Beef Sliders Caramelized Onions Cheese (Printable Version)
Mini beef patties with sweet caramelized onions and melted cheese on soft slider buns for tasty gatherings.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Sliders
01 - 1.1 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend recommended)
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
05 - ½ tsp garlic powder
→ For the Caramelized Onions
06 - 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 1 tbsp olive oil
09 - ½ tsp sugar
10 - ¼ tsp salt
→ For Assembly
11 - 8 small slider buns
12 - 8 slices cheddar or Swiss cheese
13 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)
14 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional)
15 - Butter for toasting buns (optional)
16 - Lettuce, tomato slices, or pickles (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and salt, stirring to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, then sprinkle sugar. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and deep golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Mix gently until just incorporated. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each into a patty, slightly larger than the buns to allow for shrinkage during cooking.
03 - Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side until well browned and cooked to preferred doneness. In the final minute, place a slice of cheese on each patty and cover to melt.
04 - Slice slider buns in half. If desired, spread butter on cut sides. Toast the buns cut side down in a skillet or on the grill until golden brown.
05 - Optional: Spread mayonnaise and/or Dijon mustard on the bottom half of each bun. Add a lettuce leaf and tomato slice if desired. Top with a cheesy patty, a spoonful of caramelized onions, and pickles if preferred. Cover with the top bun.
06 - Serve sliders hot immediately after assembly.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They disappear faster than you can make them, which is either a blessing or a curse depending on your mood.
- The caramelized onions do all the heavy lifting—nobody notices when you keep things minimal because the onions are that good.
- You can prep the onions way ahead and just cook the patties when people arrive, which feels like actual witchcraft.
02 -
- Don't overwork the beef mixture—I learned this the hard way when I thought thorough mixing would make better patties, but it just makes them tough and sad.
- Those onions need patience and low heat; rush them or turn up the temperature and you'll get burnt bitter disaster instead of sweet caramelization.
03 -
- Don't press down on your patties while they cook; you'll squeeze out all the juices and end up with disappointingly flat, dry burgers.
- If you're cooking for a crowd, make all your caramelized onions first, then do all the beef patties while people are arriving—rhythm matters when you're cooking for others.