With their soft steamed buns and smashed patties, these vegan sliders might remind you of White Castle burgers. To help you form and handle the delicate patties, chill them briefly before cooking – and press chopped onion into the patties to help it adhere. For best results, use a block of ground plant-based meat by Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat rather than patties. Note that in testing, we preferred these with brioche-style slider buns; sweet Hawaiian-style rolls competed with the slightly sweet/sour sauce. Serve one slider per guest as an appetizer or two as an entree.
Total time: 35 mins
Make Ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days before you cook and assemble the sliders.
Storage Notes: Refrigerate for up to 3 days and microwave to reheat.
Servings:
4 – 8
Tested size: 4-8 servings
Ingredients
- For the sauce
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2 tablespoons plant-based mayonnaise
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1 tablespoon ketchup
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1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
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1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
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1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the sliders
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12 ounces plant-based ground meat, such as Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat
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1/4 teaspoon fine salt
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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8 slider hamburger buns
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4 slices plant-based cheese, such as Violife cheddar slices
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4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
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1/4 cup finely chopped yellow or white onion, divided
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1/4 cup water, divided
Directions
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar, vinegar and pepper.
Make the sliders: Fold a sheet of parchment paper in half, then unfold it. Using your moistened hands, pinch off and roll the ground meat into 8 balls (1 1/2 ounces each). Put one ball on one side of the parchment paper, fold the other side over, and use a clear pie plate or baking dish to press the ball into an even 3-inch-wide patty. (Using something made of glass helps you see the size of the patty as you’re pressing.) Transfer to a platter or a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining balls. Sprinkle the patties with salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Divide the sauce evenly among the bun bottoms and arrange them on a serving platter. Stack the cheese and cut it into quarters (for 16 pieces).
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil until just smoking. Using a spatula, transfer four patties to the skillet. Sprinkle a total of 2 tablespoons of the onion over the tops of the patties and press firmly into the patties with the back of the spatula. Cook the patties until well browned on the first side, about 1 minute. Flip the patties and top each with 2 pieces of cheese and add the bun tops. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet beside the patties (being careful to not wet the buns), cover, and cook until the cheese is melted, 90 seconds.
Transfer the sliders to the prepared bun bottoms, tent with aluminum foil, and set aside while cooking the remaining patties. Repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, 4 patties, 2 tablespoons of onion, bun tops and 2 tablespoons of water. Serve warm.
Recipe Source
Adapted from “Cooking With Plant-Based Meat” by America’s Test Kitchen (2022).
Tested by Joe Yonan.
Email questions to the Food Section at [email protected].
