Smash Burger Sliders

I couldn't let summer go by without coming up with a tasty homemade burger recipe. These mini smash burger sliders will be your summer appetizer go to. Weirdly, it's just as easy to make homemade burgers as it is to buy frozen patties from the store.

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Smashburger Sliders

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 16 burgers

INGREDIENTS

For the Buns (or use 16 store bought slider buns)

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast

• 1 cup warm water

• 3 tbs sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose

• 1/4 cup melted butter

For the Burgers

• 1 lb ground beef

• Salt and pepper

• 16 slices of cheddar cheese

For the Burger Sauce

• 1/4 heaping cup mayo

• 1/4 cup mustard

• 2 tbs ketchup

• 1 tbs white vinegar

• 2 tbs dill pickle, finely minced

• 1 cloves garlic, grated

• 1/4 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. If using store-bought slider buns, skip to step 3. If making the burger buns from scratch, preheat the oven to 425 F. Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a kitchen mixer. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it blooms, then add the vegetable oil, egg, salt, and 1 cup of flour. With the dough attachment on low, mix the dough until the flour is combined. Add the remaining flour and turn the speed up to medium. Mix for 3-5 minutes until you have a very smooth very soft dough.

2. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Roll each piece into a long log and cut into 8 equal pieces each (so 16 buns total). Form the dough pieces in a bun shape and place them on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with towel for 10-15 minutes then brush with melted butter and bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool before handling.

3. Prepare the burger sauce. Combine all of the ingredients for the burger sauce in a bowl. Mix until fully combined then cover and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

4. Make the burgers, Divide the ground meet into 16 equal sized balls. They will be quite small. Smash each burger down using a heavy object with a wide, flat base like a cup. Sprinkle the patties with salt and pepper on each side, then lay them on a parchment or foil lined tray (you can stack them between layers of parchment/foil). Put the tray in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.

5. When ready to cook, preheat the barbecue to 300 F. Place the patties on the hot grill. I put foil on the grill, then put the patties on top so that they do not fall through. Grill the patties for 3-5 minutes on the first side, then flip and cover the second side with cheese. Grill for another 1-3 minutes, then turn the heat off and close the barbecue door to allow the cheese to melt. Once the cheese has melted, remove the patties from the grill.

6. To assemble the sliders, slather each side of a bun with burger sauce, then top with a mini smash burger and whatever other toppings you like.

NOTES

• If you don't want to make your own buns, use store-bought and these burgers can be thrown together on a weeknight.