Wagyu burger with cheddar and bacon on a brioche bun
Winner 2024 
A classic burger with cheddar, bacon, tomato, lettuce and onion—but not just *any* burger. This is an Australian Wagyu burger: beautifully marbled and packed with flavour. You can serve it with a nice sauce on the side, but honestly? Wagyu brings so much taste on its own that we’d say: skip the sauce. Or serve it on the side. Same goes for the onion and tomato—you can always decide later!
Prepping the burger
Slice the onion into rings, cut the tomato and pickles into slices, and shred the lettuce. For a fresh twist, you can toss the lettuce with a splash of white wine vinegar. Optional, of course.
If you find raw red onion a bit too sharp, sauté it gently in some olive oil with a pinch of sea salt. Totally up to you—you can also leave the onion out entirely if you find it overpowering.
Decide in advance what sauce (if any) you want to lightly spread on the bun. We went with a mustard mayo (2 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard) and served ketchup on the side. But sauce is a personal thing—do what you like!
Slice your brioche buns ahead of time.
Cooking the Wagyu burger
Once you’ve prepped everything, it’s time to get cooking. Use two separate pans: one for the burgers and one for the bacon. Start the bacon on medium heat so it crisps up slowly—no need for oil or butter. For the burgers, use a non-stick skillet. Rub the burgers with a touch of olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper and a little sea salt. Place them in the pan (two at a time) and press them down lightly.
Here’s a tip: after a minute, you can brush the cooked side of the burger with a bit of mustard and chipotle. Chipotle is a great pantry staple—it adds smokiness to your burgers or even your dressings. We skipped it here because the Wagyu already brings so much flavour, but it’s definitely worth trying sometime.
Cook the burgers for about 1 minute per side on high heat (depending on thickness). Then top with bacon and cheese, add a splash of water to the pan, and cover with a heatproof bowl to melt the cheese—about 30 seconds. Meanwhile, toast your sliced brioche buns in the bacon pan.
Building the burger
Take the buns out of the pan, spread a little mustard mayo on the bottom half, and stack with lettuce, the Wagyu burger with melted cheddar and bacon, tomato, and onion. Serve with ketchup and pickles on the side—and you’re good to go.
Serve your burgers immediately or the buns will get soggy. But honestly—who’s waiting when a Wagyu burger is staring you down?
ENJOY!
