Pretzel Cowboy Sliders with Bacon (Printer-friendly)
Juicy beef patties with melted cheddar, crispy bacon, fried onions, and barbecue sauce on soft pretzel buns.
# What You Need:
→ Slider Patties
01 - 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 blend
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
→ Toppings
06 - 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
07 - 8 slices cooked bacon
08 - 1 cup crispy fried onions
09 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
10 - 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
→ Assembly
11 - 8 mini pretzel slider buns
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
13 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
02 - In a bowl, combine ground beef, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix gently until just combined.
03 - Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into small patties, slightly larger than the buns.
04 - Grill patties for 3–4 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Place a slice of cheddar on each patty during the last minute of cooking to melt.
05 - Split pretzel buns and brush cut sides with melted butter. Toast buns on the grill or in a skillet until golden.
06 - Place a beef patty on each bun bottom. Top with a slice of bacon, fried onions, jalapeño slices if using, and a generous drizzle of barbecue sauce.
07 - Cover with bun tops and secure with skewers if desired. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The pretzel buns create this incredible chewy, salty foundation that regular burger buns just cant match
- These come together in under 40 minutes but taste like they came from a pub that spent hours perfecting them
02 -
- Mixing the beef too much makes tough, dense patties, so combine everything just until it holds together
- Letting the cheese melt during the last minute of cooking creates this beautiful, gooey blanket that holds all your toppings in place
03 -
- Making the patties slightly larger than the buns accounts for shrinkage during cooking and ensures complete coverage
- Room temperature beef forms more evenly than cold beef straight from the fridge, so let it sit for 15 minutes before shaping