How to Shape Sliders

Sliders are tiny versions of the traditional burger.

Sliders are tiny burgers first marketed by the fast-food chain White Castle in 1921. These bite-sized burgers are sold at both gourmet and fast-food restaurants, and are made from a variety of ingredients, including ground beef, lamb, chicken and seafood. Created your own sliders by shaping and grilling your own petite patties out of the ground meat of your choice.

Things You'll Need

• Ground meat of your choice
• Seasonings/Marinades of your choice
• Slider buns
• Grill or non-stick pan
• Slider tool (optional)
• Meat thermometer
• Toppings of your choice

Instructions

1. Season the meat before forming patties. Seasonings or marinades can also be added after the patties are formed, if you prefer.

2. Separate the meat into hunks to flatten into patties of your desired size and thickness. A portion slightly smaller than a golf ball should suffice for a traditional slider. You don't need to measure precise amounts; eyeballing the amount works fine.

3. Use your hands to shape the meat into a patty that is slightly larger than the slider bun, allowing for shrinkage of the meat during cooking. Shape meat into round or square patties, or form fun shapes for children. Use cookie cutters if you want a precise shape. Avoid pressing the meat together too tightly, which may cause toughness or dryness when the meat is cooked.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have the desired number of patties.

5. Place sliders on a hot grill or in a pre-heated skillet and cook to desired level. Cooking times vary, depending on the size of the slider patties and the type of meat used.

6. Serve sliders on small buns or rolls with toppings of your choice.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase a tool for shaping sliders, either at a cooking or home supply store or website, if you prefer not to shape sliders by hand. These devices may pack meat too tightly, however, increasing dryness, cautions Yes! You Can Grill.

• You may use pre-packaged ground meats from the supermarket, have a butcher freshly grind meat of your choice or grind your own meat at home using a meat grinder or food processor.

• Use a meat thermometer to cook meats to the proper temperature for killing illness-causing bacteria.

References

• White Castle: Company
• The Commercial Appeal: Sliders: Fancy meets fast food in the form of a fun little burger on a square bun
• Yes! You Can Grill: Great Grilled Hamburgers
• The Nibble: Tips for a Better Burger