Want your burger with onion rings too? Grill up this classic recipe for a mouthwatering Rodeo Burger! Add cheese, BBQ sauce, and a side of fries & it's heaven!
This burger with onion rings is the ultimate burger! It's so tall, you'll struggle to take your first bite. It's the perfect Burger King Rodeo Burger copycat, with thick and crispy onion rings and plenty of BBQ sauce. Great for backyard BBQs and holidays such as Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.
Table of contents
This is more than a BBQ burger. It's the juiciest, tastiest, and tallest burger you will ever make. Pile it high with all your favorite toppings and use your favorite bakery buns. This is a BBQ cheeseburger you'll be proud to show off!
You'll enjoy how this Rodeo cheeseburger tastes so much that you won't want to go back to the flat and boring fast food burgers ever again.
What is a Rodeo Burger?
It's a cheeseburger created by Burger King in conjunction with the promotion of the Small Soldiers film released in 1998. It goes on an off the menu, depending on the season.
What is in a Rodeo Burger?
A rodeo burger consists of a ground beef patty, cheese, barbecue sauce, onion rings, and a hamburger bun.
Why You'll Love this Rodeo Burger Recipe
Now you are probably wondering why I say that this Rodeo Burger is the best of all burgers. Well, not only do you get a delicious and juicy cheeseburger with plenty of barbecue sauce but you also get a whopping topping of onion rings, usually with a serving of French fries on the side.
I don't know about you, but getting both French fries AND onion rings for dinner is a winner in my book.
And the best part is that clean-up is almost non-existent. Yay! Plus, in the summer, it sure helps the house stay nice and cool.
Ingredients for this BBQ Burger with Onion Rings
- Ground beef - ground chuck is best
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Sharp cheddar cheese - or sub in your favorite kind of cheese
- Onion rings - homemade or frozen can be used
- BBQ sauce - use your favorite brand and as much or little as you like
- Hamburger buns - fresh bakery buns are the best
Ingredient Notes
Ground chuck is the best beef for burgers. Chuck has an 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio. The higher fat content makes them juicy.
Cheddar cheese can be omitted or substituted with your favorite cheese for a burger. Pepper Jack would add a little heat to the burger.
Use your favorite hamburger buns for these Rodeo cheeseburgers. Plain, sesame seed, or whole wheat are all great choices.
Use your favorite barbecue sauce. The Burger King Rodeo Burger had Bull's Eye original BBQ sauce so use it if you want to have the same flavor as the BK burger.
For the onion rings, you can make this recipe with frozen ones that you've baked or fried. Or for the best ones, make homemade air fryer onion rings.
Love bacon? Just put a few crispy cooked slices on top of the burger to make a BBQ bacon cheeseburger with onion rings.
How to Make Rodeo Burgers
- Place ground beef in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix just until blended.
- Form mix into 4 equally-sized patties. Make an indent in the top to prevent the burger from puffing up. Gather burgers along with cheese slices and buns and get ready to grill.
Recipe Tips
The best grilled burgers start with some quality ground chuck. This type of meat stays moist and juicy when grilled. The only thing you need to add is a little salt and pepper.
And don't forget to make a small depression in the middle of the patty so that your burger doesn't puff up but stays nice and flat to fit the bun.
Grill the patties for 4 to 6 minutes a side, depending on preferred doneness. Top the patties with cheese in the last few minutes of grilling so it's nice and melted.
What to Serve with Rodeo Burgers
Serve Rodeo Burgers with your favorite BBQ sauce & a heaping mound of homemade onion rings or, for convenience, a package of frozen rings.
I like to make this a quick and easy meal by adding frozen french fries. If you've never tried the Alexa brand of frozen food I would highly recommend them. (nobody paid me to say that, I just like their products).
Of course, if you have the time, you can always opt to make your own sweet potato fries or serve up our delicious roasted potato salad.
How to Store and Reheat Burger Patties
To Store: Place the patties in an airtight container or ziptop plastic bag. They will last up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Uncooked patties should be wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Cooked patties can be wrapped or placed in a freezer-safe airtight container. The frozen patties will last up to 3 months. Thaw the patties in the refrigerator overnight.
To Reheat: Cooked patties can be reheated in the oven at 400°F. Place the burgers on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat for 3 minutes then flip them over and heat for 2 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but you can add bacon if you desire. For even more texture, fry up some thick-sliced bacon until it is nice and crispy.
Yes, but you can omit it if you desire. Cheese is an optional ingredient.
The Rodeo Burger has 3 onion rings.
More Burger Recipes
- Surf and Turf Burger - a juicy beef patty with shrimp and key lime salsa.
- Red White and Blue Burger - perfect for holiday celebrations.
- Chicken Burgers - with a Mexican twist
- Carolina Burger from Quiche My Grits - is topped with chili & coleslaw
- Chorizo Burger - topped with cheese and a fried egg.
Find lots more delicious gas grill recipes here on 2CM!
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Rodeo Burger
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb. ground chuck
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅜ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 hamburger rolls
- 12 onion rings, 3 per burger
- Barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Salt and pepper ground beef, mixing well.
- Divide into 4 portions. Form into patties, making sure to mold it enough for the meat to stick together.
- Once made, form place a small thumbprint depression in the center of each patty to keep the hamburger from puffing up into a round ball during grilling.
- Make your onion rings either a frozen packaged variety or my air fryer onion rings.
- While onion rings are cooking, preheat the grill.
- Grill hamburgers for about 8 minutes for medium doneness, turning halfway through. When you have a minute left to cooking add a slice of cheese to the top. When cheese is melted, remove to a platter.
- If you prefer your hamburger buns toasted on the grill, when there is about 4 minutes left, slice them in half and put face down on grill. Check on them from time to time and watch them carefully as they can char rather quickly.
- To serve: Place cheeseburger on the bottom of a hamburger bun, top with 3 onion rings and place lettuce and a slice of tomato on top half of the bun. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with new photos, step-by-step directions, and more helpful info. It was first published on February 9, 2014.
