Simply Simpler Sliders

It appears that everyone has a slider recipe these days and sometimes simple things become increasingly complex.  Here is a method employing the KISS (keep it simple stupid!) philosophy to creating a lot of sliders easily and efficiently.  This would be extremely beneficial for those large family gatherings or holiday barbecues and still be practical for two people.  How is that possible?  You’ll see as we progress through this post of Simply Simpler Sliders.  Yeah, try to say that three times fast!

We actually have a riff on this recipe with Simply Simpler STUFFED Sliders (stuffed with blue cheese and bacon!) and we did a variation of this where we smoked cold cuts and made double smoked sliders.

And this isn’t a riff on this recipe at all, but if you dig sliders, how about Hawaiian Sliders with reverse seared pork tenderloin and grilled pineapple!

Simply Simpler Sliders Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. ground chuck
• 24 Hawaiian rolls
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Condiments and garnish of your preference.
• 1 onion, chopped
• ¼ stick of butter

Why use ground chuck or 80/20 ground beef?  I believe burger has more flavor with a bit of fat in it. 

Very lean grinds tend to dry out easily leaving a tasteless burger.

Place burger on wax paper on top of a cutting board:

Then cover with wax paper and use a rolling pin to spread the meat into an even rectangular shape slightly larger than 24 Hawaiian rolls:

The Easy Hack to Make Sliders Simpler

Cut into squares slightly larger than the 4 roll section.  I used a very sharp knife but a pizza cutter could be employed instead. 

I wanted to be sure to cut through the wax paper to make easier to work with the patties later.

Next trick for a successful grilling experience is place the patties into the freezer for 30-40 minutes so they will be easier to handle when first applied to the grill.

Caramelized grilled onions are always a sweet treat so into the cast-iron skillet they go with the butter.

How to Grill Simply Simpler Sliders

The kamado is fired up and the extra half-rack is added.  I had 2 uses for the half-rack but only used one. Not sure how I missed it. I guess I should’ve checked the adult beverage meter about this time. 

I’ll fill you in on the missed stage later.

I’ll grab the onions and cheeses and head to the patio. 

Onions will be cooked a bit first then I’ll retrieve the patties from the freezer and toss ‘em on also.

Patties are on. I’m only grilling two this time because there are only two of us for dinner.  I know Mimi and I are hungry but 24 sliders?  These rascals freeze well. They’re already shaped and papered, making advance preparation an easy proposition. 

Store them in the serving size you desire and pull them out for a quick thaw as they’re rather thin. The buns freeze well also.

Wow!  The patty on the left came up a bit short, well I didn’t get an ‘A’ in rolling pin class.

Onions are moved to the upper rack while the patties experience the maillaird  effect or the browning of the meat that caramelizes the proteins. 

Don’t be in a rush to turn the patties or tinker with them. 

Leave them alone until they release themselves from the grill then turn and no meat will be left behind on the grates or your utensil.

Patties are turned, no meat left behind!

Take a closer look:

Once patties are turned it is time to apply the caramelized onions.

Yummm!

Then the cheeses, Havarti and cheddar on one, colby-jack on the other:

Time to prepare the Hawaiian buns, sliced through the middle, and so sweet! 

I’ve used them for pork tenderloin sliders previously. 

Ok, time to fess up. This is where I missed a step. The Hawaiian buns were supposed to be buttered, warmed, and lightly toasted on the half-rack. 

The Grillin’ Fools share their mistakes so you will, hopefully, not be a victim yourself:

Cheese has melted. Right about now I’m thinking, “Who needs a bun!”

Patties are removed from the grill and placed on the 4-bun bottom.  Remember earlier in the post when I mentioned to cut the raw patties a bit larger than the buns?  Here’s why, take a look at the meat versus the bun…to the edge baby!  That’s what I’m talkin’ about! 

The ground meat will incur shrinkage (I’m not too fond of that word either!) so even though the burgers are thin they do cover edge-to-edge for a very tasty experience.

Take a closer look:

Now I’m thinking, “who needs anything else on this?”

Mimi was inside preparing this simple platter to dress up the sliders a bit while I remained outdoors slaving over a hot grill, taking photos, taking notes, and consuming an adult beverage…or two.

The 4-bun is dressed and ready to be cut into 4 sliders…how cool is that?

Two simple cuts and viola!  Four (4) that’s f-o-u-r sliders or mini-burgers if you prefer!

Two more simple cuts and eight (8) simple sliders are created!

Simple Sliders Summary

There it is, in all its simplicity, Simply Simpler Sliders.  Hey! Is simpler even a word?  Guess I could’ve titled this Simon’s Simple Sliders or Super Simple Sliders, perhaps we could vote on it.  I hope many of you will give this method a try.  It is soooo cool, and it will impress your guests with how innovative you are.  On a recent trip to a local club store I noticed the Hawaiian buns sold as a 24-pack, how convenient for your next gathering around the grill.  Consider you’ll be grilling 6 patties, toasting 6 buns of 4, and producing twenty-four (24) burgers.  Does it get any simpler than that?

If you have any questions or comments about this grilling recipe, feel free to leave them below or shoot me an email.

If you are looking for other burger recipes we can help. 

Also, you can follow us on our GrillinFools Facebook page, Instagram, and YouTube feeds

Greg Thomas

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This article was initially published on: May 24, 2013