan to medium high heat. place two pork balls on and allow to sit a bit until fat starts to render. Use a clean sheet of parchment and place on top of a ball, press with a burger press or heavy spatula until thin. Do for both burger patties. cook for one minute on that side.
Top on patty with a handful of sliced onions and flip both burgers. Allow to cook for one or two minutes more. Top the ungarnished burger with cheese and allow it to sit until cheese starts to melt. Place patty with onion on top of cheese patty and remove from heat. Allow to rest 1 to 3 minutes. Garnish and serve.
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese

See How To Make It!

🍴 PRO TIP!

Be sure you cook only two or three at a time. These delicious burgers cook up so fast, if you have to tend to too many it can get a little chaotic. If you love being at your flat top on game day, these are perfect, “made to order”.

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

What if I don’t have a flat top?

If you know me, you know I love cooking solutions. These bites of burger heaven can be made easily on a hot griddle pan or even a cast iron pan on the stove top or even the grill. No special equipment required!

I think my flat top is too hot, what do I do?

It is easy to get busy and the cook top get too hot. If you are cooking over medium to high heat, before you drastically lower the heat, add a bit of cooking spray and lower the heat slightly so your patties don’t cook too quick.

What size should my patties be?

For a normal bun sized smash burger, we measured out 1/4 cup of seasoned, ground pork and it was the perfect size. Feel free to make them a bit smaller for smaller buns or even a bit larger for a bigger smash burger. Just make sure they each have a mate that is the same size because it is a double patty burger.

Have everything prepped and ready!

Have everything you need close by and ready to go. Prep is key here as the smash burgers cook up fast and you will need to move fast to add the onions and cheese.