Grill up something delicious this weekend with Chef Tom's recipe for tasty Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Cooking the bacon first and using its rendered grease to cook the onions ties the onions' flavor back to the same fat, instead of building them in a clean pan
- Placing the top bun over the bacon and the bottom bun on top of that lets both halves steam and warm from the residual heat while the patties finish, rather than staying cold while the meat cooks
- Smashing the beef balls directly on the hot griddle instead of pre-forming patties builds a wide, well-seared crust with more surface area than a thicker, unsmashed patty would develop
- Seasoning the patties twice — once after smashing, again after the flip — builds flavor into both sides individually instead of relying on one seasoning pass to season the whole burger
Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
383
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders! Load up the grill and pile up the sliders, we're eating big-time for the weekend!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb 80/20 ground beef
-
Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning
- 12 slices classic cut bacon
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
-
Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ Rub
- 6 slices American cheese, halved
- 12 Hawaiian rolls
- 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
-
2 tbsp Kozlik’s Dijon Classique Mustard
Directions
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 450ºF, set up for direct grilling (diffuser plate removed), and a Yoder Smokers Reversible Cast Iron Griddle in place over the fire box, smooth side up.
- Form your ground beef into 12 (2 oz) balls. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
- To make the sauce, combine the Duke’s mayonnaise and Kozlik’s Dijon Classique Mustard and mix well.
- Cook the bacon on the griddle to desired doneness. Remove from the grill and drain on paper towels.
- Place the thin sliced onions on the griddle. Season with Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ Rub. Toss the onions with a spatula to coat in seasoning and bacon grease. Spread out into an even layer. Cook, scraping and turning with the spatula occasionally to cook evenly. Remove the onions from the griddle when they are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Load your Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning into a spice grinder set for a fine grind.
- Place your balls of ground beef on the griddle in rows of three. Stopping to smash the beef with a large firm spatula after placing on the grill. Smash each patty to a width slightly larger than the diameter of your buns, as the patties will shrink considerably while cooking. Then season the meat with the Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning. Work in rows of three repeating this process.
When the bottoms of the patties are dark brown and seared, flip and season again with Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning. Place a half slice of cheese on top of each patty, then lay two half slices of bacon in an X shape over the cheese. Place the top half of the Hawaiian roll on the bacon, and the bottom half on top of the top bun. This allows the rolls to steam and warm as the burger finishes cooking.
- When the bottoms of the burgers are seared and the cheese is melted, remove from the griddle.
- Spread the mayo/mustard sauce on the bottom bun, then top with the grilled onions. Place the burger patty, bacon and top bun over the onions.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why cook the bacon before the onions instead of cooking them separately?
Cooking the onions in the rendered bacon grease left on the griddle ties their flavor back to the bacon, rather than building them in a clean pan with no connection to the rest of the slider.
Why stack the buns on top of the bacon while the patties finish cooking?
Setting the top half of the roll over the bacon and the bottom half on top of that lets both pieces steam and warm from residual heat, so the buns are ready the moment the patties come off instead of staying cold.
Why smash the beef balls on the griddle instead of forming patties ahead of time?
Smashing them directly on the hot surface builds a wide, well-seared crust with more surface area than a thicker, pre-formed patty would develop, since the patties also shrink considerably as they cook.
Why season the patties twice instead of once?
Seasoning after the initial smash and again after flipping builds flavor into both sides individually, rather than relying on a single seasoning pass applied only to the raw side.
What internal temperature should the patties actually reach?
This recipe only says to cook until the bottoms are seared and the cheese is melted, without stating a target temperature. Ground beef needs to reach a minimum internal temperature of 160°F to be safe check with an instant-read thermometer rather than judging by sear color and melted cheese alone.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 this comes together entirely on a flat-top griddle or in a large skillet on the stovetop; nothing about the technique requires an outdoor grill.
Recipe Highlights
Bacon-fat cooked onions: Ties the onions' flavor back to the same fat as the bacon.
Steamed buns over bacon: Keeps both halves warm without a separate toasting step.
Griddle-smashed patties: Builds a wider sear than pre-formed patties would.
Two-pass seasoning: Seasons both sides of the patty individually.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 5.33 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 383
- Carbs
- 24 grams
- Protein
- 22 grams
- Fat
- 20 grams
- Sodium
- 911 milligrams
