Sliders.
Did you just think of White Castle? Harold and Kumar? Did you gag a little? Does that word only become appealing after 4.7 alcoholic beverages?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, I may have a solution for you. It may change your view on sliders forever. If you answered “no,” I’m glad you’ve come to terms with the term. That means you’re already primed to love this recipe!
White Castle (the oldest American hamburger fast food chain, did you know?) usually gets credit for trademarking the term “slider” (originally spelled “Slyder”) to refer to their small square hamburgers. However, there are other speculations as to how the name came about. Wikipedia says:
“According to the earliest citations, the name originated aboard U.S. Navy ships, due to the way greasy burgers slid across the galley grill while the ship pitched and rolled. Other versions claim the term “slider” originated from the hamburgers served by flight line galleys at military airfields…because their small size allows them to “slide” right down your throat in one or two bites.”
However the word came about, all we know now is that sliders have become a very popular offering in many restaurants, with countless delicious twists and variations. They’re cute, fun, and usually much less messy than their full-size counterparts. Plus, you can often try two or three variations without having to commit to a full-size burger of one flavor. This is convenient for horrible decision makers such as myself.
Here’s a slider recipe that you can make at home. These have a nice little kick from the chipotle mayo and some sweetness from the caramelized onions. Serve them in singles as appetizers or use a couple of them to make a full main dish. Small size, big flavor.
Chipotle Steak Sliders
(Makes 6 sliders)
What You Need:
6 Ciabatta buns
about 1 lb. of steak
1 onion (I use sweet vidalia)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T. chipotles in adobo sauce*
Salt
Butter
Note: You can either put the chipotles with some of their sauce into a blender to create a nice chipotle paste, you can simply spoon out some of the adobe sauce that surrounds the canned peppers, or you can hand-dice the chipotles and use the diced peppers.
How-To:
Combine mayonnaise, chipotle sauce and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Season to taste, adding more chipotle if you desire a spicier mayo. Season or marinate the steak to your preference. (Or buy pre-marinated steak, Trader Joes has some nice options.). Grill or pan-fry it to desired done-ness. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
While steak is cooking, slice the onion and heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add a pat of butter to the pan, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Fry, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes until onions are a nice caramel color.
Toast the ciabatta buns. To assemble each sandwich, spread chipotle mayo on buns, add a couple slices of steak, followed by the caramelized onions.
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{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
These burgers look great! You have given me a craving just now….
Yum, these look perfect to serve at a party! Very interesting about how the name may have originated too
I love the idea of Chipotle mayo. I buy ground Chipotle pepper from Penzeys, which would be even easier to mix into mayo. Great recipe!
Nice background info on sliders, I always wondered where the name came from. I thought since the bun and patties were small the patty could slide off if you were not careful:)
How funny! I’m making sliders today, but meatball ones. Wish I’d seen this recipe first, I bet it’s better than mine – can’t go wrong with steak and chipotle!
ooooo savory sliders! i love chipotle seasoning
Well, I love sliders anyway…but these are a step above. I want steak in my next batch of sliders. YUM!
Oh my husband would LOVE these. Right up his alley!
And thank you for all the super sweet comments you’ve been leaving me the past few days….totally putting a smile on my face
I love the spicy kick of the mayonnaise, perfect complement. Happy Cooking!
I will admit that I love White Castle burgers. Love them. Even the ones in the frozen food section. You have to have guilty pleasures. These look awfully good, too. Love that they are not on a traditional bun – that really makes a burger more interesting.
I really enjoy sliders and am always looking for unique recipes.
I may have to try these because I only eat sliders after a couple of drinks! Great post!
I am going to make the guilty confession of loving white castle… sober. yep. However these look 2 million times tastier!
I have a friend who for some reason can’t stand the word sliders. I think it’s rather odd
I like them because I like things that are miniature. This is absolutely a great entertaining idea.
Love these sliders.Sound so much easy to make.I can pop countless into my mouth!
Ciabatta bun sounds new to me, but the Chipotle Steak Sliders looks really good.
These sliders look amazing. I love your chipotle mayo!
Great recipe! This sounds so tasty!
Steak + sliders = delicious.
Love the chipotle mayo. Great idea. These look wonderful.
I have tears in my eyes as I read …vidalia onion… what I wouldn’t give for a bag of them the size of a volkswagen. I think of all the things I miss from the states foodwise it would be vidalia onions. Is there any better onion if you live on the east coast? no
These sliders look very good and maybe they’ll be nearly as good with an ordinary brown onion. Fingers crossed.
Can I say while I’m here that I think you are one of the nicest bloggers on the net. You never fail to leave a comment that makes me feel good inside. Thanks a lot.
Seriously there us not one thing u cook that my whole family wouldn’t enjoy. Thus just might be in the top five because it is perfect for summer especially with those juicy caramelized onions! Wow!
i hate mayo, but chiptole mayo is deeeeelish
I am with the wiki version. Sayings have a way of traveling! I think of my son who can’t resist a good steak or burger.
that look… mmm droool amazing : ) i love steak to.. and those look super easy to make. thank your for posting this..
great blog!
xx
fashion provocateur
What a fantastic idea! I’m not a red meat girl, but my husband would go nutso for these! Steak instead of ground beef- brilliant!
I didn’t think of H&K for a second. Now that you mentioned that I haven’t watched that movie in too long. Kidding. These look great. I love the onions on top.
This is definitely a better version of the slider. I love chipotle flavoring.
The sliders look amazing. I like that you can eat two or three and not feel guilty!
I love sliders! Until a few years ago, I wasn’t aware of the existence of “sliders”! It’s perfect for kids to bite and they are cute-looking too! I have never had white castle but saw that in a movie. Haha. This looks really delicious and perfect for summer parties!
sliders are such a great way to enjoy a little bite of a very yummy sandwich. done right, i think they’re an amazing dish! these look fabulous
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Mmm love the combo of adobo sauce and grilled onions. My dad is obsessed with White Castle (we’re originally from Ohio), but I’ve never been brave enough to try one. I’ll stick with fresh, homemade sliders like these you made.
This is such a cute idea! Perfect for a fun appetizer!
These sound soooo good!! Especially appealing because of how few ingredients there are. I need a burger now…
Oh, yummy! These would be GREAT for a party!!
YUM! I have been craving steak lately.
umm, never been to white castle, nor seen the movie, so i just thought YUM when i saw these
These look divine, and the chipotle mayo makes them even better! Perfect for summer!
Your sliders look more elegant than anything that’s ever come out of White Castle
. They sound delicious. I hopeyou have a great day. Blessings…Mary
These look awesome. Hubby would love them!
Our southern version of WC is Krystal…and yes, only appealing on those late nights after too much drinking! I don’t complain or protest on those nights at all about a greasy mini burger
These little sliders look great! I don’t eat a lot of steak anymore but would love to take a bite of my hubby’s
He would LOVE this!
Feel like I’ve learnt something here, Sliders have not reached us in the UK yet. I think my children might enjoy these small offerings, just their size (maybe without the spice!) delicious.
My fiance loves chipotle mayo. These would be perfect for him!
I actually love sliders. I love all things miniaturized (maybe because I have a small mouth?). I am definitely trying this recipe out!
Yum, I love sliders! And chipotle mayo- right up my alley
)
This takes the slider to whole new heights! And how did you know I love chipotle? Interesting background.
Yes, sliders seem to be everywhere these days and even made an appearance as a late-night snack at my daughter’s wedding reception in 2007.
I love the sound of the chipotle mayo with steak in these delicious-looking sliders.
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