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These Jalapeño Popper Smash Burgers are my latest summer obsession. It’s the perfect combo with crispy-edged smash burger patties, a creamy jalapeño topping, salty bacon, and a sweet drizzle of honey.
Meet Our New Burger Obsession
Picture this: It’s a Saturday night, I’ve been rambling on all week about a burger I had a local dive bar in town, and the next thing you know I’ve fired up the flat top and we’re embarking on a mission to recreate the burger.
The mission was a success and I knew that the moment Chad took a bite and declared the Jalapeno Popper Smash Burger the best burger he’s had. <– And I make a lot of dang burgers. (Usually drizzled with our smash burger sauce, obviously.)
We’re talking juicy burgers with crispy edges, smashed on top of onions right on the griddle. We top it with a creamy jalapeno popper filling that has a little kick, sure, but is mostly there to melt all seductively over your burger. Sounds divine, but we’re not stopping there. Why would we?
You’re going to drizzle a bit of honey on your toasty, buttery burger bun and then press the sticky honey-d bun into a pile of crispy, salty, crumbly bacon. It’s the sweet salty combo of your dreams, honestly.
It’s giving the best burger you’ve ever made.
♥ 3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
Cheesy perfection – That creamy, cheesy, spicy topping melts right over the burger. You’ll want to eat it with a spoon!
They’re surprisingly easy to pull together. Despite looking fancy, you’re really just making three simple components: a creamy jalapeño mixture (5 minutes), smashed burgers (classic technique), and a sweet-salty assembly that feels gourmet but isn’t fussy.
Sweet + salty twist – A swirl of honey on the bun sounds weird, but it’s the secret weapon here. Don’t skip it.
Swaps & Tips:
- Less heat: Use pickled or tamed jalapeños from a jar instead of fresh.
- More heat: Swap cheddar for pepper jack or toss in a pinch of cayenne.
- Sweet: Try a dab of maple syrup or even a thin spread of strawberry jam. We’ve tested these every which way and, while honey is our fav, I love them with maple or jam.
- No griddle: A hot skillet (cast iron is best) works perfectly in place of a griddle. Just crank the heat and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Things move quickly: Have everything prepped (the popper topping, the crumbled bacon, the toasty buns, the balls of beef) before you start cooking anything. Once those burgers hit the grill, things move quick and it’s best to be prepared.
How To:
Stir together the ingredients for the jalapeno popper topping. Pro Tip: Do this in advance, because once you start cooking, things go quick. This will keep in the fridge for a few days.
Roll the hamburger meat into balls and place them on a pile of thin sliced onions in a screamin’ hot pan. Smash flat and cook for a minute or two per side. This goes fast, so have everything ready to go.
After adding the cheddar cheese, stack the burgers so you’ve got 2 patties per burger. Pop on a toasty bun, spread on some jalapeno popper filling, and prepare yourself. It’s about to get good.
Drizzle some honey on the top bun and press it onto a plate of crispy fried bacon crumbles. This is going to coat the inside of that bun in goodness – think lazy bacon jam. Sandwich it up and devour.
Serving Ideas:
These burgers are pretty bold on their own, so keep the sides simple!
- A big pile of french fries or tater tots always works.
- Always a fan of crock pot corn on the cob with a burger.
- Air fryer some onion rings and serve them with our onion ring sauce.
Storage:
Fridge: The jalapeno popper topping can be made up to 4 days in advance. Keep it stored covered in the fridge. The cooked smash burger patties can also be stored for about 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: The cooked smash burger patties can be frozen for up to a few months. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the popper topping as it contains mayo.
Reheat: Reheat the burgers in a skillet or the microwave and assemble the sandwiches when ready to eat.
Jalapeno Popper Smash Burgers
Ingredients
For the popper topping:
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ small jalapeno diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the burgers:
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper more to taste
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
For the burgers:
- 4 hamburger buns toasted with butter on a hot skillet
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- honey
Instructions
To make the popper topping:
- Add the cream cheese, cheddar, mayo, jalapeno, and salt to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Taste this and add additional jalapeno if you’d like it more spicy.
- You can make this up to 3-4 days in advance, if necessary. Let come to room temperature before topping the burgers for the max meltability.
To make the burgers:
- Add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder to a bowl and work it together with your hands to distribute the seasoning throughout the meat.
- Portion the meat into 8 balls, 2 ounces each.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or flat top grill over high heat. You want this to be around 450 degrees – very hot.
- While the skillet or grill is heating, slice the onion into very thin slices.
- If you’re working in a large skillet you’ll want to make two burgers at a time. If you’re working on a larger surface (like a flat top grill), you can make all of the burgers at once. Add a small amount of butter in each spot where you will place a burger patty and then drop a few slices of onion into a little pile over the butter. Let cook for 1 minute to brown a bit.
- Add the balls of beef to the skillet or grill directly on top of the piles of onion. Immediately smash each one with a burger press or two large spatulas. Use a piece of parchment or wax paper between the press and the burger patty to keep it from sticking. The burgers should be smashed very thin, a bit larger in diameter than your hamburger buns as they will shrink a bit as they cook.
- Sprinkle the flattened burgers with salt and pepper.
- Let the burgers cook until the edges are browned and the tops are turning more of a gray-ish color, about 1 minute.
- Flip the burgers, season again with salt and pepper and place a piece of cheddar over 4 of the burger patties. Stack the patties without cheese over the top of the patties with cheese so that each burger has a single slice of cheese in the middle.
To assemble:
- Place each stack of burgers on a toasted bun and immediately spoon some of the jalapeno popper filling over the top.
- Drizzle a thin swirl of honey over the inside of the top bun. You just want enough to add a slight touch of sweetness and help the bacon stick to the bun. You can spread this out with a knife for maximum stickiness.
- Press the bun with the honey into the bacon pieces to coat the bun in bacon. Alternately, press the bacon into the jalapeno mixture.
- Place the bun on the burger and serve immediately.
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