Bourbon Bacon Burger
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 strips maple bacon, cut in half
3/4 pound ground beef (80 percent lean)
1 tablespoon minced onion 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 slices Colby Jack cheese (or Monterey Jack)
2 Kaiser rolls
Lettuce and tomato
Zesty Burger Sauce:
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat air fryer to 390 degrees and pour a little water into the bottom of the device’s drawer. (This will help prevent the grease that drips into the bottom drawer from burning and smoking.)
Combine bourbon and brown sugar in a small bowl. Place the bacon strips in the air fryer basket and brush with the brown sugar mixture. Air-fry for 4 minutes. Flip the bacon over, brush with more brown sugar and air-fry for an additional 4 minutes, until crispy.
While the bacon is cooking, make the burger patties: Combine the ground beef, onion, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly with your hands and shape the meat into 2 patties.
Lower the air fryer temperature to
370 degrees. Place patties in the air fryer basket and air-fry for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how you like them cooked (15 minutes for rare to mediumrare; 20 minutes for well-done). Flip the burgers over halfway through the cooking process.
While burgers cook, make the burger sauce by combining the barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, paprika and black pepper to taste in a bowl.
When the burgers are cooked to your liking, top each patty with a slice of Colby Jack cheese and air-fry for an additional minute, just to melt the cheese. (You might want to pin the cheese slice to the burger with a toothpick to prevent it from blowing off in your air fryer.) Spread the sauce on the inside of the Kaiser rolls, place the burgers on the rolls and top with the bourbon bacon, lettuce and tomato.
Serves 2.
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cherry preserves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat air fryer (see notes) to 350 degrees. Brush turkey breast all over with olive oil. Combine thyme, sage, salt and pepper and rub the outside of the turkey breast with the spice mixture. Place seasoned turkey breast in the air fryer basket, breast side up, and air-fry for 25 minutes.
Turn the turkey breast on its side and air-fry for another 12 minutes. Turn the turkey breast on the opposite side and air-fry for another 12 minutes. The internal temperature of the turkey breast should reach 165 degeees when fully cooked.
While the turkey is air-frying, combine the cherry preserves, thyme, soy sauce and pepper in a small bowl. When the cooking time is up, return the turkey breast to an upright position and brush the glaze all over the turkey. Air-fry for a final 5 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned and crispy. Let the turkey rest, loosely tented with foil, for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 6 to 8.
Notes: All turkeys are built differently, so depending on the turkey breast and how your butcher has prepared it, you may need to trim the bottom of the ribs in order to get the turkey to sit upright in the air fryer basket without touching the heating element. The key to this recipe is getting the right sized turkey breast. Once you’ve managed that, the rest is easy, so make sure your turkey breast fits into the air fryer basket before you preheat the device.
Also, you’ll need a larger air fryer (5-quart or bigger) to make this recipe. If you have a 3-quart air fryer, you can cook a 3-pound bone-in split turkey breast. Just cut the seasonings and glaze ingredients in half, and you may need to trim a little of the base of the breast bone away so it fits in the basket. Don’t worry if it’s a tight fit, because the turkey will shrink a little once it is cooked. Cook for 20 minutes breast side up, then 20 minutes breast side down and finally another 15 minutes breast side up. Then, glaze the turkey and cook it for 5 more minutes.