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8.3BM score
Copycat Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Burger with Onion Straws
Community Rating7.8 · 2 votes
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About
This one is a copycat: the restaurant original taken apart and rebuilt with ingredients you can actually buy. The shopping list that matters: buttermilk, vegetable oil, flour and salt. The step that decides how it turns out: set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. It scored 8.3 out of 10 here after cooking it exactly as written. The full method runs to 8 steps below, with the ingredient list above it. Read the whole thing once before you start: a couple of the steps overlap and it saves a burnt batch.
Ingredients
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- White onion1 cup very thinly sliced sweet onion (8 oz.)
- Buttermilk1.5 cups buttermilk
- Vegetable oil5 cups Vegetable oil, for frying
- All-purpose flour0.75 cup flour
- Salt1 teaspoon salt, divided
- Black pepper0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- Cayenne pepper0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Paprika0.25 teaspoon paprika
- Paprika0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Celery salt0.25 teaspoon celery salt
- Chili powder0.25 teaspoon chili powder
- Garlic powder0.25 teaspoon garlic powder
- Onion powder0.25 teaspoon onion powder
- Ground beef1.5 pounds ground chuck or 80% lean ground beef
- Vegetable oil1 tablespoon canola oil
- BBQ sauce0.25 cup bottled whiskey-flavored barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
- Cheddar4 slices Cheddar cheese
- Sesame seed bun4 sesame seed hamburger buns
- Mayonnaise0.5 cup mayonnaise
- Tomato8 thin tomato slices
- Iceberg lettuce1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
Recipe
- 1Combine onions and buttermilk in a bowl and soak at room temperature for 1 hour.
- 2Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet or pot or a deep-fat fryer; heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- 3Meanwhile whisk together flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika in a large bowl for the breading. Remove onions from buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off. Toss onions in the breading until well coated.
- 4Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Working in 3 batches, fry onions, turning occasionally to break up any clumps, until crisp and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to drain. Repeat with remaining onions.
- 5For rub, stir together 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, celery salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Shape beef into 4 patties, about 4 inches in diameter. Brush patties with oil; sprinkle both sides with rub.
- 6Preheat grill to medium-high and lightly oil grate. Grill patties, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until slightly charred.
- 7Flip patties; brush barbecue sauce evenly over patties. Continue cooking about 3 minutes more or until charred and a thermometer inserted into centers registers 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Top patties with cheese; grill, covered, until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Grill buns, cut sides down, uncovered, until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- 8Spread buns with mayonnaise and additional barbecue sauce. Fill buns with patties, onion straws, tomato, and lettuce. Serve immediately.
