Sliders

This easy recipe for sliders is great for feeding a crowd at parties, potlucks, tailgates, or just for a quick weeknight meal.

The post Sliders appeared first on Budget Bytes.

These super-tasty, mouthwatering Sliders feature savory beef and pork patties tucked into pillowy Hawaiian rolls dripping with American cheese.  They’re a fabulous way to feed a crowd without much fuss because they come together quickly and are made by the dozen. That’s why this easy Slider recipe is my go-to for parties, potlucks, tailgates, or a quick weeknight meal. Make it once, and it’ll become the same for you!

Close up side view of a stack of sliders.

What Are Sliders?

For the most part, sliders refer to a miniature sandwich, in this case, tiny hamburgers. Traditionally, slider patties are made individually from a ball of beef smashed on a grill with chopped onions.  In this recipe, we mix raw onions in the meat and bake one giant patty. We then sandwich the patty between uncut sheets of Hawaiian rolls with loads of cheese, bake it again until the cheese melts, and then cut it into a dozen sliders. Easy!

Ingredients for Sliders

There are many ways to make sliders, but the basic ingredients are the same: ground meat, bread, onion, cheese, and toppings. You can get creative with your toppings, but I’ve kept things really simple here. This is what you’ll need to make quick and easy Sliders:

  • Ground Beef and Pork: You can buy ground pork for a third of the price of ground beef, so I used equal parts of each in the patty to keep things budget-friendly. Feel free to go with all ground beef (or all ground pork), as the recipe directions won’t change. Remember that pork is white meat, so the color of these patties is lighter than a traditional burger patty.
  • Onions: add depth and bulk to the patty but are not essential. If you’re not a fan, keep them out of the mix.
  • Burger Seasoning: The spices in this mix add deep flavor to the meat. We’ve got a great Homemade Burger Seasoning recipe, but your favorite seasoning blend will also work here. You can also just use up to a teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. 
  • Cheese: American cheese slices are wallet-friendly and offer superior melting. Of course, you can substitute them with your preferred melting cheese. 
  • Hawaiian Rolls: These make up the bun of our sliders. They are sold in uncut sheets, simplifying the cooking process. You can substitute the rolls with your favorite hamburger rolls, though it will change the yield and, of course, the assembly steps.
  • Everything Bagel Seasoning: This is used to add flavor and texture to the slider buns. You can substitute it with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or flaky salt. This ingredient can also be omitted

What To Serve With Sliders

You can’t go wrong pairing sliders with anything potato-based like French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, or Potato Salad. They’re also great with Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, or, for the ultimate indulgence, Nacho Cheese Dip. (Don’t knock a nacho cheese-dipped Slider until you’ve tried it!)

How To Store Sliders

If you have leftovers, remove the patty from the bun and refrigerate the bread and meat in separate air-tight containers. When ready to eat, reheat in individual sheet pans in a 350°F oven. Warm the bread for a few minutes and pull the patties when they start to steam. Then assemble.

Side view of individual sliders on a wooden cutting board.
Side view of individual sliders on a wooden cutting board.
Print

Sliders

This easy recipe for sliders is great for feeding a crowd at parties, potlucks, tailgates, or just for a quick weeknight meal.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Total Cost $16.11 recipe / $2.69 serving
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
cool time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 (2 sliders each)
Calories 728kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Set an oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with a sheet pan rack. Add the ground beef and pork to a bowl. Sprinkle with onions, salt, and burger seasoning, and lightly mix.
  • Add a sheet of parchment paper to your work surface. Press the meat onto the parchment paper and shape it into a 12 x 16 rectangle. Place the parchment paper with the meat on it on the sheet pan rack.
  • Top the meat with another sheet of parchment paper, then place a second sheet pan on top of it. Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 150°F.
  • In the meantime, slice the rolls in half lengthwise. Brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Once the 20 minutes are up and the meat has reached an internal temperature of 150°F, remove the top sheet pan from the oven. Then remove the sheet pan that has the meat in it from the oven. Remove the top layer of parchment paper to reveal a large meat patty.
  • Use two large spatulas to remove the meat from the parchment paper on the sheet pan rack. Top the bottom rolls with the large meat patty.
  • Add the 6 slices of American cheese in a single layer.
  • Place the top rolls on top of the meat and cheese. Brush the tops with the last 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of Everything But The Bagel Seasoning.
  • Cook for 15 minutes or until the bread toasts and the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before slicing into individual sliders. Serve on a platter and enjoy your the oohs and ahhs at your get-together!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 2sliders | Calories: 728kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 49g | Sodium: 954mg | Fiber: 1g
A hand picking up a slider from a platter, viewed from above.

How to Make Sliders – Step by Step Photos

Ground beef and pork in a bowl with diced onion.

Set an oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with a sheet pan rack. Add the ground beef and pork to a bowl. Sprinkle with onions, salt, and burger seasoning, and lightly mix. 

