Gourmet Burger Infused Duck Fat Recipe: 5 Gourmet Toppings

This gourmet burger infused duck fat recipe is the kind of burger that is genuinely hard to go back from. A smash burger duck fat–fried patty with Montreal steak seasoning, topped with melted gorgonzola cheese, balsamic red onions, grilled mushrooms, and crispy bacon — then piled onto a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mustard. Cannabis-infused duck fat is the optional upgrade that turns this into an edible. Even without the infusion, this is one of the best burgers you will ever make at home.

Ingredients for the Gourmet Burger Infused Duck Fat Recipe

For the Burger

• Ground beef patties (80/20 for best flavor)
• Duck fat (infused or regular) — 1–2 tablespoons
• Montreal steak seasoning
• Gorgonzola cheese (crumbled)
• Burger buns (brioche preferred; toasted)

Gorgonzola Burger with Balsamic Onions and Toppings

• Bacon (cut into pieces)
• Red onion (sliced into half moons)
• Balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinaigrette reduced down)
• Mushrooms (sliced)
• Lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard

How to Make the Gourmet Burger Infused Duck Fat Recipe

Step 1: Cook the Bacon and Balsamic Onions

Add a small amount of oil to a flat-top griddle or heavy pan over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and start rendering them down. Once the bacon begins to color, add the sliced red onions and pour a generous splash of balsamic glaze over everything. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the onions are soft and caramelized — this is the foundation of the gorgonzola burger with balsamic onions. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Keep the bacon fat in the pan.

Step 2: Grill the Mushrooms

In the same pan (no additional oil needed — the bacon fat is enough), cook the sliced mushrooms until they are just done but not mushy. Set aside with the bacon and onions. Standard grilled mushrooms work perfectly here; you do not need to season them heavily because the rest of the burger carries plenty of flavor.

Step 3: Smash Burger Duck Fat Technique

Add a tablespoon of duck fat (infused or regular) to the clean griddle over high heat. Place the ground beef patty on the hot surface and immediately press it down hard with a burger press or heavy spatula — this creates the smash burger duck fat crust that makes the texture special. Season the top side with Montreal steak seasoning. Cook until the edges start to crust, add more duck fat alongside the patty, then flip. Add crumbled gorgonzola cheese immediately after the flip and tent with a lid or bowl to help it melt. Total cook time: approximately 3–4 minutes per side on high heat.

Step 4: Toast the Buns and Assemble

Toast the burger buns on the griddle for 30–60 seconds — this prevents the bun from absorbing too much moisture from the ketchup and toppings. Add ketchup and mustard to both halves, then layer: burger patty with melted gorgonzola, balsamic onions and bacon, grilled mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato. The duck fat infused cannabis burger optional dose comes from the amount of infused fat used during cooking — start with less if you are estimating potency.

3 Ways to Infuse This Gourmet Burger

This gourmet burger infused duck fat recipe works with several cannabis infusion methods:

• Option 1 — Infused duck fat: The most flavorful approach. Infuse duck fat using decarbed cannabis the same way you would cannabutter — gently heat the fat with decarbed flower, infuse for 2–3 hours, strain. Use this duck fat infused cannabis burger fat to fry the patty. The high smoke point of duck fat (375°F/190°C) helps preserve cannabinoids better than butter.
• Option 2 — Cannabis pulp in the patty: Mix dried cannabis pulp (leftover from making cannabutter or oil) directly into the raw ground beef before forming the patties. This is the cannabis pulp burger patty approach — potency is less predictable but the flavor of the pulp is completely masked by the beef and seasonings.
• Option 3 — Infused butter as a substitute: Replace duck fat with infused cannabutter. The smoke point is lower so use slightly lower heat. The flavor profile changes slightly but the result is still a genuinely great burger.