Beef Sliders with Provolone and Balsamic Onions

From the kitchen of Carly

Charred beef patties melted with sharp provolone and topped with tangy balsamic onions, nestled in grilled potato buns. These sliders are small enough to eat with your hands but substantial enough to satisfy. Aioli optional, but recommended.

Beef Sliders with Provolone and Balsamic Onions

Grill char on beef, melted provolone, and quick-pickled balsamic onions that taste like they've been caramelized for hours, all held together by a toasted bun. The trick is not overthinking the patties, keeping them thick enough to stay juicy when you flip them, and letting the grill do the seasoning work. Four ounces per slider means they cook through without drying out.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 lb. ground beef
  • 1Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 4 sliceprovolone piccante cheese, torn in half
  • 8potato slider buns
  • 1 largered onion, very thinly sliced into rounds
  • 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1Aioli or store-bought mayonnaise

Instructions

  1. Split the ground beef into 8 portions of about 4 oz. each. Working one at a time, cup your hands around a portion and coax it into a rounded mound, then press it gently down to about 3/4 inch thick. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper, then repeat with the remaining portions.

  2. Get the grill going over medium-high heat. Lay the patties down and cook until lightly charred on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip each one, drape a half-slice of provolone on top, and grill to your desired doneness with the cheese fully melted, about 3 more minutes for medium-rare. Move the patties to a cutting board and rest them for 5 minutes.

  3. While the patties rest, place the buns cut side down on the grill and cook until lightly charred around the edges, about 30 seconds.

  4. In a medium bowl, combine the onion with the balsamic vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, squeezing the onions occasionally with your hands to soften them slightly.

  5. Layer the sliders with the patties, grilled buns, pickled onions, and a generous smear of aioli.

  6. The patties can be formed up to 6 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Use 20% fat ground beef and resist pressing down on the patties while they cook. The pressure squeezes out juice and creates a dense, rubbery burger.
  • Season the raw patties generously on both sides just before grilling. Don't salt them ahead or the surface won't brown properly.
  • The balsamic onions are ready when they've collapsed slightly and gone dark at the edges, about 5 minutes. Squeeze them gently to soften, but don't mash them into a puree.
  • Toast the buns cut side down directly on the grill until charred at the edges, around 30 seconds. It takes nothing, but it changes everything.

Variations

  • Skip the grill entirely and use a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear 3 minutes per side and you'll get the same char and tenderness.
  • Swap balsamic onions for caramelized onions if you have time. Cook thinly sliced onions low and slow in butter for 30 to 40 minutes until jammy and golden.
  • Use sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, or aged english white instead of provolone. The key is a cheese that melts fast and doesn't overpower the beef.
  • Nestle a fried egg into each slider for breakfast-style versions. The runny yolk works beautifully with balsamic and melted cheese.

Make ahead and storage

Cooked sliders are best eaten within an hour. Formed, uncooked patties keep in the fridge for up to 6 hours, covered. Freezing cooked sliders is possible but texture degrades; freeze them only if you have no other choice, and reheat gently in a low oven wrapped in foil.