Go Back
two small individual potato-roll sliders on an ordinary plate, each with a thin browned beef patty, a thin refried pinto-bean spread, white queso fresco crumbs and drained pink pickled-onion slivers, with no connected Hawaiian roll slab, melted orange cheese, lettuce, tomato or garnish
Rachel Kim

Taco Sliders

Small beef patties give these sliders a tidy center that doesn't spill out as soon as someone picks up the roll. Season the meat lightly, press each patty a little wider than its bread and keep the refried-bean spread thin enough that the filling still bites cleanly. Quick-pickled red onion brings the sharpness that would usually come from salsa, while queso fresco adds a soft crumbly finish. Toast the individual potato rolls in the skillet and assemble them after the patties cook, keeping the pickles drained so their vinegar doesn't soak the bread before the sliders reach the table.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 small red onion very thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for pickles
  • 1 1/2 lbs 85% lean ground beef
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground ancho chile
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt for beef
  • 12 small individual potato slider rolls about 1 1/2 oz each, split
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 1 tsp neutral oil
  • 3/4 cup plain refried pinto beans
  • 2 tbsp water for beans
  • 3 oz queso fresco crumbled

Method
 

  1. Combine sliced red onion, vinegar, warm water, sugar and pickle salt in a bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes, stirring twice, then drain thoroughly; pickling is included in prep time.
  2. Mix beef gently with cumin, ancho chile, garlic powder and beef salt. Shape into 12 thin patties a little wider than the slider rolls.
  3. Spread butter over the cut roll faces. Toast them in a large skillet over medium heat in 3 batches for 1 to 2 minutes per batch, then transfer to a platter.
  4. Brush the same skillet with oil and cook patties in 3 batches of 4 for 3 minutes per side until each reaches 160°F. Transfer cooked patties to a clean plate.
  5. Warm refried beans with their measured water in a small saucepan over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring until spreadable. Divide the bean spread among the 12 roll bottoms.
  6. Top each bottom with one cooked patty, a share of queso fresco and a few drained pickled-onion slivers. Close with the roll tops and serve 2 sliders per person.