What's not to like about these little one bite classic cheeseburgers for a touch of whimsy at your next party? Mini cheeseburgers are sandwiched between a little pretzel bite "bun" and authentically completed with melted American cheese, a dill pickle slice, ketchup and mustard!
Whether a summer BBQ, football watch party these mini cheeseburgers would be so darn cute served on an appetizer spread alongside my Little Smokie "Hot Dog" Pretzel Bites! Or, even offer them as a playful passed hors d'oeuvre at a cocktail party.
I've had a ton of fun using these little pretzel bites to make creative appetizers. (This is not at all a paid affiliate mention, just simply loving a product.) I first used them in a recipe competition for Cosmic Crisp® Apples where they were used skewered together with sausage, melted gouda and apples for the perfect autumn appetizer. (The folks at Cosmic Crisp liked them enough to give me runner-up award! Link to recipe is below.)
And if you haven't seen them yet, check out these other recipes on The Savory Tart that have also used them:
- Sausage, Apple and Gouda Pretzel Bite Sliders
- Little Smokie Pretzel Bites with Cheddar, Honey Mustard and Apple Jelly
The options are endless for what you can top a burger with; make sure to keep scrolling and check out some other tasty mini pretzel bite burger variations below!
Ingredients
- mini pretzel bites (such as Pretzilla brand)
- ground chuck
- American cheese
- ketchup
- mustard
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Prepare pretzel bites according to package directions. Reserve.
Divide ground chuck into approximately 24 1” to 1-¼” balls. Flatten into small burger patties. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush a grill-pan with olive oil or coat with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
In batches, grill the beef patties for 4 minutes on the first side until browned.
(If you don't have a grill pan, use a griddle or skillet.)
Flip and grill the other side for 2 minutes.
Place a square of cheese on top of each patty and continue cooking until melted, about two minutes. Using a small spatula, transfer patties to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining patties.
Cut the prepared pretzel bites in half. Place a sliced pickle on the bottom of each bite.
Place a mini cheeseburger on top of the pickle
Top each cheeseburger with ketchup and mustard.
Top with the pretzel bite “top”. Skewer the burgers for ease of serving if desired.
Hint: The mini burgers will have a tendency to "round outward" during cooking. I use the back of a spoon to make an indent in each patty before and during cooking. This helps to keep the patties flat -- and also keeps the cheese on TOP of the burger! And not running off into the pan.
Substitutions & Variations
So many variations on how burgers show up on the menus. You can have a ton of fun with these! Here are some ideas:
- Swiss, Caramelized Onion and Dijon Mustard
- Cheddar, Bacon and BBQ Sauce
- Gruyere, prepared French Fried Onions and a mix of Dijon Mustard and Mayo
- White Cheddar, Candied Bacon and Caramelized Onion (see my recipe for Candied Bacon)
- Blue Cheese, Bacon and Guacamole
Meat Alternatives: With so many meat alternatives available, this can easily be adapted to suit a vegetarian diet
Alternative Meats: Consider using ground chicken, turkey, pork or lamb. (I'm going to make these with pork, aged Cheddar, apple jelly and honey mustard!)
Equipment
- grill pan, griddle or skillet
- appetizer picks (optional)
- olive oil or cooking spray
Storage
These are best served immediately.
The mini cheeseburgers can be made in advance, refrigerated for up to 3 days and warmed in the oven at 250°F for 15 minutes prior to assembling.
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🍽️ Recipe
Mini Pretzel Bite Cheeseburgers
Equipment
- grill pan
- appetizer picks (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 container mini pretzel bites, such as Pretzilla® brand (12.3 ounce container)
- 1 pound ground chuck
- salt and pepper
- 6 slices American cheese, each slice cut into quarters to make 24 squares
- sliced dill pickles (24)
- ketchup
- mustard
Instructions
- Prepare pretzel bites according to package directions. Reserve.
- Divide ground chuck into approximately 24 1” to 1-¼” balls. Flatten into small burger patties. Season with salt and pepper.
- Brush a grill-pan with olive oil or coat with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. In batches, grill the beef patties for 4 minutes on the first side until browned. Flip and grill the other side for 2 minutes. Place a square of cheese on top of each patty and continue cooking until melted, about two minutes. Using a small spatula, transfer patties to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining patties.
- Cut the prepared pretzel bites in half like a pretzel bun. Place a sliced pickle on the bottom of each bite. Top with the mini cheeseburgers, ketchup and mustard. Top each with a pretzel bite “top”. Skewer the burgers for ease of serving if desired.
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