Cheeseburger Skewers Recipe

As a former caterer, I have a deep fondness for food on a stick. Sweet or savory, hot or cold, skewered foods are easy to serve, portable, and allow for tasting a variety of creative preparations. One of my favorite themes when entertaining is to create miniaturized versions of popular foods that can be eaten in one bite or dipped and enjoyed. This recipe for cheeseburger skewers is a perfect example of a scaled-down favorite. Buttery toasted brioche cubes serve as the buns for tiny and juicy burgers topped with extra sharp melty white cheddar. Folds of crispy candied bacon are topped with zesty dill pickle rounds and sweet cherry tomatoes. These burger-bites are perfect for dunking into a creamy sauce made with Kewpie mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of smoked paprika and roasted garlic powder. These tiny cheeseburgers are colorful and super flavorful, making them a crowd-pleaser for any event.

When it comes to skewering food, mise en place is your key to success. Having all of your ingredients ready to go allows you to work in an assembly-line fashion when putting food together. You also want to keep a careful eye on temperatures — hot burgers, cold pickles — so that your skewers will be as tasty as possible. Get creative with the presentation. Use colorful platters, or put your dipping sauce in disposable shot glasses and lay a cheeseburger skewer over top. No matter how you serve them, these delightful and delicious skewers won't last for long!

To make the cheeseburger skewers, you will need ground beef that is preferably 80% lean and 20% fat to maximize the flavor in these tiny patties. You will need kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper for seasoning your beef patties and some extra-sharp white cheddar (yellow is fine, too) for melting. You will make candied bacon by brushing maple syrup on thick-cut smoked bacon strips before oven-baking to crisp perfection. For assembling, you will need some sturdy wooden skewers (I like bamboo) that are at least 5 inches long. The base of your skewer will start with a cube of brioche that was tossed in unsalted butter and crisped up in the oven. You will also need round dill pickle slices and cherry tomatoes. To make the tasty dipping sauce, you will need Kewpie mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and roasted garlic powder. The Kewpie mayo is extra rich with a thick and creamy texture, and the roasted garlic powder adds a mellow flavor without being too sharp.

To make the burger sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line a baking sheet with foil and parchment paper and fit it with a rack.

Lay the bacon pieces evenly over the rack.

Brush the maple syrup onto the bacon.

Bake for about 20 minutes until caramelized and crisp, flipping the bacon once.

Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

Toss the brioche with the melted butter.

Line a separate baking sheet with parchment and arrange the buttered brioche in a single layer.

Bake for 5 minutes until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Remove from the oven and arrange in rows on a cutting board.

Form the beef into 16 patties.

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Place the patties in the skillet and season with the salt and pepper.

Press down gently to sear and cook for 2 minutes on the first side.

Flip the patties and repeat with the pressing and seasoning, cooking for another 2 minutes.

Place a cheese square on the top of each patty.

Cover the skillet with a lid for 30 seconds to melt the cheese.

To assemble the skewers, place a patty on top of a brioche toast.

Fold a bacon strip to fit on top of the cheese, then follow with a pickle slice and tomato half, facing cut-side-down.

Drive a bamboo skewer straight down through the center of the stack to the bottom of the brioche.

Repeat with the remaining skewers.

Serve the cheeseburger skewers on a board or platter with small bowls of the burger sauce for dipping.

• Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Recipe
• Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs Recipe
• Over-the-Top BLT Dip Recipe
• Stuffed Pizza Bites Recipe
• Bite-Sized Panzanella Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe

These skewers are certainly the most delicious when consumed immediately after you assemble them, while the cheese is still oozing, and you have the contrast between the cool veggies and the piping hot burgers. The wonderful thing about these cheeseburger skewers, however, is that they are just as delicious when served room temperature on a party buffet. Because the brioche is toasted, this helps to prevent a soggy "bun," and the layers are assembled so that the tomato and pickle juices stay atop the crispy bacon. If you're prepping for a party and you want to assemble the skewers in advance of serving, try just layering the brioche, melted cheese-topped burger, and bacon. This can be done up to 2 hours in advance. The semi-skewers can then be reheated before you add the dill pickle slices and cherry tomato halves just before serving. 

If you find that you have leftover skewers or want to intentionally make a big batch to save some for later, an air fryer is a quick and easy vessel for re-melting and re-crisping. Although you can leave the vegetables intact, I prefer to remove them before I put the skewers in the air fryer, then replace them once the bottom halves of the skewers are hot and ready. Wrap your skewers in foil before placing them in the air fryer to prevent over-drying, and check them frequently, as they will not take long to become warm and fresh once again.

One thing to keep in mind when you are shopping for ground beef is that certain recipes work best with a specific ratio of fat to lean meat. For recipes that feature the ground beef, such as meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers, a ratio of at least 80% lean beef to 20% fat gives these preparations the desirable juicy, flavorful quality. Fat = flavor, and although it may not seem like the "healthiest" choice to go with a higher-fat ground beef, much of that fat will render out in the cooking process and leave the flavor behind. When looking at packaging in the meat department, ground chuck usually falls in the category of having a 15-20% fat ratio, while sirloin is leaner. A generalized "ground beef" distinction means that you are probably getting a mix of beef cuts, so pay close attention to the labeling percentages.

If you prefer to use a leaner variety of beef or another type of ground meat in this recipe, be careful not to overcook the patties, which will lead to them drying out. Ground turkey thighs will work well, as they are the poultry equivalent of 80/20 beef. For extra lean meat, consider incorporating a bit of extra fat, such as a touch of the Kewpie mayo or an egg yolk, to add some richness.

• Ultimate Smash Burger Crunch Wrap Recipe
• The Juiciest Lamb Burger Recipe
• Loaded Cheeseburger Quesadillas Recipe
• Espresso-Tinged BBQ Chicken Skewers Recipe
• Portobello Mushroom Burger Recipe