All-American Sliders (Mini Burgers)

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
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Updated on 12/19/22
All-American Sliders (Mini Burgers)

The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 5 to 6 servings

All-American sliders are cute, fun to make, and fun to eat. Sliders are tiny hamburgers served on mini-sandwich buns. These little hot sandwiches first made their appearance a few years ago, and are a favorite among children. Sliders make a great appetizer or even a main dish if you give people four or five of them.

You can usually find mini buns, which are often called "dollar buns," in the bakery section of most supermarkets. Some bakeries also carry them, or you can even make them. Whole wheat buns typically have more texture and can stand up to the little burgers and all of the toppings better than white buns (but it's up to you).

You can put out the burgers, the sliced (and toasted) buns, and all of the toppings on a big platter and let everyone assemble their own masterpieces. Or assemble the sliders yourself and let everyone dig in.

Serve these adorable sliders with potato salad, a fruit salad, and soda or beer for a great summer meal!

Ingredients

For serving (optional):

  • 10 to 12 slider buns

  • Tomatoes, sliced, optional

  • Lettuce, optional

  • Pickles, optional

  • Ketchup, optional

  • Mustard, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    All-American Sliders (Mini Burgers) ingredients

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, milk, salt, pepper, marjoram, and ketchup; mix well with a spoon and let this mixture stand for 5 minutes.

    breadcrumbs, milk, salt, pepper, marjoram, and ketchup in a bowl

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  3. Add the ground beef, crumbling it with your fingers as you add it; mix gently but thoroughly with your hands until combined.

    meat mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  4. Form the meat mixture into about 10 to 12 mini burgers. At this point, you can cover the burgers and chill them for up to 24 hours.

    mini burger patties on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  5. When you are ready to eat, prepare and preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the burgers on a small rack placed over the regular grill rack, over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until the burgers are 160 F.

    burger patties cooking on the grill

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  6. Top each mini burger with the American cheese slices and cover the grill for 30 to 40 seconds to let the cheese melt. You can also fry these burgers in a hot pan over medium-high heat, turning once, until done to 160 F.

    burger patties with cheese on a platter

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

  7. Assemble the burgers with the buns, tomatoes, lettuce leaves, ketchup, mustard, and pickles.

    All-American Sliders (Mini Burgers)

    The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

Cooking the Burgers

Be sure that the little burgers are cooked to a final internal temperature of 160 F as measured with a reliable meat thermometer for food safety reasons. To take the most accurate temperature of the burgers, pick one up with some tongs and insert the thermometer into the side of the burger. Because these burgers contain a panade (a mixture of breadcrumbs and milk), they will be tender and juicy even when cooked well done.

Make It Vegetarian

There are several good vegetarian meat products that easily form into burger patties. Gimme Lean makes a couple of good options as does Boca. Choose which one you prefer, and substitute it for the ground beef in the recipe. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
552 Calories
20g Fat
56g Carbs
34g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 552
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 79mg 26%
Sodium 941mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 56g 20%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 399mg 31%
Iron 6mg 33%
Potassium 492mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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