Cheesy Big Mac Bites (Bombs)

These Big Mac bites taste just like the famous burger, but in poppable form! Wrap cheese-stuffed meatballs in dough and bake until golden.

 

Add a fun twist to weeknight dinners or serve up a platter of these Big Mac bites the next time you host the big game. Don’t forget the special sauce for dunking!

Need a make-ahead option? Capture all of those same iconic flavors in a big bowl of pasta salad instead. Prep everything in the morning, then toss it together and chill before everyone arrives.

For more fast food favorites, try a homemade version of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza or a spicy chicken sandwich like the one from Chick Fil A!

Making Cheesy Big Mac Bites (Bombs)

Like many of my bomb recipes, you’ll be sealing a tasty filling inside of thawed dinner roll dough.

Combine the ground beef with onions, pickles, and seasoning. Then, form 24 evenly sized meatballs with a piece of cheese in the center.

For the best results, pan fry the stuffed meatballs before wrapping them in the dough.

This helps seal the meat around the cheese, reduces some of the liquid that would make the Big Mac bites soggy, and adds another layer of flavor.

Plus, having the center of the cheeseburger bombs warm from the start helps them cook a bit more evenly.

Once they’re all sealed in the thawed rolls, brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown and serve with a side of big mac sauce!

Ingredient Notes

• Ground beef – Choose a leaner blend (I prefer 80/20) to limit the amount of grease that forms underneath the dough.
  
• Cheese – American cheese adds that classic flavor to these Big Mac bites, but you could use a mild or medium cheddar instead.
  
  Keep in mind that cheddar won’t ooze as much as the American.
  
• Onions and pickles – Be sure to chop these as small as possible so they don’t prevent the meat mixture from forming nicely around the cheese.
  
  Plus, smaller pieces of onion will still cook through in the relatively short cook time.
  
• Egg – Feel free to skip this if allergies are a concern. It just helps to brown the tops of the cheeseburger bombs.

Big Mac Bites FAQ

How do I store leftover cheeseburger bombs?

Once cooled, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

Reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until warmed through.

Do I have to pan fry the meatballs first?

When I tested these out, pan frying gave the best results both in overall texture and preventing cheese from oozing out.

I did try wrapping and cooking the raw meat, but the dough didn’t cook as well and there was some wetness in the center.

Baking the meatballs before wrapping was the least successful method. I tried various amounts of time, and they all had their drawbacks.

Enjoy!

With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Other Easy Bread Bomb Recipes

Big Mac Cheeseburger Bombs

Donna Elick

Cheeseburger Bombs taste just like the famous burger, but in poppable form! Wrap cheese-stuffed meatballs in dough and bake until golden.

5 stars from 1 review

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Method Oven

Servings 24

Equipment

• baking sheets
• parchment paper
• mixing bowls
• rolling pin
• basting brush

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1/3 cup finely minced or grated white onion
• ▢ 1/3 cup chopped dill pickles, chopped into very small pieces
• ▢ 1/2 pound block of American cheese
• ▢ 1 package of 24 frozen dinner rolls
• ▢ 1 large egg, beaten
• ▢ Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

 

• Thaw roll dough according to package instructions.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper, minced onion, and dill pickles.
• Divide the meat mixture into 24 sections. Slice the cheese into 24 chunks (about ½” square). You may have a little leftover cheese.
• Form a flat circle with each meat section. Place a chunk of cheese in the center and roll the meat up around the cheese to form a ball with the cheese nested in the center.
• When you have formed all of the cheese-stuffed balls, place them in a large skillet and brown them on each side. This is a quick “pre-cook” – the meat doesn’t need to be browned on all sides and it should not be cooked all the way through. Toss them gently in the pan while browning to help maintain their circular shape and prevent the cheese from leaking out.
• On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll one ball of thawed dough into a circle just slightly larger than a ball of meat. Place a ball in the center of the dough and wrap the dough around it, pinching the dough together on the bottom to seal. Place the prepared Big Mac bomb on the lined sheet pan.
• Repeat for all of the rolls – forming 24 Big Mac bombs.
• Brush the tops and sides of the bombs with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops of the bombs are golden brown.
• Serve immediately with a side of Big Mac special sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Donna’s Notes

For the best results – pan fry the stuffed meat balls before wrapping them in the roll dough – this helps seal the meat around the cheese, reduces some of the liquid that could make the bread soggy, adds some flavor, and gets the center of the bombs warm to help the dough get a good start cooking. You will still lose a little of the cheese on some of the bombs between pan frying and then baking, but this method was the most successful to reduce cheese oozing out. (Other methods I tried included baking the meat balls in the oven before wrapping in dough – I tried various amounts of time and they all had their drawbacks. I also tried wrapping and cooking the raw meat, which was probably my second favorite method, but the dough didn’t cook as well and there was some wetness.

American cheese really gives a true Big Mac taste to the bombs, but you could also use a mild or medium cheddar – cheddar will not ooze as much as the American cheese.

It’s really important to mince the onions quite small so that they cook through in the relatively short cook time.

Keep the chopped pickles small also so they don’t prevent the meat from sticking together and forming a nice ball around the cheese.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 85cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 296mg | Sugar: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published December 2021

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