Mexican Sliders. Ancho chile flavored beef patties, topped with the smoky heat of chipotle mayonnaise, Monterey Jack cheese, Cabernet caramelized onions and red leaf lettuce. Don’t forget to start building these sliders with slices of dill pickle.
Are you a slider purist?
Small burgers coined as sliders were created in 1921 by a joint in Wichita, Kansas called White Castle. it’s not just a mini hamburger, but something much more specific. It’s a thin piece of beef, cooked on a griddle with onions and pickles on a small square bun. The steam from the onions is as important as the heat from the griddle when the small buns are placed on top to absorb the pungent flavor. Even Time Magazine puts White Castle’s sliders at the top of “the most influential burger of all time” list.
Even though I was born in Wichita, sadly I’ve never had a White Castle Slider and I’ve resisted buying the frozen packages at the market. The first small burger I ever held in my hand was at a Tapas bar in California. My slider experiences simply have not given me the opportunities needed to be a purist. I put Bob Evans breakfasts in a similar culinary void. 🙂
What About That Slider Craze?
Small, soft, irresistible and very popular, mini burgers have gone gourmet and you can find hundreds of recipes and flavor combinations. How about these small bite, “Classic” Chicago Style Polish Sausage Sliders from Taste With the Eyes, or from Authentic Suburban Gourmet, Crab Cake Sliders With Jalapeño Aioli. For you purists calling these sandwiches sliders are most certainly not terms of endearment, but to me, well I want to try them all.
Let’s Talk About These Mexican Sliders
About the only thing my Mexican themed mini burgers have in common with the original is the small bun and dill pickles. The beef is simply seasoned with salt, pepper and ancho chile powder. I’ve topped them with red wine caramelized onions, Chipotle mayo, Monterey Jack cheese and some lettuce. Full of flavor, we enjoyed every bite. The smoky heat of the chipotle mayonnaise is a great partner for the brighter heat of the ancho chile flavored beef. The sweet onions blended everything together for a wonderful burger.
Recipe for Mexican Sliders, flavored with Ancho Chile and garnished with Chipotle Mayo
I hope you give these feisty little Mexican styile sliders a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating. Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite beef slider recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
Looking for a side dish for these Mexican Sliders? Take a look at this Mexican Corn Salad Recipe with Citrus Aioli. It’s perfect. Or how about Mexican Macaroni and Cheese. Just sayin’.
Let’s Eat!
And if you’re a burger fanatic like us, don’t miss my post which features a line up of Best Grilled Burgers recipes. I’m positive you’ll find something you’ll fall in love with.
South of the Border Mexican Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup cabernet wine
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce seeds removed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- 1 pound 90-10 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Ancho chile powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- sliced dill pickles
- Monterey jack cheese shredded
- Red leafed lettuce
Instructions
- Heat a saucepan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. When oil is hot add onions. Turn down to medium low heat and cook onions for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Add the cabernet about halfway through cooking. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Mix well.
- In a bowl combine ground beef, ancho chile powder and salt and pepper. Gently mix to blend flavors. Form into 6 small burger patties.
- In a grill pan or on outdoor grill, grill burgers about 5 minutes per side. Add cheese just before removing from heat.
- To build your sliders, place pickle slices on bottom bun. Top with burger patty with chipotle mayo, caramelized onions, lettuce and top bun. Serve immediately.
If you love sliders, you don’t want to miss:
- Fried Chicken Sliders with Zesty Poblano Mayo
- Smoky Sliders with Chipotle Mayo
- Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sliders
- Shrimp Sliders with Caramelized Onions and Sriracha Mayonnaise
- Thai Chicken Sliders
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sliders
- Ina Garten Sliders with Gruyere and Arugula
- Lamb Sliders with Tomato Chutney
South of the Border Mexican Sliders …They’re what’s for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Wow! Were sliders really created at White Castle? I used to eat there when I was in high school!
That’s what an article on the internet said.
I’ve never had a White Castle either (and I didn’t know they hailed from Wichita—who knew?) I would take one of these in a heartbeat though.
One of these days I’ll be somewhere with a White Castle location and I will try one .. and you bet with a photo.
I’ve always wondered what was the difference between sliders and burgers 🙂 but now with your detailed post I know a lot. You mad me crave one. Yours look gorgeous, I would like to make these flavorful mini burgers.
Thanks Amira!
