Juicy Mini Hamburgers (Printable version)

Tender mini beef patties topped with cheese, pickles, and creamy sauce in soft buns for easy entertaining.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef Patties

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80/20 blend)
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - ½ tsp black pepper
04 - ½ tsp garlic powder

→ Special Sauce

05 - 4 tbsp mayonnaise
06 - 2 tbsp ketchup
07 - 1 tbsp yellow mustard
08 - 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
09 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
10 - ½ tsp onion powder

→ Sliders Assembly

11 - 12 mini slider buns
12 - 6 slices cheddar cheese, halved
13 - 12 dill pickle slices
14 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
15 - 1 small tomato, thinly sliced (optional)
16 - 1 cup shredded lettuce (optional)
17 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
18 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, smoked paprika, and onion powder in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
02 - In a large bowl, gently mix ground beef with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Portion into 12 equal sizes and form patties slightly larger than the buns.
03 - Preheat skillet or grill to medium-high. Cook patties 2–3 minutes per side until browned and fully cooked. Place half a cheddar slice on each patty in the last minute to melt.
04 - Brush cut sides of buns with melted butter. Toast in a skillet or oven until golden brown.
05 - Spread special sauce on top and bottom buns. Layer each bottom bun with a cheesy patty, pickle slice, and optional onion, tomato, and lettuce. Close with top bun and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
06 - Serve sliders immediately while hot for best flavor and texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're small enough that you can eat three without feeling guilty, but flavorful enough that you absolutely will.
  • The special sauce is nothing fancy, but it's the secret reason people keep coming back for more.
  • You can have hot, melted-cheese sliders ready in under 40 minutes start to finish.
02 -
  • Don't flatten your patties while they cook—I learned this the hard way when they turned into hockey pucks instead of juicy little burgers.
  • The 80/20 beef ratio is worth tracking down, because leaner beef will disappoint you, and fattier beef will be greasy.
  • Cheese matters most in the last minute of cooking when it can melt slowly and evenly over the hot patty.
03 -
  • Keep your hands slightly damp when forming patties so the meat doesn't stick and tear apart.
  • If you're cooking for a large group, you can batch-cook the patties and keep them warm in a low oven while you toast buns and assemble, but don't hold them warm longer than 10 minutes or they'll dry out.
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