A1 Thick & Hearty Burger

Inspired by Whataburger

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In under a year, I’ve put together 100 recipes for this site. To mark this occasion I put together several ideas that could really highlight my kitchen skills before I started thinking, what’s the fun in that? If there’s one thing I miss from living back in Texas, it’s Whataburger. Ask any Texan and they’ll all agree that there is no better fast food burger. Personally, I love their A1 Thick & Hearty Burger and occasionally find myself with a huge craving. With no outlet here in New York, it’s about time I took matters into my own hands.

INGREDIENTS

A1 THICK & HEARTY BURGER (Makes 1 burger, multiply as needed):

  • 6 oz ground beef chuck

  • 1 slices of yellow American cheese

  • 1 slice of bacon

  • ¼ white onion, chopped

  • Large burger bun

  • 2 TBS butter

  • A1 Thick & Hearty Sauce

  • Salt, pepper, & garlic powder for seasoning

  • Canola oil

GO FOR IT

A1 THICK & HEARTY BURGER:

  1. On wax paper, form meat into 2 thin 3 oz patties slightly larger than your buns, then place in freezer for 15 minutes as you prep your other ingredients

  2. In a skillet or flat top grill, cook your chopped onions on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft, translucent, and slightly browned, then remove from heat and drain on paper towel

  3. Using same skillet or grill, cook bacon to desired crispiness, then remove from heat and drain on paper towel

  4. Smear butter on inside of burger bun and place in a toaster over until browned

  5. When ready, heat a cast iron, flat top, or griddle with a little bit of oil over medium-high heat

  6. Remove patties from freezer and season with salt, pepper, & garlic on the exposed side, before placing seasoned side down onto griddle or cast iron and seasoning other sides as cooking begins

  7. Thin patties will cook quickly, so flip after about 45 to 60 seconds, then place a slice of cheese on one patty and cook additional 45 to 60 seconds

  8. Stack patties on bottom bun so that cheese is in the middle

  9. Top patties with bacon, then grilled onions, then A1 sauce before topping with top bun

  10. Eat and enjoy immediately

NOTES:

One thing Whataburger is known for is it’s larger than normal burgers. Their buns are 5 inches in diameter. Online the only 5 inch buns easily accessible to the public that I could find were at Sam’s Club. I don’t have a membership and couldn’t find 5 inch packaged buns anywhere on my own so I ended up grabbing one of those freshly baked buns you can find at most supermarket bakeries. It was a bit larger than your normal fast food burger bun but as a gourmet home version of this burger, it worked wonderfully. See what you can find but the point remains that if making an imitation Whataburger, you’re gonna want a larger than normal bun.

To fit a large bun your patty has to be very thin (as is normal with most fast food). If you measure out 3 oz patties then in order to cover your bun you’ll have no choice but to make them thin and this is where the freezer helps. Trying to place them directly on the grill without allowing the freezer to stiffen them up slightly first is going to result in the patty falling apart while you’re working with it so please don’t skip this simple step that will definitely help you out.

It will also help to take your spatula and slightly score the raw side of meat as the first side cooks. This will stop these thin patties from cupping as they cook which can be pretty common if your patties are thin enough. A light tap will do just fine. Don’t chop through your patty.

The internet is torn on the exact seasoning used on a Whataburger. Some say just salt and pepper, others say garlic powder is used too. I decided to use garlic powder and thought this entire burger turned out sensational so I’m going to say do it. Up to you, though.