Beef Sliders Caramelized Onions Cheese (Printable)
Juicy mini beef burgers topped with caramelized onions and melted cheese on soft buns.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sliders
01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80/20 blend)
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
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)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add thinly sliced onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, kosher salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic. Mix gently until just incorporated. Divide into 8 equal portions and shape each into a patty slightly larger than the buns.
03 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side until reaching desired doneness.
04 - During the last minute of cooking, place a slice of cheese on each patty. Cover briefly to allow cheese to melt.
05 - Spread butter on the cut sides of slider buns. Toast in a skillet or under the broiler until golden brown.
06 - Spread mayonnaise and/or Dijon mustard on the bottom buns if desired. Add lettuce or tomato slices, then top with cheesy beef patties and a generous spoonful of caramelized onions. Cap with the top bun.
07 - Serve sliders warm for optimal flavor and texture.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- They come together in under an hour, which means you can go from empty-handed to feeding a crowd without stress.
- Caramelized onions do most of the heavy lifting on flavor, so even simple beef tastes restaurant-worthy.
- Sliders are the perfect size for eating with your hands while standing around a kitchen, talking and laughing.
02 -
- Don't rush the onions—low heat and patience turn them from sharp and raw into something almost sweet, and that's where the magic happens.
- Handle the beef as little as possible when mixing and shaping, or you'll end up with dense, rubbery patties instead of tender ones.
03 -
- Make your beef patties ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to cook—they'll hold together better and cook more evenly.
- Keep the heat under your onions medium-low and resist the urge to turn it up; high heat browns them quickly but leaves them raw inside, so low and slow is the only way.