Beef Sliders

A slider is essentially just a small hamburger. Initially I wondered why you might want these, but in fact they’re quite fun. They make a great substantial snack if you’re entertaining, or, in the ‘a change is as good as a holiday’ mode, they’re an interesting alternative to a regular burger. To give these another slight twist, I’ve given them a slightly Asian twist, adding some black bean and sweet chilli sauce.

I’ve seen tiny buns available for catering that mean you really can make finger food type nibbles, but for a more everyday alternative, try little dinner rolls from the supermarket, in which case this recipe will make six to eight sliders.

For 6-8 sliders

500g beef mince

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 small egg

1 Tbsp blackbean sauce

1 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce

To serve:

6-8 small rolls

Your choice of cheese, lettuce, sliced tomatoes beetroot etc

To make the slider patties, place the first five ingredients into a large bowl, then mix until evenly combined (clean hands are the most effective way to do this).

Working with wet hands (to stop the mixture sticking) dived the mixture into two, then divide each half into three or four evenly sized balls, then flatten these to make patties 1-1.5cm thick. Cover patties and refrigerate until required if working in advance.

Make the sauce by stirring the mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce together in small bowl, and prepare your selected extra toppings.

Heat a lightly oiled non-stick pan (or barbecue hotplate) over a medium heat (if you use a high heat the patties will brown excessively). Add the patties and cook for 2-3 minutes a side, or until cooked through.

Once the patties are cooked, assemble the sliders, adding the topping of your choice. Because the buns have a relatively small base a long toothpick or short skewer through the slider may help keep everything in place. Serve immediately.