Pineapple Chipoltle Sliders

Add these tangy, spicy Pineapple Chipoltle Sliders to your collection of hamburger slider recipes. You’ll be the star of the barbecue! (Make sure you read to the bottom so you can see the video!)

Do you love hamburgers? My husband adores hamburgers. I found this out on our very first date when we went to Fuddruckers. I had never been to Fuddruckers before. I did not know what it was. But my husband was very well acquainted with it. It’s a hamburger restaurant where you build your own hamburgers. It’s like a buffet where you just go down the line and choose your toppings and pile them on top of your hamburger.

I went down the line first and made a very practical, demure hamburger with the standard toppings. I watched with some alarm as my husband-to-be followed me down the line and made an ENORMOUS hamburger that was bigger than his face. He doused it with mustard and piled on the onions, and I thought, “At least he won’t try to kiss me on the first date. Or he BETTER not try to!”

Well, the rest, as they say, is history. My feelings about hamburgers have remained ambivalent, while his love for them abides. Every time he goes on a business trip, I ask him what he ate. Then before he tells me, I say, “It better not have been a hamburger.” Why? Well, hamburgers are so ho-hum. So prosaic. So “every day.”

But not these sliders. I repent of my hamburger ennui with these Pineapple Chipoltle Sliders. Let’s break this baby down and talk about why she is so spectacular.

First, there’s the pretzel bun. You really need a bun with some heft–some stature. No cheap buns that will fall apart or get soggy. Those are not for us.

Next you need a generous portion of chipoltle mayo. To make this, I just used some puréed chipoltle peppers from a can of chipoltle peppers in adobo sauce. You could also just use the sauce from the can if desired. Then just mix it in with some mayo, and there you go.

Next, I made a nice, thick beef patty with fresh beef and more puréed chipoltle mixed in. I used extra lean ground beef, but you can use 80% or 85% beef if you like. I have heard that it makes things more flavorful and juicy, but I have also noticed that ground beef with more fat seems to shrink quite noticeably while cooking. I needed these small patties to stay the size they were–not turn into the size of a large marshmallow. That’s why I chose the less-fatty meat. (Also, I don’t like fatty meat as a general rule).

Then I thought to myself, “What would make this Mexican-y, but a little fancy?” Then it came to me. Cotija cheese. It is crumbly and salty and oh-so-good!

And then there’s the grilled pineapple. I just used pineapple rings from a can. To grill it, I just used my indoor George Foreman Grill. (I love this grill because you can also use it as a panini press!) You can get it on Amazon by clicking on the link or the picture.

Then just pop some nice lettuce on top and then put the bun on, and you’re done!

Let me tell you, this slider was so juicy and flavorful. I loved the perfect melding of spicy and salty and sweet. It was just mildly spicy (so that kids wouldn’t complain). But if you like a lot of heat, you can of course add a lot more chipoltle to your patty and your mayo. I didn’t add a bunch more toppings, because I really wanted each flavor to shine. But this is America and you can add as many toppings as you like. You can even make a slider as big as your face. Though I wouldn’t recommend it 🙂

Watch the cute video I made! (It’s my very first!)

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Pineapple Chipoltle Sliders

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Servings: 4 -6 sliders

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

• 4-6 slider buns
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 Tbsp. chipoltle peppers in adobo sauce or more, to taste
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese
• 4-6 pineapple rings
• green-leaf lettuce

Instructions

1. Either puree your chipoltle peppers, or just use the adobo sauce in the can. Add 1 Tbsp. of the pureed peppers or sauce to 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Mix well.
2. Add 1 Tbsp. of the peppers or sauce plus 1 tsp. salt to the ground beef and mix well. Form into 4-6 patties, about one inch thick. Make an indentation in the middle so that the patty will cook more evenly and not shrink as much. (Just press down the middle a little. You only need to do it on one side of the patty--not on both top and bottom).
3. Either grill over medium heat, or fry on the stove over medium heat until desired level of doneness.
4. While burgers are cooking, split your buns and spread with chipoltle mayo.
5. Grill your pineapple until brown grill marks appear. Set aside.
6. When your patty is done, place it on top of the bottom bun and chipoltle mayo.
7. Sprinkle some cotija cheese over the patty.
8. Place the grilled pineapple on top.
9. Place a leaf of lettuce on top of the pineapple.
10. Finish off with the other half of the bun.
11. Eat and enjoy!

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