What Are Smash Burger Sliders
Smash burger sliders are a mini version of our classic Blackstone smash burgers. Rather than making individual smash burgers, we cooked two big ‘ol smash burger patties on the Blackstone, and stacked them on Hawaiian rolls with all the toppings. Once the cooking is done, you’ll have 12 slider-sized smash burgers to feed a crowd.
Looking for More Recipes Like This?
Then you’ve got to try our pulled pork sliders! They’re also great for feeding a crowd and don’t require a Blackstone.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- 80/20 Ground Beef – The fat content makes these burgers extra juicy. You could swap this for ground turkey or ground chicken, but know that the texture and flavor will differ from the original.
- Hawaiian Buns – Be sure to note that Hawaiian rolls come in sweet and savory varieties. Be sure to grab the savory ones as sweet can be really overpowering. These could also be swapped out for mini brioche rolls.
- Cheese – We went with the classic American cheese and it really is the best melty cheese for the job, but feel free to use white cheese or cheddar.
- Burger pickles – AKA burger chips are the perfect size for these sliders. Not a pickle fan? Just leave them out or only put them on half of the sliders.
- Blackstone – Because of how large these meat patties are, a large cooktop really is essential. If you don’t have one, make our smash burgers on a skillet!
Prep Ahead Tips For Smash Burger Sliders
Save time by making our burger sauce in advance and store it in the fridge. You could also make the meat patties in advance, storing them in the fridge on a cookie sheet separated by parchment paper and covered with plastic wrap. And make some extra bacon at breakfast and set it aside until dinner.
How To Make Smash Burger Sliders
These guys cook QUICK, so make sure you have everything prepped and ready to go prior to cooking. Next, make two beef patty rectangles that are slightly larger than your Hawaiian rolls as they will shrink during the cooking process.
Next, heat up your Blackstone cooktop and fry up some bacon. Carefully slice the Hawaiian rolls through the middle, lengthwise, spread some butter on ’em, and let them warmup on the cooktop for 1-2 minutes.
Cook both patties, side-by-side, on the cooktop, flip with two big spatulas, and then add enough cheese slices to cover the top. Then close the lid and let the cheese get nice and melty before removing both patties.
Layer the cheese covered meat patties on top of the bottom Hawaiian roll bun followed by the bacon, pickles, and burger sauce. Top it all of with the Hawaiian roll top, cut, and enjoy!
Toppings For Hamburger Sliders
We used the classic burger toppings in this recipe, but you could also add grilled onions or our quick pickled red onions, tomato slices, avocado slices, lettuce, ketchup, or mustard.
What To Serve With Smash Burger Sliders
These would be amazing with our homemade baked french fries or our slow cooker baked beans. If you’re looking for some lighter options, our grilled chicken caesar salad or our easy lemon pasta salad would both be great. Serving these at a celebration? Try out our blueberry mojitos or our strawberry basil Kentucky buck cocktails!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- what is the secret to smash burgers? A hot cooktop and the right spatulas to flip the big burger patties!
- What is the difference between a hamburger and a smash burger? The main difference is in the thickness of the patty. Traditional burger patties are about 3/4 of an inch thick while smash burgers are closer to a quarter-inch thick.
- What cheese to use on smash burgers? We love classic American cheese as it really does melt the best, but you could always use cheddar, Swiss, or provolone.
- No crumbly meat here! These burger patties stay put once cooked, so no need to worry about messy burger pieces falling out with each bite.
Variations
Take inspiration from our turkey smash burger and use ground turkey instead of beef, and fresh toppings of red pickled onions, fresh avocado slices, and white cheese.
If you make and love these smashed burger sliders as much as we do, we would appreciate you taking a minute to leave a star rating and review!
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Smash Burger Sliders
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Blackstone
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our quick and easy Smash Burger Sliders are a great option for feeding a crowd at a backyard cookout or on game day!
Ingredients
Burger Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon pickle juice
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sliders:
- 2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12oz package Hawaiian buns
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided (regular or plant-based)
- 8 thick-cut bacon slices, cut in half
- 12 American cheese slices
- burger pickles
Instructions
- Make Sauce: Put all of the burger sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix to fully combine. Set aside.
- Meat Mixture: Place the ground beef, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl and mix to fully combine. Take two large pieces of parchment paper (both larger than the size of the hawaiian buns and lay on counter top. Separate the beef into 2 equal sections and place one on each piece of parchment paper. Use your hands to spread each portion of ground beef into a large, flat rectangle (approx. 1 inch wider than the Hawaiian bun package because the meat will shrink up as it cooks). They should be approx. 1/2-1/4 inches thick.
- Butter Buns: Remove the rolls from the packaging, being careful to not break them apart. Now use a large serrated knife to cut horizontally down the middle of the rolls, so you have a top half and bottom halve. Evenly spread butter on the top section and bottom section of the cut side.
- Cook Bacon: Bring the Blackstone cooktop to a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the slices of bacon. Let cook until they reach your desired crispness, flipping occasionally. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel. Scrape excess grease off of your flat top.
- Toast Buns: Place the top and bottom sections of the buns, with the buttered side down, on the griddle to toast for 1-2 minutes. Carefully remove and set aside on a sheet pan near the Blackstone.
- Cook Meat: Keeping each section of meat on separate pieces of parchment paper, bring them out to the flattop griddle. Place each section of beef with the meat side down on the hot cooktop and peel the parchment paper off the top. Let cook for 2-3 minutes and then use 2 large, long spatulas to flip each meat section over. Add 6 slices of cheese to each section so both meat patties are covered with cheese, close the lid, and let cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Build Sliders: Using the same two large, long spatulas carefully, remove one meat section and place directly on the toasted bottom buns. Put the other meat section directly on top of that one. Add the bacon on top in a single layer, some burger pickles, and a generous drizzle of burger sauce. Add the top layer of toasted buns on top.
- Serve: Cut into individual sliders, serve with the extra burger sauce on the side for people to use if they want and enjoy!
Notes
- Burger Toppings: we love keeping it simple with bacon, pickles, and burger sauce but feel free to use your favorite burger toppings.
- Storage: these sliders are best enjoyed right away, not as quite as good as leftovers as the juices from the meat kind of soak into the bottom layer of the buns, making them a little soggy.
- Meal Prep: to make the cooking process even easier, feel free to prep the sauce, large burger patties, and even cook the bacon ahead of time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slider
- Calories: 397
- Sugar: 11.5 g
- Sodium: 888 mg
- Fat: 18.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.2 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 27.3 g
- Cholesterol: 94.2 mg
Other Smash Burger Recipes You Might Like
- These Turkey Smash Burgers are a bit lighter than the classic ground beef variety.
- These Smash Burger Tacos are such a fun twist on tacos and smash burgers.
- Chicken Caesar Smash Burger Tacos were a HUGE hit on Instagram for a reason! Light, refreshing, and so so good!
- I can never say no to street corn. Which is why I came up with these Street Corn Smash Burger Tacos.
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