When you learn how to make sliders, you're not learning simply how to make a mini hamburger. Or at least not exactly. Though it's become a term that's used loosely to describe appetizer-sized sandwiches of all varieties, a slider is actually a specific style ofhamburger.It's small, yes, but the crucial component is the onions.
Traditionally, the burger patties for sliders never touch the grill. Instead, they're cooked on a bed of onions, which steam the beef and impart plenty of flavor. But in many recipes, (including this one), the burger gets a little char from the skillet, too. A small, super-squishy dinner-roll bun is also a key characteristic of the slider. No brioche or kaiser roll here—a slider bun should almost melt in your mouth. It gets its pillowy texture from sitting atop the burger patty and slowly steaming with onion fumes as well.
Though the definition of the slider has broadened, there are still plenty of greasy spoon varieties alive and well across the country—including theCozy Innin Ann Arbor, Michigan, as well asWhite Mannain New Jersey. "Those are really the classic, traditional slider places. But none of them call them sliders—they're hamburgers. It's a term that—I don't want to say outsiders—but people who don't make or cook sliders use to distinguish them from a normal hamburger," Michael Stern, the co-creator of Roadfood, awebsiteandguidebookthat uncover roadside regional food across America, told me. If you can't make it to any of these places any time soon but have a craving for a slider—or should we say a hamburger?—following this step-by-step guide should help. Our method is based on a recipe from famed food writer and burger enthusiastJosh Ozersky.
1. Prep the Onions
Chop one large yellow onion into medium-fine cubes. Toss the onions with a pinch of kosher salt and just enough warm water to cover them—this will allow them to impart more oniony flavor into the burger and bun.
2. Make Your Slider Patties
Since sliders involve very thin patties that use small amounts of ground beef, they will cook faster and always be well done. For this reason, you want to use a beef that has a higher fat content, likeground chuck or brisket. You're looking for a 80/20 ratio of fat to lean, also often labeled "80% lean." This will ensure that your slider is still juicy and flavorful. Start with a pound of ground beef and divide it into 10 meatballs about the size of ping-pong balls. Refrigerate them until you’re ready to cook.
3. Assemble Your Ingredients
Cooking a slider is a quick process, so you’ll want all of your ingredients nearby when you need them to get the timing right. Arrange your bowl of onions, a plate of halved slices of American cheese, and 10 small white dinner rolls (split horizontally) alongside the stove.
4. Get Your Skillet Extremely Hot
Heat alarge cast-iron skilletover high heat and wait until it's very hot. Test the heat by brushing on a bit of oil—when it starts to smoke, the skillet is ready.
5. Flatten, Flip, and Smash the Burgers
Flatten your burgers slightly with your palms while the skillet is heating up, and sprinkle them with a liberal amount of kosher salt. Brush the pan with vegetable oil, then place one burger in the pan. Just after it hits the cooking surface, flip it over. Then, while it’s still cold, use a thin, flexible metal spatula to press the burger extremely thin in one hard stroke.
6. Add Onion Mixture, Flip Again, and Top with Cheese and Bottom Bun
Let the burger cook for 30 to 40 seconds. Then, top it with a dollop of the watery onion mixture. Spread the onion mixture over the meat, making sure to coat it as evenly as possible. Don’t press the onions into the meat or squish the burger down with a spatula again.
After another 30 seconds has passed, flip the burger quickly, gently, and carefully so you avoid onion splatter and end up with the onionsunderneaththe burger. Quickly place a slice of cheese on top of the burger. Then, place thebottomhalf of the bun on top of the cheese. Let the burger cook and the bun steam for another 10 seconds.
7. Serve Your Sliders
Quickly slide the spatula under the burger and onions, placing the stack on the top half of the bun. Invert the burger and place it on a serving platter. Repeat the process with the other 9 burgers.
That's how to make sliders in their most traditional form. Want something fancier, or healthier, or morekid-friendly? As we've learned, a slider isn't a singular style. Go ahead and make one with thatWagyu beefyou special ordered. Or withmushrooms mixed intothe ground beef. Or withfish. These days, a slider is almost anything you imagine it to be. Just don't forget that nothing beats the original.
