The Best Southern Slider Recipes {plus, 'The Great Slider Debate'}

From the American South and beyond, here's a delicious collection of 25+ Savory, Slow-food Slider Recipes that you can really sink your teeth into!

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What is a slider and where did they come from?

White Castle, generally credited as the country's first fast-food chain, also gets credit for inventing the original slider - a little two-inch square burger with a ridiculously thin meat patty - and introducing it to the world.

Over the last decade, sliders have been popping up like daisies on menus all across the US, from greasy spoon drive-ins to upscale gastropubs. In no place are they more ubiquitous than in the American South, home to both White Castle and its tiny-burger rival, Krystal.

Depending on who you ask, a slider is either (a) a mini-hamburger, or (b) a mini-sandwich. Unless you ask Adam Kuban, [Editor Emeritus, Serious Eats], who unequivocally defines and defends the original slider recipe:

A slider is something very specific. It is not just a mini hamburger. It’s a thin, thin slip of beef, cooked on a griddle with onions and pickles piled atop patty. The steam from the onions does as much cooking as the griddle. The buns are placed atop the onions, absorbing the pungent aroma and flavor.

Personally, I prefer to use the broadest interpretation possible – a slider is a little bun with a yummy, mostly protein-based filling. However, while I may not agree with Mr Kuban on the defining points, I do have to give him some serious props: he has constructed what is probably the best copycat recipe around for traditional beef-n-onion sliders.

The Great Slider Debate

White Castle first opened its doors in Wichita, Kansas in 1921. Eleven years later, Krystal was founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In a modern-day Mason-Dixon fast food standoff, Tennessee and Kentucky are the only two US states in which the two chains cross paths.

Since Mr. B and I had to grab a couple of quick meals on our last trip to Tennessee, we decided to seize the opportunity to weigh in on The Great Slider Debate.

Whose slider recipe is better - White Castle or Krystal?

Slider Recipes | White Castle versus Krystal — Both *White Castle* and Krystal sliders take up about the same amount of real estate as a Saltine cracker.

White Castle vs. Krystal

We tried to be as objective as possible in our review. It had been more than 15 years since either Mr B or I had eaten a White Castle slider, and neither one of us had ever tried a Krystals slider before. In both cases, we sampled the basic Cheese Slider (or Cheese Krystal, as the case may be).

Appearance: The sliders look basically exactly the same. The White Castle slider seemed a bit loftier; it was almost as tall as it was wide. By comparison, the Krystal slider was a bit flatter and had more the appearance of a miniature burger.
Size: I didn't get out a caliper gauge or anything, but by all appearances, they seemed to be exactly the same size.
Buns: White Castle buns seemed much lighter and airier than Krystal buns. More importantly, they had a very slight, yet distinct sweetness that I missed in the Krystal bun. The Krystal bun felt a little more dense, and would probably hold up a bit better if you had to take it home before eating it. [Point: White Castle]
Cheese: Standard fast food yellow processed cheese. Nothing distinctive in either case.
Meat: The meat in both sliders was the same size and thickness (just under ¼' high). White Castle's slider meat seemed to be slightly seasoned, whereas Krystal's tasted a little flat to us.[Point: White Castle]
Onions: In both cases, the onions used were reconstituted from dried onion bits, or at least they tasted like they were. The onions were better on the White Castle sliders; they tasted like maybe they put a little Worcestershire sauce or beef stock or something on them to season them, or perhaps it was just "flavor crystals" from the grill. In any case, the Krystal onions were just not as flavorful. [Point: White Castle]
Other Condiments: White Castle sliders come with a pickle. Period. Krystal sliders come with a pickle and mustard, which Mr B and I both liked, so...[Point: Krystal]

WINNER: White Castle

Summary: If you want a sweeter, lighter slider, White Castle is the place to go. If you like a more tangy slider with a denser bun, go with Krystal. In any event, if you've never even once sunk your teeth into one of these little east-of-the-Mississippi coronary cloggers, it's an experience you might want to try. At least once.

Even if you never set foot in the South, you can still enjoy a savory little slider anytime! Get started with one of these delicious slider recipes!

25+ Savory, Slow-food Slider Recipes

Sliders are just plain fun! These hearty, palm-size wonders of the sandwich world make a perfect party food; with limitless filling options, you'll be sure to have something to fit everyone's tastes, and you can easily make enough for a few or for a crowd.

From the American South and beyond, here's a delicious collection of savory, slow-food slider recipes that you can really sink your teeth into!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders with Vinegar Slaw

Photo Credit: www.therisingspoon.com

Quick & easy sliders made with slow cooker pulled pork, sweet & smoky BBQ sauce, and crunchy vinegar slaw. This is excellent for using up leftover shredded pork & it's a good excuse to make a big batch.

