Warning: These Smoked Cheeseburger Sliders Will Leave You Craving for More
An excellent dinner, or appetizer, these sliders will make your taste buds sing!
Things to know:
Are burgers good on a pellet smoker?
Yes, pellet grills are great for burgers, offering deep smoky flavor and consistent results, but they function more like convection ovens, so achieving a strong, crusty sear requires high heat, a cast-iron griddle/grill grates, or finishing them over direct flame to get that classic char. They excel at infusing flavor, especially with options like hickory or cherry pellets, and provide an easy, hands-off cooking experience for juicy burgers, though some purists prefer the intense sear of a gas or charcoal grill.
Should you flip burgers when smoking them?
You can smoke burgers without flipping, especially at lower temperatures (around 225°F) for a longer cook, relying on convection, but flipping them once or twice, or searing them at the end, provides better crust and even cooking, with some preferring a quick flip halfway or a high-heat sear after smoking. The “no-flip” method suits a true smoke flavor, while flipping or searing adds traditional grilled texture.
What’s the secret to juicy smoked burgers?
Use ground beef with a good amount of fat. Don’t overhandle the meat making the patties.
What is the difference between a slider and a burger?
A burger is a standard-sized sandwich, usually a main course, while a slider is a miniature hamburger, often served in groups as an appetizer or snack, characterized by its small size (around 2-3 ounces) and typically cooked differently, often steamed on onions or griddled. The core difference is size and serving style: burgers are large and hearty; sliders are tiny and easily eaten in a few bites, sometimes even sliding down quickly, hence the name.
How big should burger patties be for sliders?
This all depends on the size of the roll! This recipe uses 2 pounds of ground beef and makes 12 sliders. We make it easier by making just 1 very large patty, just a bit bigger than the size of the Hawaiian Rolls package.
Ingredients
2 pounds 80/20 ground beef (We don’t recommend lean beef. We used the aged ground beef we make ourselves)
2 T SPG Rub or your favorite burger seasoning (We used Cattleman’s Grill Road House Rub)
2 T unsalted butter, separated
1 large red onion, diced
1 T minced garlic
1 12-pack Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
¼ cup stone ground mustard
6 slices sharp cheddar cheese (or, we used a package of Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar)
12 dill pickle slices
2 T everything bagel seasoning
1. Set you smoker to 250F using fruit wood or oak.
2. In a large bowl combine the ground beef and the beef seasoning. Mix lightly. Then on a sheet pan with parchment paper start forming the burger patty into a large rectangle. You want the rectangle to be slightly larger than the dimensions of the Hawaiian sweet rolls pack because the beef will shrink slightly as it smokes (about 1 inch wider by length and width). To be specific, we rolled out the beef rectangle to 10″ by 7″ wide.
3. Place you “meat sheet” onto the smoker and cook until the internal temperature of the ground beef is between 158 – 160F. Remove the beef, then get the heat in the grill up to 375F.
4. As the “meat sheet” is smoking. In a large cast iron pan add oil and butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions and slowly stir every few minutes. Continue for 20 minutes or until they are a golden brown color. For the last minute, add the garlic and stir to mix.
5. Cut the rolls in half down the center. Spread the ground mustard on the bottom half. Next add the smoked “meat sheet”. Cover with the cheese slices and then the caramelized onions. Add one pickle per slider and then the tops of the rolls. Finally apply the melted butter to the top of the rolls and sprinkle the everything seasoning.
6. Place the sliders back into the grill (as one whole piece) and finish for 5-10 minutes. The rolls will turn a golden color and the cheese will melt. Remove and place onto a cutting board. Slice into individual sliders using a knife and then they are ready to serve. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640S Smoker
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