Seasoned meat mixture shaped into a rectangle on a sheet pan with parchment.

Add a sheet of parchment paper to your work surface. Press the meat onto the parchment paper and shape it into a 12 x 16 rectangle. Place the parchment paper with the meat on it on the sheet pan rack. 

Parchment and second sheet pan on top of meat.

Top the meat with another sheet of parchment paper, then place a second sheet pan on top of it. Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 150°F.

Hawaiian rolls cut in half being brushed with butter.

In the meantime, slice the rolls in half lengthwise. Brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons of butter. 

Cooked slider meat on the sheet pan.

Once the 20 minutes are up and the meat has reached an internal temperature of 150°F, remove the top sheet pan from the oven. Then remove the sheet pan that has the meat in it from the oven. Remove the top layer of parchment paper to reveal a large meat patty.

Baked meat on the bottom Hawaiian rolls.

Use two large spatulas to remove the meat from the parchment paper on the sheet pan rack. Top the bottom rolls with the large meat patty.

American cheese slices on top of the meat.

Add the 6 slices of American cheese in a single layer.

Rolls on top and everything bagel seasoning being sprinkled on top.

Place the top rolls on top of the meat and cheese. Brush the tops with the last 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. 

Final baked sliders out of the oven.

Cook for 15 minutes or until the bread toasts and the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before slicing into individual sliders. Serve on a platter and enjoy your the oohs and ahhs at your get-together!

Slider being picked up from the group with the cheese pulling.

The post Sliders appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Smash Burger

If you love a meaty, juicy burger patty with loads of crispy edges and charred crooks and crannies, this Smash Burger recipe is for you!

The post Smash Burger appeared first on Budget Bytes.

If you love a meaty, juicy burger patty with loads of crispy edges and tons of smoky crooks and crannies for your favorite sauce or cheese to sink into, this Smash Burger recipe is for you! Will you be left with a greasy stovetop? Undoubtedly. Will your smoke alarm holler? Probably. Will it be worth it? A million times YES. Plus, you get four burgers for what you’d pay for just one at a restaurant. Oh haiiiii, Budget-Friendly Smash Burger! Let’s be best friends.

Side shot of a Smash Burger with a toothpick in the bun.

What is a Smash Burger?

Unlike traditional burger patties that are thick and round, a Smash Burger has a thin patty with crispy, charred edges packed with smoky flavor. You make a smash burger by smashing a ball of ground beef onto an ungreased, hot, flat surface.

Ingredients for The Best Smash Burger

Smash Burgers are easy (though a bit messy) to make, ridiculously delicious, and perfect for a weekend get-together. Here’s what you’ll need to make a Smash Burger:

  • Ground Beef- Don’t use lean ground beef. You need fat for a smashed patty to be flavorful and juicy. Instead, use 80/20 ground beef, which means the beef is 80% meat and 20% fat. If you want to make your burger patties with ground turkey or ground chicken the same rule applies.
  • Butter- Adding frozen butter to the beef mix helps give you juicy results with deep, meaty flavors while also delivering smoky, crispy edges. To add even more depth to your burger, you should butter your buns before toasting them.
  • Seasoning – We use our Homemade Burger Seasoning, but you can also season this burger with a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper. For a little more kick, try using a teaspoon of your favorite spicy blend, like our Homemade Cajun Seasoning.
  • Buns- What’s a burger without a fabulous bun? I prefer potato buns, but classic white, pretzel, brioche, or sesame buns are great choices too. You can also wrap your patty in a big, juicy lettuce leaf!
  • Toppings – If you want to make a cheeseburger, I recommend American cheese, which melts beautifully. We went super-classic with lettuce, red onion, and slices of tomato for our toppings, and skipped sauces that would overpower the flavor of our patty. But you do you. Other toppings that work fabulously are slices of avocado and crispy bacon topped with a fried egg. Or smother your patty with sautéed mushrooms and onions and smoky chipotle peppers.
Overhead shot of three Smash Burgers tucked into a tray with fries nestled around them.

Tips For A Great Smash Burger

  1. Chill your beef. Cold burgers have solidified fat. That means more fat stays in the patty as it cooks, producing a crispy brown exterior with a juicy interior.
  2. Salt your burgers when you’re ready to cook them. Salt denatures the proteins in ground beef very quickly, and it only takes minutes to transform the patty into a dry, rubbery, meatloaf-like texture.
  3. Use a cast iron or heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan which holds heat when a cold patty hits it. Do not use a non-stick pan; you should never heat non-stick to high temperatures.
  4. Use the biggest, heaviest spatula you have to smash your burger. If you need more leverage, place a tall, thick, heavy glass lip-side down on the spatula and place your palm on its bottom to smash down even more.
  5. To ensure your burgers are cooked evenly, use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. The internal temperature of a cooked burger should be 160°F.

