Beef sliders caramelized onions cheese (Print Version)

Juicy mini beef burgers paired with sweet caramelized onions and melted cheddar cheese on soft buns.

# Recipe Ingredients:

→ Sliders

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80/20 blend recommended)
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Caramelized Onions

06 - 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar

→ Assembly

10 - 8 slider buns
11 - 8 slices cheddar cheese (or Swiss, provolone, or choice of cheese)
12 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
13 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
14 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for toasting buns)
15 - Lettuce, tomato slices, or pickles (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions, salt, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
02 - Combine ground beef, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic in a mixing bowl. Mix gently until just combined. Divide mixture into 8 portions and shape each into a patty slightly larger than the slider buns.
03 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side until desired doneness is achieved.
04 - Place a slice of cheese on each patty during the last minute of cooking. Cover briefly to allow the cheese to melt thoroughly.
05 - Spread butter on cut sides of slider buns. Toast in a skillet or under a broiler until golden brown.
06 - Spread mayonnaise and/or mustard on the bottom buns if desired. Add lettuce or tomato if using, then place the cheesy beef patty on top. Spoon caramelized onions over the patty and finish with the top bun.
07 - Serve immediately while warm for best flavor and texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They cook fast enough to make on a weeknight but feel fancy enough to serve when people drop by.
  • The caramelized onions do the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so even simple ground beef becomes something memorable.
  • Everyone gets a little burger they can hold with one hand while standing around the kitchen, which somehow makes everything taste better.
02 -
  • Don't rush the onions—I learned this by trying to speed them up on medium heat once, and they just steamed instead of caramelizing, tasting bitter and burnt at the same time.
  • Shaping the patties slightly larger than the buns sounds weird until you realize they shrink noticeably during cooking, and that's exactly what you want.
  • Cold beef straight from the fridge is harder to shape, so letting it sit for ten minutes at room temperature makes a real difference.
03 -
  • Buy your beef from a butcher if you can and ask for it ground fresh; the difference in flavor and texture is noticeable.
  • If you're cooking for vegetarians, cooked mushrooms with garlic and thyme become an unexpectedly good stand-in for the beef patties.

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