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Jack Daniels Burgers (T.G.I. Friday's Copycat Recipe)


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4.9 from 8 reviews

  • Author: Morgan
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Description

These delicious burgers taste almost exactly like the ones from TGI Friday's, but-- dare I say-- even better. Even if you're a beginner at the grill, I'll walk you through every step for the most impressive burger you've ever made.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Jack Daniels Glaze:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup white onion, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Burgers:

  • 2 pounds ground sirloin (or other ground beef, with around 20% fat)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 6 slices white cheddar or provolone cheese
  • 12 slices bacon (about 1/2 of a one pound package)
  • 6 hamburger buns
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 6 large leaves lettuce
  • Hamburger pickle chips

Instructions

For the Jack Daniels Glaze:

  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, and then immediately reduce to a low simmer. Add the remaining glaze ingredients and stir to combine.
  2. Let the mixture simmer for about an hour, or until it becomes syrupy and reduces by half. Don't turn up the heat if you can avoid it, low heat is key to making the perfect glaze without burning the sugar. Be sure not to let the glaze boil up.

For the Burgers:

  1. Divide the ground sirloin into 6 equal-sized portions. They should be about the size of tennis balls.
  2. Very gently, round out each ball and then flatten each ball to create your patty. You want to make sure to do this all very gently, and you don't want to over-handle the meat. 
  3. Gently press your thumb into the center of each patty to make a slight indent. This will prevent the burgers from bloating as they cook, so you won't have to flatten them while grilling. Season with salt and pepper and set aside while you prepare the bacon.
  4. Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and line out your bacon on top. The bacon can be very close together, but you don't want it to overlap. You may need to use two pans.
  5. Place the pan or pans in the cold oven and then heat to 400° F.
  6. After 17 minutes, check your bacon. If it's completely crispy, take it out. If not, check every 3 minutes until it is done. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess grease.
  7. Preheat the grill to high heat. When it's ready, place the burgers on the hottest part of the grill.
  8. After 5 minutes or so, you should notice the juices as they begin to fill the divots in the top of your burger. This means that the meat is cooking in the middle, and they should be ready to be flipped.
  9. Gently flip the burgers and grill for about a minute before you brushing on the Jack Daniels glaze using a basting brush. Let cook for another 2 minutes, and then top with the cheese. Close the lid to melt the provolone cheese onto the burger. When the cheese is melted (it should only take a minute or so), you're ready to serve the burger.
  10. If you're not sure your burgers are done, check with an instant read thermometer. The USDA recommends at least 160°F for ground meat. All grills are different, so if you're not sure, it's better to check.
  11. Let the burgers sit as you toast the buns. Then, add a little extra glaze to the bottom of each bun, then add the burger and all of the fixings you like! Serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe makes more glaze than necessary for the 6 burgers, but reserve the rest for later.

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: American