You might own a grill with an ample heat supply and perfectly fine grill grates. "Why," you might ask yourself, "Would I want to griddle my burgers?" Great question, and the answer might surprise you: griddled burgers can taste better than grilled burgers. When properly prepared, a perfectly grilled burger is one of the most delicious things you can make on a grill. Unfortunately perfect preparation is difficult - grill heat is dry, and meat juices drip into the grill, leading to dry meat and flare-ups. Stainless steel griddles solve those problems. Direct contact with the griddle promotes delicious browning and even cooking, and the meat retains its juices. No burns, no flare-ups, just great burgers cooked to your liking. "Sliders," or miniature hamburgers are great griddled burgers because they are fun to eat, cook quickly, and they originated in the home of the American griddled burger, the roadside diner. With slider buns, griddled onions and American cheese, you can replicate the diner experience in your backyard. We serve this with "griddle fries," and it is the perfect meal for enjoying the Fourth of July with your family.
To make Griddle Sliders, you will need:
- 2 pounds of ground beef. We recommend 80% lean 20% fat
- 2 white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 12 minature slider hamburger buns
- 6 slices American cheese, cut in half (optional)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Garlic powder (optional)
- High-heat griddle oil for cooking (vegetable, rice bran or grapeseed)
To cook the dish: Note: If you have a large Little Griddle griddle you may cook the onions and sliders at the same time; if you have one of our smaller models you will most likely want to cook the onions first.
Form the ground beef into 2-ounce slider patties, shaping them gently so that they hold together loosely (see 0:30 of the video for how they should look). Season on both sides with salt and pepper, and garlic powder if desired. Allow to come to room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.
Peel onions, slice thinly and place in a bowl. Preheat your griddle to medium heat (350 - 400 degrees Fahrenheit) Lightly oil the griddle and place onions on the cooking surface, and cook until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
Remove onions to a serving bowl and place sliders on hot griddle. Cook for about 8-10 minutes in total, turning once halfway through, until sliders are browned on the outside and cooked to desired doneness on the inside. When about two minutes of cooking time remain, top with a cheese slice and onions, and close the grill lid to melt the cheese. Remove to a serving platter. Slider buns may be warmed on the griddle for one minute prior to assembling the burgers. Serves 4.
To make Griddle Fries, you will need:
- Four large, starchy potatoes (Yukon Gold or Idaho Russet, about 1.25 pounds)
- Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, seasoned salt, garlic powder, cajun seasoning etc. - Chopped herbs for garnish (optional): minced parsley, cilantro or scallion
- High-heat griddle oil for cooking (vegetable, rice bran or grapeseed)
To cook the dish: Scrub potatoes, peel if desired and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper and any seasonings that you like on your fries - we enjoy a seasoned salt on these fries. Add 3 Tablesoons of cooking oil and stir to coat.
Preheat your griddle to medium heat (350 - 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Because the fries have been pre-oiled, do not oil the griddle surface. Place the fries on the griddle and cook for approximately 20 minutes, turning every five minutes so that the fries are browned evenly on all sides.
Remove to a serving dish and sprinkle with herbs, if desired. These fries may be prepared before the sliders - loosely tent serving dish to keep fries warm, but allow steam to escape so that the fries do not get soggy. Serves 4. Give this recipe the gourmet treatment with fancy cheeses, exotic relish, griddled shallots instead of onions, etc. You won't go wrong either way, but we do love the "classic" version for its simple perfection. We eat everything that we cook in our videos, and there was nothing left after this shoot.
Leave a comment