Sliders

Big things often come in small packages. These sliders pack a flavorful punch that is sure to be enjoyed by all. This recipe can be written dozens of ways, depending on your various condiment preferences. The best thing about these paleo-friendly offerings is that you don't have a doughy soft bun to get in the way of your fresh lettuce and tomatoes.

Sliders can be a great appetizer for a big crowd or a meal for a smaller crew. This is also a really fun recipe to get kids involved in the process. Who doesn’t remember getting to make burgers as a kid?

1–1½ pounds (500-750 g) ground beef
1 large egg
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup (100 g) mushrooms, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 each: yellow, red, green bell pepper
1 small onion, sliced
3 small tomatoes, sliced
1 head iceberg lettuce
6–8 medium portobello mushrooms

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Be sure you have a clean grate and wipe it down with a little oil when hot.
2. In a large bowl, mix ground meat, egg, chopped onion and mushrooms. Sprinkle in black pepper and garlic salt as you’re mixing the meat.
3. Form small burgers with hands (no need for a fancy slider mold here). The burgers will be about 2 inches in diameter.
4. Slice all three peppers down the sides to form large flat pieces (think like you’re cutting the walls off a house).
5. Slice other onion and tomatoes thinly (about 1/8 inch). Pull lettuce apart into individual leaves. Try to keep them whole (as large as possible).
6. Grill burgers 3-5 minutes per side, depending upon your desired doneness. Grill peppers and mushrooms 2-3 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
7. Stack burgers between peppers or mushrooms and wrap with lettuce. Add the onion and tomato slices if you’re so inclined.

Variations—If you’d like, slice the tomatoes a bit thicker to use as bun—just know they’ll be pretty juicy.

—With sliders/burgers you can use almost any ground meat you want. We like to occasionally use ground turkey or ground venison.

—We always try to have a batch of our homemade Paleo Mayo (recipe here), Cave Ketchup (recipe here), or Chipotle Dipping Sauce (recipe here) ready to serve on top of these.

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• PINEAPPLE, MINT, AND CLEMENTINE WATER
• Mango Cilantro Chicken

Sliders pack seasoned ground beef with chopped onion and mushrooms into two-inch patties, grilled hot and stacked between charred peppers or portobello caps. Iceberg lettuce leaves wrap the whole thing instead of a bun. They serve as an appetizer for a crowd or dinner for a smaller crew, and kids love building their own.

Pro Tips

• Grill the peppers and mushrooms 2-3 minutes per side while the patties rest, so everything finishes at the same moment.
• Slice the onion and tomato about 1/8 inch thick so they sit flat in the stack instead of sliding out.
• Thick tomato slices can stand in for the bun entirely - just know they will be juicy.
• No slider mold needed; free-form two-inch patties cook just as evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use another ground meat?

Ground turkey or venison are the recipe's own favorites, and the chopped mushroom-onion mix keeps leaner meats moist.

How many sliders does this make?

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef yields about a dozen two-inch sliders - six main servings or a full party platter.

How should I serve them to a crowd?

Set out the grilled peppers, mushroom caps, and lettuce leaves alongside the patties and let everyone build their own.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Sliders

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Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 280

Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 large egg
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup (100 g) mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• 1 each: yellow, red, green bell pepper
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 3 small tomatoes, sliced
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 6–8 medium portobello mushrooms
• Stack burgers between peppers or mushrooms and wrap with lettuce. Add the onion and tomato slices if you’re so inclined.

Method

 

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Be sure you have a clean grate and wipe it down with a little oil when hot.
2. In a large bowl, mix ground meat, egg, chopped onion and mushrooms.
3. Sprinkle in black pepper and garlic salt as you’re mixing the meat.
4. Form small burgers with hands (no need for a fancy slider mold here). The burgers will be about 2 inches in diameter.
5. Slice all three peppers down the sides to form large flat pieces (think like you’re cutting the walls off a house).
6. Slice other onion and tomatoes thinly (about 1/8 inch). Pull lettuce apart into individual leaves. Try to keep them whole (as large as possible).
7. Grill burgers 3-5 minutes per side, depending upon your desired doneness.
8. Grill peppers and mushrooms 2-3 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 18gFat: 17g

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