Indulge your nostalgia and savor the iconic taste of White Castle Sliders at home! This mouth-watering recipe is my take on those crave-worthy, perfectly seasoned mini-burgers. Get ready for a flavor-packed trip down memory lane with every bite.
We’re obsessed with sliders. From our easy French Dip sliders, Ham and Cheese Sliders, to a hearty plate of buffalo chicken sliders, we’ve got what you’re craving.
Why You’ll Love These “White Castle” Sliders
It’s hard to beat the charm of the iconic mini-burgers from White Castle. They ooze with melty cheese between a pillowy soft slider bun, and the patties are always perfectly seasoned.
My family often had a crave case of these burgers for a quick and cheap weekend dinner…actually I believe several cases fed my family.
I wanted to recreate this experience at home to provide more control over quality ingredients. I think you’ll love this recipe because it’s quick and fun.
- Easy and Time-Efficient – Preparing these sliders is a breeze. It only takes a handful of prepared and prepackaged ingredients to deliver the satisfying slider we all know and love. It’s a perfect go-to recipe for busy weeknights or impromptu gatherings.
- Budget-Friendly Feasting – Skip the drive-thru and save money with this cost-effective, homemade alternative.
- No Junk! – Since you’re making these sliders from scratch, you can monitor and control all the ingredients that go into them. That means no preservatives, fillers, or other junk.
- Customizable Creations – This recipe will deliver the classic White Castle Slider flavor. But there are many tips on tailoring your sliders to your preferences. Swap the cheese, add some onions, and experiment with your favorite toppings!
Serve these sliders with some homemade baked french fries or a batch of sweet potato fries.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef – I recommend using 90/10 ground beef for a lean burger that will maintain its slider shape and size during cooking.
- Onion Soup Mix – Dried onion, herbs, and seasonings are all pre-mixed in a handy envelope. Get ready for flavorful, savory, and juicy sliders!
- Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper from a pepper mill will give you the freshest and most intense flavor. However, pre-ground black pepper will work in a pinch.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Don’t skip out on this ingredient! Worcestershire sauce acts as an umami bomb and adds a balanced depth of flavor. Plus, the acidity within the sauce acts as a natural tenderizer to ensure moist and consistently seasoned burgers.
- Hawaiian Slider Rolls – These are soft, slightly sweet, and the perfect size for White Castle Sliders. Alternatively, you could use pretzel sliders or any other slider bun.
- American Cheese – If you can, splurge on deli-sliced American cheese instead of the pre-sliced and plastic-wrapped singles. Deli-sliced cheese has a higher moisture content and fewer stabilizers, allowing it to melt more evenly and smoothly.
- Pickle Chips – Dill pickle chips will achieve the classic slider flavor. Or, you could use bread and butter pickles for a bit of extra sweetness. Try hot pickle chips if you like a spicy kick.
Easy Instructions
Get set. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray or melted butter.
- Season the burger meat. Use your hands to combine ground beef, water, onion soup mix, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl.
- Create and bake the patty. Add the beef to a baking sheet. Press the beef mixture into a rectangular-shaped 10×12” patty. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove the sheet from the oven. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.
Assemble the sliders. Keep the slider rolls attached and slice them in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom of the buns into the greased baking dish. Then, transfer the burger patty onto the buns. Top with cheese, pickles, and the top layer of buns.
Bake, cut, and serve. Bake the sliders for 5-7 minutes until the cheese melts and the buns become toasty. Finally, cut out each slider and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- If you use ground beef with more fat, like 85/15 or 80/20, make the patties slightly larger than the buns. As the burgers cook and the fat melts, the patties will shrink. By adjusting the size initially, the finished burgers will be the perfect size.
- Traditionally, White Castle Sliders feature mild and creamy American cheese. But you can easily switch up the recipe by swapping out the cheese for one of your favorites. Try spicy pepper jack, sharp cheddar, or melty Swiss.
- For even more oniony goodness, top the sliders with freshly sauteéd onions. Dice about ½ of a small white or yellow onion and cook it in a small skillet with a bit of oil until soft and fragrant.
Recipe FAQs
Transfer cooled sliders to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can freeze leftover sliders for up to 2 months. Wrap each individual slider in plastic wrap and transfer them all to a Ziplock freezer bag. This way, you can thaw the sliders as needed for a snack or quick dinner in no time.
Make sure the burgers have thawed completely. Then, wrap the slider in a damp paper towel and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 30 seconds, then flip the burger. Microwave for an additional 20-30 seconds. You’ll end up with soft, steamed sliders that are just as tasty as the day you made them.
White Castle steams their patties over a bed of sauteéd onions to give the beef an intense and savory flavor. By adding the onion soup mix to the burger meat, we’re creating a similar onion flavoring. Top the sliders with sauteéd onions, and you have the best copycat recipe.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Panera Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
Family Dinner Recipes
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White Castle Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 12 Hawaiian slider rolls
- 6 slices American cheese
- 24 dill pickle chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 baking dish cooking spray (or melted butter). Set aside.
- Add ground beef, water, onion soup mix, black pepper, and worcestershire sauce to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix and blend completely.
- Spread beef mixture on a baking sheet into a rectangular shaped patty this is about 10×12-inches. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and cool for several minutes.
- Without separating the slider rolls, cut in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom layer intot he prepared baking dish.
- Using two large spatulas, transfer the ground beef patty from the baking sheet and place it on the bottom buns. Top with cheese slices and dill pickles. Add the top layer of buns.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted and buns are slightly toasted. Cut into 12 sliders.
Notes
- Leftover sliders can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
- Freeze cooked sliders in airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator.
- Reheat sliders in microwave until desired temperature.
- If using a ground beef with more fat (for instance 85/15), make the patty slightly larger to allow for “shrinkage” while it cooks.
- Deli sliced American cheese melts much better and smoother than the cheese in plastic wrap.
- Swap out the Hawaiian rolls for tradional hamburger sliders (without the sweetness). Or use pretzel sliders for a delicious twist.
- Want more onion? While the beef patty is cooking, dice 1/2 a small white or yellow onion and cook in a small skillet until soft and fragrant. Add to sliders before baking.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
two much onion dip for me just goin in again Witt chopped onion !!
I wish I could make all these recipes but having celiac doesn’t make it easy cause don’t have all ingreds. to make it.
vey interesting. we ate White Castle burgers by da Sack in da 1960s. they had diced onion pressed into da burger den salt n pepper sprinkled on from a shaker so good I like da idea of da soup mix will try soon. thank you