The Story Behind the Burger
Sliders originated at White Castle in the 1920s, but the gourmet slider revolution started at New York's Little Owl.
Today, the best sliders are hotly debated between Chicago's Three Dots and a Dash and Detroit's Green Dot Stables, each offering unique takes on the mini burger concept.
⏲️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes
🍽️ Servings: 6 sliders
📋 Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
For the Sliders:
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef (80/20)
- 6 slider buns (potato rolls preferred)
- 2 slices each: American, Pepper Jack, Swiss cheese
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
For the Base Secret Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Toppings for Each Style:
Classic American: lettuce, onion, pickles
Spicy Southwest: jalapeños, crispy onions
Mushroom Swiss: sautéed mushrooms, thyme
Instructions
- Divide meat into 6 equal 2.5oz balls.
- Make three sauce variations from base sauce.
- Prepare all toppings by style.
- Smash each ball to ⅓ inch thickness.
- Cook 2 minutes per side.
- Add cheese varieties last 30 seconds.
- Assemble each style with corresponding sauce and toppings.
Pro Tip from Andrej The Chef
"Use a kitchen scale for the meat divisions – even 1/2 ounce difference can throw off the cooking time at this size. I learned this after serving hundreds of sliders at catering events. Consistency is key when you're working with mini burgers."
Top 10 List
Recipes
→ American triple smash burger
→ Maple Bacon Breakfast Burger
→ Spicy Jalapeno Tex Mex Burger
→ Triple Sliders With Secret Sauce
→ Blue Cheese Caramelized Onion Burger
→ Double Fried Chicken Cheese Coleslaw Burger
