Bacon + Caramelized Onion Sliders with Spicy Mayonaise

Originally, this post was to be about Cocina al Minuto's bistec a la hamburguesa. That is a pretty basic recipe for burgers, not to be confused with fritas, which are a whole magical item to themselves & will most def be covered here in the future. But I digress.

After taking a second look at the recipe, which calls for mixing the beef with an egg, garlic, breadcrumbs and milk, then frying the patties in bacon grease, I thought it was kind of blah. Except for the bacon. Everything's better with bacon. 

The only thing better than burgers topped with bacon is MINI burgers topped with bacon!! So, I let myself be a little creative tonight by mixing up a simple burger patty, but really jazzing it up with the toppings of caramelized onions & bacon & a spicy mayonnaise. The only thing missing was a bit of green, preferably arugula, but alas, I had none in the fridge.

This is totally the kind of recipe I dig, fairly quick and simple and totally customizable. Use what you have in your pantry and fridge, people! Throw in some mushrooms with the onions or crumble on some bleu cheese. The possibilities are endless!! 

Bacon + Caramelized Onions + Spicy Mayo Sliders

1. Dice a quarter of an onion and set aside. Thinly slice the remaining onion plus 1 more onion.

2. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, pepper, & a splash of worcestershire sauce.

3. Let the onions sauté for about 20 minutes, until golden and soft. While they cook down, prep the sliders. Keep an eye on them though! I turned down the heat half way through and gave them a stir every now and then.

4. Add the chopped onion to 1 lb. of ground beef. Season with 1 tsp of garlic powder, salt & pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Mix with your hands and form into small patties. The size of the patties kind of depends on the size of your slider buns / rolls.

5. In a cast iron pan, fry up 4 slices of bacon. Once cooked, drain bacon on a paper towel lined plate while you fry up the sliders.

6. Fry the sliders a few at a time (don't crowd your pan!!) in the bacon grease, about 3-4 minutes per side. Now would be a good time to grab your splatter screen...

7. Remove sliders to another paper towel lined plate.

8. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with a few tablespoons of gochujang paste (Korean fermented red chili paste) or Sriracha. You can definitely adjust the spice to your taste.

9. Assemble sliders on mini burger buns or rolls, spread with the spicy mayo & topped with the caramelized onions & bacon pieces.