What To Serve With Smash Burgers

We paired our Smash Burgers with our Oven Baked Steak Fries and they were absolutely AMAZING. You can also try our super crispy Garlic Parmesan Oven Fries. Other great options are our Easy Creamy Coleslaw or our Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad.

How To Store Smash Burgers

You can store cooked patties in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Then, reheat the patties in a preheated pan until steaming hot. Avoid using a microwave, which will leave you with rubbery results. If you’d rather freeze the burgers, don’t cook the patties. Instead, freeze the buttered, unseasoned ball-shaped portions wrapped in plastic or wax paper in an airtight container. Take them out of the freezer the day before you want to prepare them and thaw them overnight in your fridge.

Side shot of a Smash Burger with a toothpick in the bun with a second Smash Burger in the background.
Side shot of a Smash Burger with a toothpick in the bun and french fries in the background.
Print

Smash Burger

If you love a meaty, juicy burger patty with loads of crispy edges and tons of smoky crooks and crannies for your favorite sauce or cheese to sink into, this Smash Burger recipe is for you!
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Total Cost ($11.85 recipe / $2.96 serving)
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 burgers
Calories 516kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef $6.99
  • 4 Tbsp frozen salted butter, divided $0.56
  • 3 tsp Homemade Burger Seasoning $0.33
  • 4 burger buns $2.99
  • 4 leaves iceberg lettuce $0.37
  • 1 tomato, sliced into thin rounds $0.45
  • 1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin rounds $0.16

Instructions

  • Separate the ground beef into four equal portions.
  • Grate 1/2 tablespoon of frozen butter onto each portion. Wrap the meat around the butter and shape it into a ball. Chill the beef until you are ready to cook. Place an ungreased cast iron skillet over high heat. Turn on your exhaust fan. Open a window.
  • When the skillet is smoking hot, sprinkle a 3/4 teaspoon of burger seasoning all over the beef ball, then place it in the pan.
  • Smash down with a spatula and keep the spatula on the burger as it cooks. When you see the top of the patty change color (about 2 minutes), carefully work the spatula under the patty. Take your time with this step, as the patty will be stuck to the pan.*
  • When you have loosened the patty, flip it and smash it again. Cook for 2 minutes more, remove the patty from the pan, and rest it on a cooling rack. Wipe the pan down with a paper towel and cook the remaining patties.
  • While the patties rest, place a rack in the top third of your oven and put it on broil. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it onto the inside of the buns. Place them buttered side up on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for a few minutes until golden.
  • Assemble the burgers. Place the burger on the bottom bun and top with onion rounds, tomato slices, and lettuce. Add the top bun and enjoy the crispiest, smokiest, burger ever!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*If you want to make this a cheeseburger, as soon as you flip the patty and smash it again, remove the spatula and top the patty with a slice of cheese. I prefer American, as it melts beautifully. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 36g | Sodium: 453mg | Fiber: 1g
Side view of Smash Burger being held by two hands.

How to Make Smash Burgers – Step by Step Photos

Overhead shot of one pound of ground beef separated into quarters.

Separate 1 pound of ground beef into four equal portions.

Overhead shot of frozen, grated butter being tucked into a ball of beef.

Grate 1/2 tablespoon of frozen butter onto each portion. Wrap the meat around the butter and shape it into a ball. Chill the balls of beef until you are ready to cook. When it’s go time, place an ungreased cast iron skillet over high heat. Turn on your exhaust fan. Open a window.

Overhead shot of ball of beef in a black cast iron pan.

When the skillet is smoking hot, sprinkle a 3/4 teaspoon of our Homemade Burger Seasoning all over the beef ball, then place it in the pan.

Overhead shot of raw Smashed Burger patty in a black cast iron pan being smashed by a silver spatula.

Smash down with a spatula to create an even patty about 1/4 to a 1/2 inch thick. When you see the top of the patty change color (about 2 minutes), gently slide the spatula back and forth to take it off the top of the patty. Then, carefully work the spatula under the patty. Take your time with this step, as the patty will be stuck to the pan.

Overhead shot of cooked Smashed Burger patty in a black cast iron pan.

When you have loosened the patty, flip it and smash it again. If you want to make a cheeseburger, top the patty with a slice of cheese. Cook for 2 minutes more, remove the patty from the pan, and rest it on a cooling rack. Wipe the pan down with a paper towel and cook the remaining patties.

Overhead shot of melted butter being brushed onto a bun in a sheet pan with other buns.

While the patties rest, place a rack in the top third of your oven and put it on broil. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it onto the inside of the buns.

Overhead shot of toasted buttered buns in a sheet pan.

Toast the buns buttered side up in the oven for a few minutes until golden. Assemble your burgers with red onion rounds, slices of tomato, and lettuce. Top the burger with the remaining bun and chow down, my friend!! Don’t forget to say “I cook. You clean.” as you get showered with compliments! #Trust

Overhead shot of three Smash Burgers tucked into a tray with fries nestled around them.

More Great Burger Recipes

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