Mini Pretzel Bun Smash Burgers (Easy Lunchbox Idea!)

These mini smash burgers made with soft pretzel bite buns make a great appetizer or a favorite for a school lunch meal prep. You can guarantee you’re going out with a delicious smash when you serve these fun burgers.

These mini pretzel bun smash burgers are my kids new favorite lunch. Not only are they absolutely delish, but they are easy to make and you can tailor them to fit any holiday season. We made these for a fun and exciting October themed lunchbox and then decided to serve these little delicious bites on Halloween night for a special trick-or-treat snack.

If I’m being honest, coming up with exciting and delicious school lunches can sometimes feel like a daunting task. But with this mini smash burgers recipe on hand, I know that I can rest assured. This fun lunch or appetizer combines all the elements of fun, flavor, and simple creativity that your whole family will love!

As a busy mom and a teacher, I am always looking for creative and delicious ways to make my kids’ lunchboxes fun and exciting for them. And nothing can beat the classic taste of a juicy burger served on a pretzel bun! This is all of that goodness condensed into one bite-sized deliciousness.

Shall we get started?

mini pretzel bun smash burgers ingredients

To make this fun and festive mini smash burger school lunch meal prep, you’ll need a few ingredients that you can get at almost any grocery store or even online!

This will make 4 lunchbox containers. I love these 3 compartment food containers that I found on Amazon!

Here’s what we are working with:

• ground beef
• onion
• egg
• soft pretzel bites
• cheddar cheese slices
• pickles
• tooth picks, I used halloween food picks
• fresh fruit – green grapes and apple slices
• preferred sweet treat – we like Made Good’s Banana Chocolate Granola Bars

how to make mini pretzel bun smash burgers school lunchbox

1. Preheat your oven to 420 degrees F.
2. Into a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, onion and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Using an ice cream scooper or spoon, form beef mixture into balls on a prepared baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, smash the balls until flattened.
4. Cook for 16-18 mins, flipping over halfway.
5. Cut the soft pretzel bites in half; place a piece of cheese on the bottom side, followed by a pickle and then the beef patty. Top with another piece of cheese and secure closed with a toothpick.
6. For lunchbox place 3 burgers into each box along with the fresh fruit and preferred sweet treat, if using.

why prep lunches for school?

To make meal planning more consistent and practical in my house, I aim to include four school lunch preps for my two kids in our weekly meal prep rotation. This helps us save money and ensure that two days of the week, the kids have well balanced meals that happen to be fun and festive, yet simple enough to put together in less than 15 minutes. 

In these lunch preps I try to include a variety of colors as well as a good balance of the essential food groups so that my kids are getting exposure to different foods in a fun and exciting way!

We sure hope you enjoy this fun school lunchbox meal prep as much as our little tribe has time and time again. Please leave us a star review and comment if you made these delicious mini pretzel roll smash burgers lunch!

Did you make this school lunch box? Don’t forget to tag thetastefultribe on instagram @thetastefultribe if you create this fun mini smash burgers lunch. We love seeing your version! You can also post your pictures to our facebook page!