Here is such a fun recipe, perfect for entertaining, football Sunday or simply for dinner, these cheeseburger puff pastry bites are so delicious and satisfying! Flavorful ground beef, mixed with irresistible caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese wrapped in delicious flaky puff pastry, and served with a tasty special sauce. So good!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's absolutely delicious! These cheeseburger puff pastry bites are so fun, flaky, and full of flavor. The special sauce will remind you of eating a Big Mac but better! They're a cheeseburger version of my potato leek bites. If you love puff pastry, also check out these caprese empanadas.
- They're the perfect finger food for a gathering with friends and family or football Sunday. I guarantee you, your guests will be impressed and delighted by these fun bites and want seconds.
- This recipe is a lot easier to make that you might think! We do caramelize a chopped onion because the flavor is amazing, and make a special sauce, and while there are a few extra steps, they're easy and so worth it in the end, I promise you!
Key Ingredients and Variations
- Ground beef: use lean ground beef, 90% lean or leaner if possible so the pastry bites don't get greasy. Make sure to drain any excess fat left in the skillet once the meat is cooked. If you don't eat beef, ground turkey or even ground chicken would work. And if you're vegetarian, use a plant-based meat substitute.
- Caramelized onions: yes it's an extra steps that takes about 25 minutes, but the flavor it brings to this recipe is so worth it! Sweet onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, al little oil, water and lemon is all you need to make them.
- Cheddar cheese: I love cheddar with burgers, but you could use American cheese for an even more pronounced cheeseburger taste. Swiss would work too, up to your taste. If possible, use a fresh block and grate it yourself, not only is it more economical, it melts so much better.
- Special sauce: made with mayo, ketchup, Dijon mustard, pickles and pickle brine, salt, garlic and onion powder. It's super easy, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Tastes like a Big Mac sauce, or In-N-Out animal style sauce. So good!
- Puff pastry: I use ready to go puff pastry sheets, they differ in size so you'll probably need 2 of them to use up all your burger meat. Keep it in the fridge until right before using as it's easier to work with when it's cold. Dust your work station with flour to prevent the dough from sticking, and if the sheet feels a little thick, you can absolutely use a rolling pan and stretch it out a bit.
- Egg: the egg wash made out of a beaten egg and a splash of water will give your cheeseburger puff pastry bites that beautiful shiny golden color.
How to make these cheeseburger puff pastry bites
- The puff pastry bites are baked, so you'll need to use an oven preheated to 400° Fahrenheit.
Cook the chopped onions until beautifully caramelized.
At the end add water and lemon to deglaze the pan, then remove and keep them aside.
While the onions are cooking, put the sauce together.
Add the ground beef and seasoning to the skillet and cook until just no longer pink.
Drain and soak any excess grease left behind from the meat.
Add the caramelized onion and some of the cheese and stir.
Roll the puff pastry and slice it in squares, about the same size.
Then fill them with cheese and cheeseburger mixture.
Close the corner diagonally together after adding a drop of egg wash.
Then pinch the other 2 corners. Repeat with each square.
Generously brush each bite with egg wash and bake for around 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, let rest, serve with the special sauce, and enjoy!
More Fun Party Recipes
- Caramelized Onion Dip with Greek Yogurt
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- Spicy Jalapeño Salsa
- Baked Crispy Bean and Cheese Tacos with Avocado Crema
- Non-Alcoholic Sangria
Tips
- Don't skip removing the excess fat in the skillet once the beef is cooked. It could make the puff pastry too greasy. I highly recommend using lean ground beef for this recipe.
- I like to make a little chopped lettuce and tomato salad to serve on the side. It's great added to the bites with some of the special sauce.
- You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave, or to crisp up the puff pastry a bit again, in the oven or air fryer for about 10 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit.
- Make sure to seal the corners of each puff with the egg wash to they stay sealed. You can also use a little bowl filled with water and dip your finger and add a drop to each corner before pinching them together to seal them.
