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–+ servings
This is a square picture of the cheeseburger puff pastry bites.
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5 from 6 votes

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18 bites
Calories: 263.7kcal
Author: Priscilla Lawrence

Equipment

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions

For the special sauce

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.
    This is a picture of onions being chopped.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of the onions in the skillet.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of the caramelized onion in a skillet with water added.

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.
    This is a picture of a bowl with the special sauce ingredients.

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.
    This is a picture of ground beef and seasoning in a skillet.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of the cooked beef with a paper towel soaking up excess fat.
  • Add the caramelized onions and ⅔ of the cheese and stir. Set aside.
    This is a picture of the skillet with ground beef, cheese and onions.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of puff pastry dough being sliced.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of a square of dough with the cheeseburger filing.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of the puff pastry pocket being closed.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of a closed up puff pastry pocket.
  • 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.
    This is a picture of the pockets being brushed with egg wash.
  • 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!
    This is a picture of the puff pastry out of the oven on a baking sheet.

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.
 
*The nutritional values shown in this recipe are approximate for one suggested serving size using the ingredients listed but not including any optional items and may vary per actual preferred portion sizes.

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