Kentucky Hot Brown Slider Sandwiches

Photo Credit: buythiscookthat.com

Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders from Buy This Cook That give a whole new face to the legendary Kentucky Hot Brown.

Carolina Pork Sliders and Sweet Coleslaw

Photo Credit: littlefamilyadventure.com

These Carolina Pork Sliders with Sweet Coleslaw, filled with pork barbecue topped with a spicy vinegar based sauce, are a bite-sized version of traditional Carolina barbecue.

Easy Party Cuban Sliders

Photo Credit: www.cookingonthefrontburners.com

Easy Party Cuban Sliders loaded with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, and pickles; topped with a tangy Dijon mustard poppy seed spread.

Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork Sliders

Photo Credit: www.platingpixels.com

Slow Cooker Carolina Style Pulled Pork Sliders made with fork tender pulled pork with rich spices. Perfectly paired with sweet and crisp coleslaw and slider buns buns.

Blackened Salmon Sliders

Photo Credit: www.askchefdennis.com

When it's time to up your game with a delicious new treat to serve your friends and family, my Blackened Salmon Sliders with an Asian Slaw are sure to please even the pickiest eater!

Ham and Gruyere Sliders with Raspberry Mayo

Photo Credit: www.platingpixels.com

These Ham and Gruyere Sliders are a quick and easy party appetizer with meat and meted cheese topped with a homemade raspberry mayo between moist, toasted slider buns.

Quick and Easy Baked Pizza Sliders

Photo Credit: ramshacklepantry.com

These Quick and Easy Baked Pizza Sliders are tasty and can feed your whole pack with not very much time. Such a tasty meal to be made any night of the week.

Easy Pull Apart Italian Sliders Recipe

Photo Credit: crayonsandcravings.com

Packed with salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato sauce, these tasty Italian sliders are perfect for to serve as a meal or a tasty appetizer!

Tandoori Chicken Sliders

Photo Credit: spicecravings.com

Tandoori Chicken Sliders are mini-burgers made with marinated & grilled chicken, buttery-soft slider buns and dressed with a tart & spicy cilantro-chutney spread.

Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Apples & Onions

Photo Credit: whoneedsacape.com

These Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Apples & Onions are sure to be a new favorite! With tender pieces of pork and chunks of caramelized apples & onions. Delish!

Hamburger Sliders

Photo Credit: www.atablefullofjoy.com

These hamburger sliders are easy to make and super delicious! Using a sweet Hawaiian roll or a mini bun you can’t go wrong with these! They are a hit every time!

Turkey Sliders

Photo Credit: littlesunnykitchen.com

Warm and cheesy turkey sliders made from leftover turkey meat. They’re bursting with flavor and feed a crowd!

Ham and Cheese Sliders with Garlic Butter Sauce

Photo Credit: www.sweetteaandthyme.com

These easy freezer-friendly sliders are so good, you’ll need to hide a pan for yourself. The garlic butter sauce brushed over the sliders is out of this world!

Philly Cheese Steak Sliders

Photo Credit: www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com

Messy little Philly cheese steak sliders are irresistibly cheesy and flavorful, perfect for your game day menu!

Chicken and Waffle Sliders

Photo Credit: foodfolksandfun.net

These Chicken and Waffle Sliders are the easiest game day, Super Bowl, or party food recipe that you will make! They’re quick & easy to make and they’re always a crowd pleaser.

Spicy Pulled Pork Sliders

Photo Credit: www.kitchengonerogue.com

There’s nothing quite like tender, juicy, sweet and spicy slow cooked pulled pork sliders. These are a copycat recipe of my favorite sliders, which I discovered at a Texas country road bbq joint!

Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich Sliders

Photo Credit: thekitchengirl.com

Banh mi is a scrumptious Vietnamese sandwich that hits ALL flavors of the palate. This slider recipe piles grilled chicken, fresh veggies, and quick pickled veggies on slider rolls. The mayo, sriracha, cilantro, and jalapeño give it classic Asian food vibes!

Turkey, Cheddar and Bacon Sliders

Photo Credit: plowingthroughlife.com

Smoky bacon bits sprinkled on sharp white cheddar cheese are the perfect complement to sliced or shredded turkey. Mix up a sweet poppy seed glaze and pour over sweet Hawaiian rolls for baked turkey sliders that will be gone as soon as they come out of the oven!

Looking to get your Southern cooking on? Try our Naked Colonel's KFC Original Recipe Copycat; or, if you like things a little hotter, take a bit of our crazy-delicious Nashville Hot Chicken! Then finish things off with a slice of this amazing Southern-style Triple-layer Strawberry Cake.

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