- Don't overcook the ground beef. Cook until just no longer pink as it will bake for 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm short in time, can I skip caramelizing the onions?
Yes, just sautée them for a few minutes until translucent then add the ground beef to them directly. But the caramelized onions are so good!
Why did my puffs open up in the oven while baking?
Most likely because they were a tad overfilled, or the corners weren't sealed well enough. But while they might not be as pretty, they're as delicious!
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Cheeseburger Puff Pastry Bites
Perfect for entertaining, these cheeseburger puff pastry bites are so delicious and satisfying! Flavorful ground beef, mixed with irresistible caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese wrapped in delicious flaky puff pastry, and served with a tasty special sauce.
Equipment
- wooden spoon
- bowl
- paper towels
- pizza cutter or knife
- small bowl for egg wash
Ingredients
For the caramelized onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or more if needed
- 1 sweet onion finely chopped, about 1 ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup water
- 1 squeeze fresh lemon
For the special sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
- 1 ½ tablespoons pickle brine or apple cider vinegar
For the cheeseburger puff pastry bites
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90% or leaner
- ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese more or less to taste
- 1 pinch all-purpose flour for surface dusting
- 2 puff pastry sheets
- 1 egg beaten with a splash of water
Instructions
For the caramelized onions
- Start by chopping the sweet onion finely. To do so peel the onion, then slice it in half lengthwise keeping the root. Then make vertical cuts, and horizontal cuts, then slice thinly with a sharp knife. Finish by gathering the chopped onions and continue chopping a bit.
- Heat up oil into a skillet over high heat. Once hot add the chopped onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, stir well, then reduce heat to medium/medium-low and cook the onions for about 20 minutes, stirring them often with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to burn them.
- Then add the water and lemon juice to deglaze the pan by scrapping all the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking stirring often for about 5 minutes or until all the liquid is gone. Then remove from skillet and set aside.
For the special sauce
- While onions are cooking, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon, salt, garlic and onion powders, pickle and pickle brine. Set in the fridge.
For the cheeseburger puff pastry bites
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Once the caramelized onions are cooked and set aside, use the same skillet and add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Break it off with wooden spoon, and cook on medium-high heat stirring often until just no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat, spoon out or pour out all the excess fat left behind from the skillet if any, then use paper towels to soak up as much of it as possible.
- Add the caramelized onions and ⅔ of the cheese and stir. Set aside.
- Dust all-purpose flour onto a large cutting board or flat surface. Unroll pastry puff sheet on top, then with a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice it in squares, 12, 10 or 8 depending on the size of the dough. You can roll out the dough with a rolling pan a bit before if it feels thick to stretch it out.
- Beat an egg with a splash of water in a small bowl. On each square of dough, add a little bit of shredded cheese, then a scoop of ground beef mixture and a little more cheese on top. Don't overfill.
- Brush each corner of each square with a bit of the egg wash. Working with 1 corner at a time, pinch together opposite corners diagonally.
- Then pinch together 2 other corners to create a pocket. Seal the sides if big gaps by pinching them together with your fingers. Repeat until each square is filled.
- Transfer each filled puff pastry bite to the baking sheet. Brush each puff with egg wash generously, and bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven, let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes then serve with a side of special sauce and chopped lettuce and tomatoes if you wish. Be careful the content of the puffs will be very hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- Baking time: every oven is different, baking time will vary from about 20 minutes to 24 minutes. The puffs are ready when top is golden brown.
- The special sauce can be prepared in advance and stored covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bite | Calories: 263.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.4g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17.1g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 35.6mg | Sodium: 367.5mg | Potassium: 141.5mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 122.6IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80.1mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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About Priscilla Lawrence, Certified Nutritionist, CPT
Hi there, I'm Priscilla Lawrence, a certified nutritionist, recipe developer, food photographer & mom of two. I was born and raised in Paris, France, but have been living in San Diego, California...
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