Look how cute these are! Slightly deceiving at first glance, these mini bite-sized burgers stand only 1.5 inches tall (and the tiny glass of beer is 30ml). They’re my bite-sized burgers with homemade mini buns — the perfect mini burger appetizer.
I admit I squealed with delight when I lined them up. Yes, I tested that you can fit a whole one in your mouth (several times). And yes, I drank the teeny warm beers after the photoshoot.
I was having a baking day. My parents were coming for tea the next day, so I’d prepared some meatballs ahead of time while the kids made chocolate fairy cakes. I was also making orange sweet rolls and realized I could use some leftover sweet-roll dough for tiny brioche-like buns and some of the meatball mix for miniature patties. A plan was born.
I topped each mini burger with a little bacon, cheddar, baby spinach and a drizzle of ketchup. They teamed beautifully with the tiny “pints” of beer — the cute factor was irresistible.
This recipe makes about 40 mini burgers, intended as canapé servings. People often eat five or six each if there’s nothing else. You can halve the recipe if you prefer, and use any extra dough for sweet rolls and extra burger mix for meatballs.
The Bite-Sized Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
Mini Burger Buns:
- 175 g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for kneading
- 20 g granulated/caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 g instant dried yeast
- 60 ml water
- 30 ml whole milk
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 1 small egg, beaten
Mini Bun Topping:
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Burgers:
- 2 good-quality sausages, skins removed
- 250 g lean minced/ground beef
- 25 g breadcrumbs
- 25 g grated parmesan
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- ½ tbsp chopped parsley
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 1 small egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings:
- Baby salad leaves
- Ketchup or relish
- Cheddar or other cheese
- Grilled streaky bacon, sliced into small pieces (6–7 rashers should cover about 40 burgers)
Instructions
For the buns
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Put the salt on one side of the bowl and the yeast on the other (yeast and salt shouldn’t touch directly). Set aside.
- Warm the water, milk and butter together until the butter melts and the liquid is hot but not scalding.
- Add the warm mixture to the flour, stir with a wooden spoon and add the beaten egg. Mix with your hands, then tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4–5 minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky; avoid adding too much extra flour or the buns will be tough.
- Form the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave for about 20 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knock the air out, then portion into pieces of roughly 7 g each. Roll into balls and place on non-stick baking trays — you should get about 40–50 buns.
- Place the trays inside a plastic bag and leave to prove in a warm, draught-free place for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F (fan). Once risen, gently brush the tops with beaten egg and scatter sesame seeds. Bake for 6–7 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool.
For the burger patties
- Mix all burger ingredients together by hand, combining but not overworking the mixture to avoid tough burgers.
- Shape into about 40 small balls, then flatten into tiny discs and place on baking trays.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, watching from 5 minutes and reducing the oven temperature if they brown too quickly.
- If you want melted cheese, remove the burgers when cooked, sprinkle cheese over them and return to the oven for another minute.
- Slice the buns, assemble with a patty, bacon, cheese, leaves and ketchup or relish.
Notes
These mini burgers are best eaten straightaway. You can make the patties ahead of time and freeze them before cooking: freeze on a tray, transfer to a sealed bag once frozen to prevent sticking, and defrost completely before cooking. The buns are best made and eaten the same day.
Nutritional information below is per burger and bun without toppings and is an approximation.
Nutrition (per burger + bun)
Calories: 53 kcal | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 19 mg | Sodium: 71 mg
If you enjoyed this recipe, leave a comment or rating to share how your mini burgers turned out!