These messy smash burger sliders are reminiscent of my Game Day Sliders with their sauce and cheese but differ by what else is between the buns. And with the sweet buttery glaze on top of Hawaiian bread, you might need a napkin or two!
This recipe has a lot of moving parts that come together to make these sliders. But don’t be alarmed – the recipe gives you the steps to put it all together and on the table in about 30 minutes.
These sliders have sauteed sweet onions that are caramelized. The secret to achieving a nice brown color without burning the onions is to use water to help cook them. You will let them cook while you prepare the other ingredients so everything finishes at the same time.
These sliders have a sauce created with chopped dill pickles. I use a small electric chopper to chop them very fine but you can mince them by hand if you like.
I leave the choice of cheese up to you for these smash burgers. I usually use American, cheddar, or pepper jack, or all three as shown above.
I cook the bacon in the microwave between paper towels. Usually, if the bacon is thin, I cook it for one minute for each slice of bacon. This recipe uses three slices of bacon, so I let it cook for three minutes in the microwave while I work on the rest of the recipe. Always check the bacon after the cooking time to make sure it is cooked the way you like it. For crispy bacon, you might need to cook it for a little longer, and for chewy bacon, cook it a little less time. If the bacon needs more cook time, microwave it for 30-second intervals until done.
By the time you finish the other steps of this recipe, the onions should be done. I add water (1/2 cup at a time) and stir after the water boils off to see if I need to cook them any longer. You can tell when they are done when most of the onions have a brown color and they taste sweet and caramelized.
Finally, the sweet glaze is brushed on the roll tops and sides and on everything sticking out of the rolls. Then I heat them in a 350-degree F oven just until the bread is warm and the cheese melted.
These smashed burger sliders are best when they are piping hot and the burgers are not overcooked. Also, they are juiciest if you use a hamburger with a high fat to lean ratio. Enjoy!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced into rings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dill or sweet pickle, minced
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 pound hamburger (80/20 or 85/15 fat to lean ratio)
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 slices cheese, cut in half (use your favorite burger cheese)
- 3 slices bacon, cooked
- 6 Hawaiian sweet rolls
Ingredients
Caramelized Onion Topping
Mayonnaise Sauce
Topping Glaze
Smash Burgers
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- Thinly slice the onions and place them in a non-stick skillet with olive oil. Cook on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes or until they are starting to brown.
- Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and stir. Let them cook until the water evaporates. Keep adding 1/2 cup of water and let it cook off until the onions brown and caramelize. They can cook while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a small bowl, stir together the pickle, mayonnaise, and ketchup; set aside.
- Melt butter and add the Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar, and sesame seeds. Stir well and set aside.
- Cook the bacon and set it aside.
- Place a long piece of aluminum foil on a baking pan and add the Hawaiian rolls, breaking them apart. Cut off the tops of the rolls and set them aside. Add the mayonnaise sauce to the bottom of the rolls and spread it out evenly.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. F.
- Place the burger in a mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the paprika, Worcestershire, onion powder, brown sugar, ketchup, salt, and pepper and then add it to the meat and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the burger into 8 discs or balls. (Although the recipe calls for making 6 sliders, the burger usually comes in a 1-pound size so you will have 2 leftover burgers for making double-burger sliders or extras.)
- Place 3 hamburger discs in a large skillet with enough oil to lightly coat the pan. Using a spatula, press the burgers thin and leave any uneven edges. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes and flip, cooking another minute or until burgers are 132 degrees F (medium-rare) or 137 degrees F (medium). Do not overcook. Set aside with a cover to keep the burgers warm. Repeat until all the burgers are cooked.
- Add the cooked burgers to the prepared bread. Add 1/2 slice of cheese to each and then 1/2 slice of bacon.
- Divide the caramelized onions and place them on top of the bacon. Add the roll tops.
- Stir the topping glaze and then brush it all over the tops and sides of the rolls until all of the glaze is used. Fold the aluminum foil up over the burgers and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are warm. Serve immediately.
Shortcut
Cook the bacon using a microwave-safe plate covered with a paper towel beneath the bacon and a sheet on top of the bacon. Cook for 3 minutes on high. If the bacon needs more cook time, microwave in 30-second intervals, checking it between each interval.