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Air fryer bacon wrapped cheeseburger bites are one of those recipes your air fryer was made for! That’s right, it’s a super easy appy. These bacon burger bombs are a great appetizer for any occasion, whether you’re watching the game and don’t want to take your eyes off the screen or you just want to rustle up a quick and easy air fryer appetizer. Whether you call the bacon wrapped meatballs or meatloaf balls, you will agree that they taste AMAZING!
Bacon wrapped meatballs with cheddar and sesame seeds are as hearty and satisfying as they sound. Try these cheeseburger bombs if you want a quick air fryer appetizer which requires very few ingredients. This is the perfect game day football food appy!
Also try out cheeseburger meatloaf, Italian meatloaf recipes or some crockpot meals. Seared steak nachos and chile bean chicken soup are cozy and delicious.
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Cheeseburger Bites Ingredients
You only need 6 main ingredients to make these bacon burger bombs, along with some salt and pepper. You will need ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, bacon, and sesame seeds. Pepper jack cheese would also be a good option in these cheesy bacon bombs. You may want to even add a bit of Worcestershire sauce.
Feel free to use any kind of ground beef, although I find 80% or 90% lean to be the best.
Anything lower than 75% is going to be high in fat, and the fat will simply drip through the meatloaf balls and shrink them, so don’t choose the fattiest for this recipe. I can’t stress enough that you want to use lean ground beef!
As for the cheese, you can swap the cheddar for any other cheese you happen to like. Anything would work in these bacon cheeseburger bombs, even blue cheese or Swiss cheese. So pick any kind of cheese you love to pair with beef.
Center-Cut Bacon vs Regular Bacon: What’s the Difference?
A lot of brands offer center-cut strips of bacon which is between 25 and 35% lower in fat than traditional bacon. But what exactly is it? Well, center-cut bacon is just regular bacon that’s had the fatty ends removed. So if you’re using it in a recipe where the added fat is a good thing (think filling for hasselback chicken or spaghetti carbonara) you can use either kind.
However, if you’re wrapping meatloaf balls with a bacon slice, such as in this air fryer bacon wrapped cheeseburger bites recipe, that’s different. With bacon-wrapped anything, you want the bacon to stay in place and not melt away!
Both kinds of bacon taste identical, but if you’re wrapping something in bacon, then center-cut is the best option. Try center-cut bacon when you next make bacon-wrapped green beans and you’ll see the difference.
Dips for Bacon Cheeseburger Bombs
Ketchup, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing or yellow mustard are perfect dips for these delicious bacon cheeseburger bites.
How to Make these Bacon Burger Bombs
You’re going to love how easy these air fryer bacon wrapped cheeseburger bites are to make. The first thing to do is mix the beef with egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper for the meatloaf balls.
Next shape the meat mixture into 6 equal-sized portions. Cut the cheese into cubes and then pop one cube of cheese inside each meatball. Now make them into bacon wrapped meatballs by wrapping a slice of bacon around each one, securing with a toothpick or tucking the ends in. That’s how easy it is to make this bacon burger bomb recipe!
Air fry the easy appy for about 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Finally sprinkle sesame seeds over each one and serve hot with ketchup and mustard for dipping.
Bacon Wrapped Meatballs FAQs
Wondering whether this air fryer appetizer can be prepared ahead of time?
You can assemble these a day ahead but don’t air fry them until you’re ready. Prepare them until the wrapping in bacon stage and then keep them covered and refrigerated. You can then cook them the following day and they should come out just as tasty.
These meatloaf balls are definitely open to variations, you’ll be pleased to learn. Ground beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or a blend of ground meats is going to work just as well, so pick your favourite.
It’s worth making more of this easy appy that you think you’ll need. That’s because bacon burger bombs can be stored and reheated. Keep leftovers in a Ziploc bag or sealed airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat them in the air fryer or oven on a low setting or in the microwave.
Freezing them is another option if you do this before adding the bacon. Arrange the meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze. Then you can transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, wrap them in bacon and proceed with the recipe.
Score big at your next game day gathering with these fan favorite bacon wrapped cheeseburger bombs – the ultimate finger food for any meat lover! This cheese stuffed meatball recipe is going to be your new favorite appetizer! These bacon cheeseburger bites are a fan favorite, so make lots.
Tasty Bacon Wrapped Burgers in Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Cheeseburger Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Pound ground beef
- 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper, coarse
- 1 egg
- ¼ Cup bread crumbs
- 4 Ounces cheddar cheese, block
- 1 Pound bacon, center cut
- 2 Teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Combine ground beef, salt, pepper, egg, and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix.
- Cut cheese into ½” cubes.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to form equal sized burger bites. Roll the ground beef mixture between your palms and form into a ball. Make a small divot in the center, then place the cheese cube inside. Form the ground beef around the cheese.
- Wrap each burger bite with bacon. Tuck the ends of the bacon in as you wrap, or secure with a toothpick.
- Place burger bites in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 12 minutes. Stop halfway through to flip and evenly crisp the bacon.
- Sprinkle burgers with sesame seeds and serve with ketchup and mustard to dip.
Nutrition
These tasty air fryer bacon wrapped cheeseburger bites make a perfect snack for movie night, tailgating, or watching the game. This is a quick and simple air fryer appetizer which is full of flavour and perfect if you love meat, cheese and bacon!
If you are looking for game day recipes, party food or a tasty low-carb appetizer, add these air fryer bacon wrapped meatballs to your list. These bacon burger bites are the perfect appetizer! Should we try a bacon wrapped burger next?
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Impressed by how simple and tasty this recipe is—it’s a game-changer!
I just tried this recipe. It was so tasty! Will make it again. Thanks!