Brown Sugar Pork Burger with Pulled Pork
Brown Sugar Pork Burger with Pulled Pork
Two kinds of pork, one burger. That’s the entire premise of this build, a ground pork patty seasoned with Kinder’s Brown Sugar Rub, grilled to 145°F, then topped with warm pulled pork and creamy coleslaw on a toasted bun.
Two cuts of pork on one bun, the kind of stacking our grilling recipes encourage.
The ground pork patty is the foundation. Use 80/20, the 20% fat is what keeps it from drying out on a hot grill. Season both sides with the Kinder’s Brown Sugar Rub: it builds a crust with caramel-brown edges and a slow heat underneath that pairs exactly right with the savory pulled pork on top.
Brown Sugar Rub flavors both the patty and the pulled pork. The brown sugar caramelizes on the grill, the salt and spice balance the sweetness, and the resulting crust seals in the fat as the patty cooks. That surface is what makes the pulled pork topping feel like it belongs, not just piled on, but integrated.
The process is clean. Preheat the grill to 450°F. Sear the patties 3–5 minutes, flip, cook another 3 minutes, then move to indirect heat until they hit 145°F. While the patties cook, warm the pulled pork in a saucepan with BBQ sauce, just enough to coat and heat through. Toast the buns. Build the burger: coleslaw on the bottom, patty in the middle, pulled pork on top.
Four components, one grill. The result reads like something off a menu.
One thing before you start: form the patties gently. Overworked ground pork gets dense and dry. Use light pressure, press a small thumb indent in the center of each patty to keep them flat on the grate, and let them rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling. That rest matters, cold pork dropped straight on a hot grill messes with the sear.
This serves 4 and holds up anywhere, backyard cookout, weeknight dinner, or a build-your-own burger spread. The pulled pork mixture keeps for days; the patties can be formed ahead and refrigerated up to 24 hours.
Flavor First.
Brown Sugar Pork Burger Topped with Pulled Pork
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat an outdoor gas grill to high heat (450°F).
- Form ground pork into 4 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick. Make a thumb indentation in the center of each patty.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the Kinder’s Brown Sugar Rub.
- Coat the pork patties evenly on both sides with the brown sugar mixture.
- Let patties sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling.
- Place patties on the grill and sear until browned and crispy on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes.
- Flip patties and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Move patties to indirect heat and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- While the patties cook, heat the pulled pork in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add BBQ sauce to the saucepan with the pulled pork and stir well.
- Continue heating for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and the sauce coats the pork.
- Toast hamburger buns on the grill for about 1 minute until lightly golden.
- Layer coleslaw on the bottom bun, then top with the cooked pork patty.
- Spoon the warm pulled pork and BBQ sauce mixture generously over the patty.
- Place the top bun on the burger and serve immediately while everything is warm.
Nutrition
Notes
- Fat content is non-negotiable — Use 80/20 ground pork. Drop below 20% fat and the patties dry out before they hit 145°F internal. Leaner pork makes a leaner, drier burger.
- Rest before the grill — Let formed patties sit at room temp for 20 minutes before they go on a 450°F grate. Cold pork kills the sear and extends cook time unevenly.
- Thumb indent, always — Press a small dimple in the center of each raw patty. It keeps the burger flat as it cooks and prevents the dome-and-shrink problem every pork burger runs into.
- Sauce the pulled pork — Pulled pork alone goes dry on top of a hot burger. Two minutes in a saucepan with BBQ sauce gives it the right coating and temp for the build.
- Store-bought pulled pork is fine — Deli-counter or vacuum-packed slow-cooked pulled pork cuts prep to near nothing. Focus your technique on the patty — that’s where this recipe lives.
- Toast the buns on the grill — One minute on the grate while the patties rest. It adds structural integrity and a small char note that balances the sweet rub.
- The natural pair is something with crunch and cut. Crispy fries or sweet potato fries match the burger’s weight. Grilled corn with chili butter follows through on the cookout angle without competing.
- For drinks, a brown ale or amber lager runs parallel to the rub — malty, slightly sweet, cut by carbonation. Cold and simple is right for this build.
- If you’re running a larger spread, set out extra coleslaw, pickled jalapeños, and additional BBQ sauce so people can add on. The core burger is complete on its own; the extras make it an event.
- Cooked patties keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water and a lid — the steam warms them through without drying the crust out completely. Avoid the microwave if you can.
- Raw patties can be formed, wrapped individually in plastic wrap, and refrigerated up to 24 hours or frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before grilling.
- The pulled pork and BBQ sauce mixture stores separately in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat, adding a small splash of water or stock if the sauce has tightened up.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground beef instead of ground pork?
Yes. Use an 80/20 ground beef blend and cook it to 160°F internal instead of 145°F. The Kinder’s Brown Sugar Rub works just as well on beef, expect a slightly different flavor profile but the same crust.
What pulled pork should I use?
Store-bought deli-counter or vacuum-packed pulled pork works well and keeps prep fast. Leftover smoked or slow-cooked pulled pork is even better. Warm it in a saucepan with BBQ sauce either way.
Can I make this indoors without a grill?
Yes. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook patties 3–4 minutes per side until they reach 145°F internal. Your oven’s broiler on high is another option.
What coleslaw works best here?
Creamy and tangy, not sweet. The brown sugar rub already brings the sweetness, the coleslaw needs to cut through it with acidity and cool it with the mayo base. Store-bought works; so does a quick shredded cabbage mix with mayo and apple cider vinegar.
How do I keep the patties from falling apart?
Two things: fat content and handling. Keep ground pork at 80/20 and don’t overwork it when forming. Mix only until the meat just holds together and stop.
Can I prep the patties ahead of time?
Yes. Form and wrap the raw patties, refrigerate up to 24 hours. Pull them out 20 minutes before grilling to take the chill off before they hit the grate.
More like this: Summer Grilling Recipes · Kinder’s Recipes
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