Beef Sliders with Sun-Dried Tomato Mayo and Spicy Pickles
These juicy beef sliders—slathered with a homemade bright and lemony sun-dried tomato mayo, spicy pickles, and fresh arugula—prove that bigger doesn’t always equal better.
Size Doesn’t Matter
…well, at least when it comes to this gourmet mini burgers recipe. Piquant sun-dried tomatoes, blue cheese, and peppery arugula come together in our mouth-watering take on a classic slider burger. You may just forget that full-sized burgers are a thing when you stare straight into the juicy grilled beef, sun-dried tomato mayo, tangy pickles, and fluffy brioche bun on what is about to become your new go-to party slider recipe.
Why Are Mini Burgers Called Sliders?
There’s some debate about who was the first to coin the term “slider” in reference to this miniature riff on a classic burger. It may have originated in the 1940s with members of the US Navy, who referred to the small, greasy burgers they ate as sliders because they “slide” down right down their throat. Famously, White Castle also began referring to their iconic small, steamed onion-y burgers as sliders—although now they call them “slyders”, a term they’ve coined to differentiate their particular take on a mini burger. However they came into being, we can be sure that a mainstay now and that homemade sliders are the best party food ever.
What Kind of Buns Do You Use for Sliders?
In this beautiful world we live in you can now purchase mini burger buns at most grocery stores. From sesame buns to potato buns, homestyle rolls, to kaiser, there is no shortage of options when it comes to how to sandwich your sliders. We especially love soft, pillowy mini brioche buns. They’re easy to bite through and they form a lovely little crust when brushed with butter and toasted.
What’s in a Slider?
If you aren’t a traditionalist, the only thing that defines a slider is its diminutive size. Typically about two inches in diameter, slider recipes can vary widely. From classic cheeseburger sliders, to more creative slider ideas like pulled pork or buffalo chicken, there’s no shortage of possibilities when it comes to options for mini burger sliders.
Our classic beef slider recipe begins with beautifully seasoned, blue cheese-stuffed ground beef, formed into tiny patties and cooked to perfection. Then, the cheesy beef sliders are topped with creamy, zesty sun-dried tomato mayo and crunchy, sweet and spicy pickles and arugula. The whole juicy beautiful slider is finally skewered with a toothpick to help hold the loaded gourmet mini burger all together.
How To Make Sliders For a Party
If you need a quick and easy way to make hamburger sliders for your next summer gathering, football party, or game night, look no further! These party sliders come together in no time, and it’s easy to make a lot of them all at once, so they’re really the perfect slider recipe for a crowd. Here are a few tips for making sliders for a party:
- This recipe makes ten sliders, but it can easily be doubled or even tripled without making too much more work for yourself.
- Forming the blue cheese and beef slider patties is a great job for the kids to help with—just be sure there’s some good hand-washing happening once all the patties are formed.
- The homemade, lemony sun-dried tomato mayo is a great make ahead component to the sliders—it’ll keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to four days in the fridge.
- You can even make the ground beef patties ahead of time! Mix the ground beef and form your patties the night before, and store them in a tightly-sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them, and up to 24 hours.
Tools You’ll Need
- Whisk.
- Grill or cast iron skillet.
- Baking sheet.
- Large mixing bowl.
- Toothpicks.
Beef Sliders with Sun-Dried Tomato Mayo and Spicy Pickles
10
servings30
minutes15
minutes407
kcalIngredients
- BEEF PATTIES
1 pound 80/20 ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- SUN-DRIED TOMATO MAYO
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 garlic cloves, mined
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- FOR SERVING
10 mini brioche buns
Sweet and spicy pickles (or store bought)
Arugula
Toothpicks (optional)
Directions
- Make the sun-dried tomato mayo. In a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, chives, garlic and pepper until combined. Can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Make the beef patties. In a large bowl, combine the beef, garlic, blue cheese, Worcestershire, Dijon, salt and pepper. Using your hands form 10 patties 2-inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Using your thumb make a small indentation in the middle of each patty.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is smoking, arrange half of the patties in the skillet. Cook undisturbed until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip the patties over and cook until browned, 2 more minutes. Continue flipping until desired doneness is achieved (see Note). Transfer the patties to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining patties.
- Meanwhile toast the buns. Place the buns cut side up on a baking sheet and broil 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve the beef patties on the buns alongside spicy pickles, arugula and sun-dried tomato mayo. Use a toothpick to hold together, if desired.
Notes
- Note: Rare 120°-125°, med-rare 130°-135°, medium 140°-145°, med-well 150°-155° well-done 160°-165°.
