These irresistible Bacon Ranch Cheeseburger Sliders — often dubbed the viral 'Crack Burgers' — pack bold flavor into bite-sized patties. Made with seasoned ground beef, melty cheese, and a punch of ranch mix, they’re the ultimate crowd-pleaser for game day spreads and casual gatherings alike.
Bacon Ranch Cheeseburger Sliders
These cheeseburgers have been trending on social media for a while now, though they are actually a take of a recipe that's been around forever called Hidden Valley Original Ranch Burgers.
Originally made with just ground beef, ranch seasoning mix and cheese, the internet thought to enhance that a tad and it got the reputation of being called "crack" burgers.
Anything that tastes so good it's a bit addictive gets that designation in our modern world, though for the record, I really dislike that. But... the internet is what it is.
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I mean, you can't go wrong with bacon, right?!
My husband, aka The Cajun, can't resist a sale on pretty much anything, although I've tried to explain to him that having studied marketing in college, sometimes they aren't really "sales" but often more of a marketing tool.
Nevertheless, when he stops by the store on an errand and there is a sign for bacon on sale, he is sure to come home with at least one package, and I now have so much bacon in the freezer I had to ask him to please stop!
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It's a good time to cook some up and freeze it though, because it works well y'all and is much better than any store-bought bacon bits - and no preservatives.
I also cook up a package of strips and freeze them. All you have to do is wrap in a paper towel and reheat in the microwave a few seconds to use it on a sandwich or burger or with those breakfast eggs.
A FoodSaver (#ad) comes in handy for this and keeps it fresh so it tastes like you just cooked it when you use it! Although they aren't generally speaking recommended for long term freezing, for something like this that I'll be going in and out of, I use my handheld (#ad) along with the reuseable zipper bags (#ad).
Here's what you'll need to make these Viral Bacon Ranch Cheeseburger Sliders:
- 1-pound (80/20 blend) ground chuck
- Dash Worcestershire sauce or steak sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix (about half of a 1-ounce packet)
- 1/3 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (preshredded is fine)
- Slider buns (I used Pepperidge Farm Sweet Hawaiian slider buns)
- Toppings of choice: Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, additional cooked bacon in full strips and/or sliced cheese
Today I'm using ground beef from Meriwether Farms, a Wyoming Ranch I've mentioned before as one of the sources I'm currently using for my beef. I've become a bit leery about grocery store meat and frankly I'd rather support both independent farms and ranchers locally and from around the country anyway, and Meriwether Farms, is one of those sources.
Note: I have no affiliate or financial relationship with them, I'm just sharing a favorite source I'm currently using!
I usually just freeze the bacon roughly crumbled.
You'll want to chop the bacon bits a little more fine for these burgers.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, a dash of Worcestershire or steak sauce for a little Unami savoriness, ranch dressing mix, bacon, sour cream and cheddar cheese.
I had the dip version of Hidden Valley on hand so that's what I used instead of the original. They appear to have the same core ingredients so I honestly can't tell you what the difference is! Use original if that's what you usually keep on hand.
Mix until just combined; don't overhandle! Tip: If you want to test your burger mix for flavor, pinch off a tiny bit and toss it in an oiled, hot skillet until cooked through. Taste and see if there's anything you might want to add!
I couldn't find the slider insert for my burger press, so I just used a large cookie scoop (#ad) or you can also pinch off mixture into desired number of patties, then gently shape into balls and place on tray.
Gently pat into flat patties.
Air fry, pan fry, bake or grill, to an internal temperature for 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, flipping halfway. I was up for easy today, so I cooked mine in the air fryer on a sheet of aluminum foil for easy cleanup here.
Since it's just the two of us, I made these pretty fat and hefty, though you could absolutely make them thinner to go further for more sliders or you can shape them into 4 larger burgers instead and yes, double the recipe as needed if you have more mouths to feed!
I kept it simple today with just barbecue sauce though you can certainly dress these however you like, so break out the mayo, ketchup, lettuce, onion, pickles and tomato, if you like!
Give these a try y'all! I think you'll love them.
For more of my favorite burgers check out the collection on my Pinterest page!
If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!
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