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Snack & Appetizers

Mini Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Try these Mini Burgers with Caramelized Onions, quick and easy with focaccia dough, juicy beef and sweet red onions: a tasty appetizer.
Recipe Mini Burgers with Caramelized Onions
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 20 minutes
  • Cooking 20 minutes
  • Servings for 12 mini burgers

If you’re looking for an original, irresistible mini burger buffet idea, let yourself be won over by the mini burgers with caramelized onions recipe: small, soft buns hold all the goodness of classic burgers, with an extra edge thanks to the unmistakable sweetness of caramelized red onions. Perfect as mini burgers for an aperitivo or to dress up a holiday table, these tasty mini burgers with onions are easy to make even at the last minute and always impress your guests, stealing the show on every special occasion.

What makes this recipe truly unique is the technique for making the beef mini burger: roll a ball of seasoned ground meat between your hands, place it in a very hot skillet and press it down until you get a thin but juicy little burger, with a golden crust that releases all the aroma of freshly cooked meat. This trick, which recalls the smash burger technique, lets you enjoy a skillet mini burger with onions with an irresistible surface and a heart that’s still juicy and fragrant.

For the buns, you can rely on handy ready-made focaccia dough for a quick, effortless soft mini burger recipe, but if you love kneading, the result will be even more homemade. The real special touch is still the topping: homemade caramelized sweet onions, cooked slowly in a skillet, offer a tasty contrast with the savory flavor of the meat, adding a rich note that wins everyone over at first bite.

Of course, let your imagination run free: add your personal touch with sauces, bacon, tomatoes or mushrooms. And if you’re a burger fan, don’t miss the original Hamburger recipe or try variations like the Air Fryer Hamburger, the lentil version or the beet and rice veggie burgers. Also discover the creamy meatballs for a truly complete buffet.

Ingredients for 12 mini burgers

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Method

  1. To make the mini burgers, start with the caramelized red onions: you can make them by following our recipe, which you’ll find here.
    Red onions caramelizing in a skillet
    Caramelized red onions
  2. To make the buns, roll out the focaccia dough and cut out 12 disks 7 cm (2 3/4 inches) in diameter (you can use a glass). Take each disk and fold the edges toward the center, working in a circle. Turn the dough over so the folds are underneath and, cupping your palm, gently rotate it on the work surface, pressing lightly to seal it.
    Cutting disks from the focaccia dough with a glass
    Folding the edges of the dough disks toward the center
  3. Transfer the balls of dough to a baking sheet; brush them with beaten egg thinned with a little milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a conventional (not convection) oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) for 20-25 minutes
    Shaping the dough into balls on the work surface
    Dough balls on a baking sheet
  4. Move on to making your mini burgers (also known as patties): in a bowl, work the ground beef with salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika.
    Brushing the buns with egg and sprinkling with sesame seeds
    Baked sesame mini buns
  5. Shape the meat into balls, place them in a very hot skillet (brushed with a little oil, if needed) and after a few seconds press them down with a meat mallet to make classic “smashed burgers”.
    Seasoning the ground beef with salt, pepper and paprika
    Balls of ground beef in a hot skillet
  6. Toward the end of cooking, add the cheddar slices and cover with a lid so the cheese melts well. Meanwhile, cut the buns in half.
    Smashing the burgers with a meat mallet
    Melting cheddar slices on the burgers
  7. Now assemble the buns: start with a layer of mayonnaise, a lettuce leaf, the burger with cheddar, the caramelized onions, and finish with the other half of the bun.
    Assembling the mini burgers with mayonnaise and lettuce
    Mini burgers topped with caramelized onions
  8. Your Mini Burgers with Caramelized Onions are ready to enjoy right away, piping hot, or at room temperature if you prefer. A perfect, tasty appetizer that will win your guests over in a single bite. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!
    Mini Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Tips

In a hurry, or hosting a lunch or dinner with lots of courses? You can easily make the mini burgers ahead: they’re great served at room temperature too.

Storage

You can keep the mini burgers in the fridge for a couple of days.

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