Pretzel Cowboy Sliders (Printable)

Juicy beef sliders with bacon, cheddar, fried onions and BBQ sauce on soft pretzel buns.

# What You Need:

→ For the Sliders

01 - 1 lb ground beef (80/20 blend recommended)
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - ½ 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 - ½ cup barbecue sauce
10 - 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced

→ For Assembly

11 - 8 mini pretzel slider buns
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
13 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

# How To Make:

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 desired, 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 add that authentic chewy texture and saltiness you cannot get from regular burger buns
  • These come together in under 45 minutes but taste like something from a specialty burger joint
02 -
  • Make a small indentation in the center of each raw patty to keep them from puffing up into balls while cooking
  • Let the sliders rest for about 2 minutes after grilling so the juices redistribute instead of running out when you bite in
03 -
  • Use a sturdy spatula to flip these—pretzel buns can get soft and you do not want your slider to collapse mid-flip
  • The fried onions stay crispest when you add them right before serving instead of letting them sit under the hot patty too long

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