Shows you how much I know – I thought they started in California. I love that they started in Kansas! For years, my only knowledge of White Castle came from their frequent appearance in Beastie Boys’ songs. 🙂 I have enjoyed seeing your slider ideas and this one has my mouth watering!
Who knew where I thought they started, but I was surprised to see White Castle Started in Wichita. And you should have seen the photo of the original building … yikes. 🙂
I grew up on a farm too. But even now I feel like I am still on the farm. I thought sliders were a new thing. Geez Whiz—-I think that term just gave away a hint of my age. Lol. I would certainly ride a donkey on a dusty road from sunrise to sundown to get one of these sliders. After that kind of a ride I would need a couple/ three margaritas to go with it—-dry mouth don’t ya know. I will say that is one man size slider. I might have to have a woman size one to get my mouth around it. Smiles—-
I love your comments Carol. I’ll take a marg and ride on that donkey with you.
I love eating sliders but have never tried making them at home as my mind set was always too much work – just make a regular sized burger. The flavors in your sliders are definitely worth going full-sized burger 🙂
Absolutely Susan. I agree about the full-sized burgers, I prefer them.. I just find one slider to make it easy to keep my portions down. I can gobble up a full sized burger in no time. 🙂
White Castle sliders are fun, although I wouldn’t go out of my way to indulge. Heck, there’s a White Castle maybe a mile form my house and I’ve never been! These, however, I would go out of my way to snarf. Love all the flavor you’ve packed into these — they look incredible. Thanks.
Thanks John. These were very flavorful and I think they might go very well with that Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad.
Love sliders!! And these look especially yummy!!
Me Too Deborah. Thanks. 🙂
Holy moly! Those look awesome!
Thanks Stephanie!
I did love White Castles’, but they did not love me. I also loves those steamed buns with the little onions on them. But your sliders are looking like they could slide right down to my happy place!
Thanks Abbe! 🙂
That is one tall little burger you built there and the flavors in it sound awesome. I must admit to enjoying Krystals but I’m far from a purist. Actually the logic of making and eating three identical little burgers rather than one large one escapes me. Now if they were all different, it would make complete sense to me, but hey that’s just the way my mind works 🙂
They smash down nicely – Don’t worry, they’re easy to eat. Trust me. 🙂 I like sliders because one is just right for me. And If I have a whole burger, I eat a whole burger. If you get my drift.
You won me over so big with these sliders. I’m in loooooooooooove!
Thanks so much Pamela.
Thanks for the ‘slider lesson’ – enjoyed it! I’m also pretty certain I would enjoy one of these sliders of yours. The flavours on them sound wonderful, especially with those caramelized onions cooked in wine. Definitely a gourmet slider if ever there was!
It was a slider lesson for me too. I thought White Castle was an Eastern United States “thing”. Had no idea they were invented in my neck of the woods. We don’t have them in Denver.
I’ve never had the real White Castle sliders either but think yours would beat them in a blind taste test any day!
Thanks Holly.
Hi Lea Ann, don’t think I’ve ever had the real thing, these do look delicious! Love your south of the border cooking style!
Thanks Cheri.
I love the flavors in your slider Lea Ann. I missed the White Castle fad too. In fact I only saw one when I was growing up and it was in Hot Springs. When we went to the city, my mother took us to a tea room, never a fast food joint. I knew much more about Club Sandwiches and Caesar salads during that time. I would gladly eat your slider today and be a very happy girl.
Sam
Growing up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, I only knew home cooking. With an occasional burger from the little joint in town, prepared on a big flat metal griddle – ohmygoodness good.
Unless you are drunk and the bars have closed, White Castle is not the place for you. (I suspect you’ve outgrown such behavior — assuming you ever behaved like that in the first place.) Your South of the Border version looks absolutely divine though! I’ll take a 12-pack, please. 🙂
Behavior outgrown. With an occasional one too many glasses of wine, my late night food habits are reserved for raiding a bag of potato chips on the kitchen counter. If you were my neighbor, I’d most certainly deliver you a 6-pak. Thanks Adam. 🙂
LA, trust me in my opinion you’re not missing anything having not tried a White Castle burger. I think the steam they use makes the buns stick to the roof of your mouth. 🙁 yours look much better!! And is that your hatch green chili Mac on the side? Count me in!
I’m not up for buns sticking to the top of my mouth. Too funny.
I love the idea of these flavors in a slider! I’ve never made sliders at home, but now I want to.
Thanks Lisa. Let me know if you try them.