Bacon Bomb Sliders

Yield makes 12 sliders
RECIPE Ingredients
  • 2 packs Hickory Smoked Bacon
  • 8 ounce block of sharp cheddar
  • 24 ounces Ground Angus Beef
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
  • 12 soft slider buns, we like potato buns or Hawaiian rolls
Recipe notes
Our bacon bomb recipe is a mini version of the "internet famous" giant mound of meat filled with bacon, wrapped in bacon, and glazed with BBQ sauce. This rendition is a little more approachable and a lot more fun, with melted cheddar in the center and soft slider buns.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook 8 slices of bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. When cool, chop the bacon in 1/2 inch strips. Set aside. Cut the cheddar cheese into ½” x 1” chunks and set aside.
  2. To a mixing bowl, add ground beef, smoked paprika, fennel seed, and red pepper flakes. Gently mix until combined, being careful not to over mix.
  3. Divide the beef mixture into twelve 2-ounce portions and flatten into a patty shape. Stuff each portion with 1 piece of cheese and a portion of cooked bacon then fold the edges around the filling and pinch together, ensuring the cheese and bacon are completely encased in the beef. Place the filled patties on a tray and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  5. Slice remaining raw bacon strips in half lengthwise. On a flat working surface, place a strip of bacon horizontally then overlap with a second strip vertically so they create a cross pattern. Place a patty in the center of the cross and fold ends up and over the patty. Repeat with remaining patties.
  6. Place bombs seam side down on a rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush with a thick coating of BBQ sauce. Finish cooking until they reach medium, about 15 minutes more, basting with BBQ sauce one or two more times. Remove them from heat and rest for about 5 minutes before slipping them into the buns. Serve immediately with additional sauce, if desired.