Yum. You know how I love miniature food. Don’t ask me why, but I do. Most of the time, I’d rather nibble on a bunch of different things than have one big meal. These sliders combine all the traditional seasonings that go so well with lamb—rosemary, mint, garlic—in one tiny burger that’s packed with flavor.
Freshly fried sliders, waiting for their buns
I know they’re on almost every bar menu these days, but just in case you don’t know, a slider is just a little thing. (In fact, they’re so popular, that there was a selection of slider buns in the bread aisle at my local grocery store.) Here’s a slider bun, next to a teaspoon, for comparison.
I used fresh mint from my front garden.
My front garden is basically a giant mint patch (can you say, “mint julep?”). I was super excited to see that my rose bush—the only other thing up there—finally decided to push out its first flower of the season!
This recipe has a fair amount of rosemary and mint in it—without being overpowering. For garlic lovers, by all means, toss in another clove if you like.
One green onion gives the sliders the right amount of subtle onion flavor.
Finish the sliders with a few thin slices of creamy, salty feta for a fresh tang.
Feta cheese
Lamb Sliders with Rosemary & Mint
1 lb. ground lamb
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp. fresh mint, minced
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 green onion, minced
olive oil
slider buns (or a long loaf of crusty French bread cut into small wedges)
feta
Makes 6-8 sliders, depending on how big you make your patties
Make the lamb mixture
Grab your ground lamb.
Put it in a large bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Toss in the minced rosemary and mint.
Add the mashed garlic.
Toss in the chopped green onion.
With your hands, gently mix the meat to incorporate the herbs and garlic.
You’re aiming for a fairly homogeneous mixture, like this:
Form the slider patties
Gather the meat mixture into a large ball, then smoosh it down, so it looks like one giant hamburger patty.
With a large knife, cut it into 6-8 wedges, like this (this will help you keep all the sliders about the same size):
Grab one of the wedges.
Roll it into a ball.
Then smoosh it flat into a patty.
Make them as thick or thin as you like. (Remember, they’re going to shrink a little when cooked.)
Do this with the rest of the meat, until all your patties are formed.
Cook the lamb sliders
Now, you can grill these, too. Or you can fry them on the stove. Totally up to you.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a large, non-stick pan. Set it on the stove over medium-high heat for a few minutes to heat up. When the pan is hot, add the sliders. You want them to start to sizzle right away.
Keep the sliders relatively spaced out, so each browns nicely. (If they’re too close together, they’ll steam, more than brown.)
Cook for a few minutes. When they’ve developed a nice, brown crust underneath, flip them over.
Cook them on this side for another few minutes. Your final cooking time will depend on how thick your sliders are.
If you’re a food thermometer type, you’re shooting for an internal temperature of about 160 degrees.
Bon appetit!
Depending on how fatty your ground lamb is, you may want to drain your sliders for a minute or two before plating.
When you’re ready, pop each on a bun.
Top with thin slices of feta.
Serve and enjoy!
