Jake's Chicken Pretzel Sliders
When I was young, and by young I mean my early twenties, I used to go out to bars a lot. And one of my favorite bar foods were sliders. Sliders have been around since the 1920’s when White Castle first opened their doors in Wichita, Kansas. Rumor has it that the term “slider” came from the Navy where greasy Steward burgers would slide around easily on a man's plate. Not exactly a healthy picture.
Well, now I’m in my thirties and in slightly less shape. I don’t go out to bars as often as I used to, but still love to enjoy those classic bar foods from my youth. Today, we’re creating a (slightly) healthier option to the classic slider, adding Jake's Seasoning and making mini chicken burgers. This is a really simple recipe that can be enjoyed for a quick weekday meal or for entertaining on the weekends!
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 6 pretzel slider buns (sliced in half)
- A few sprigs of dill (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup dill pickles (sliced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
- 12 oz. ground chicken
- 2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
- 2 Tbs. mayonnaise
- ¼ cup shredded green cabbage
- ¼ cup shredded red cabbage
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- Jake’s Seasoning
- Black Pepper
- Olive Oil
Method:
In a large bowl, combine Worchestershire sauce, minced garlic, ½ teaspoon Jake’s Seasoning and pepper, then add ground chicken. Mix everything together and form into 6 equal patties. Pro tip: use your thumb to create a dimple in the middle of each patty (burger patties tend to shrink when cooked so creating the dimple helps them cook evenly and maintain their shape.). Put the patties in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes (chilling the patties will help them keep their shape).
Create the slaw by mixing in a separate large bowl the pickles, mustard, mayonnaise, dill, ⅛ teaspoon Jake’s Seasoning and pepper to taste. Stir to combine then add the shredded cabbage and carrots and toss to coat.
In a large pan over medium heat, add the pretzel buns (cut-side down) and toast until golden brown. Wrap buns in some foil to keep warm. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken sliders and sear, without flipping, for 3-4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and continue searing until browned and medium rare (2-3 minutes). Top with cheddar cheese, cover pan and cook until the cheese is melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
Transfer pretzel buns to serving plates. Add the chicken sliders to bun bottoms then top with a spoonful of the slaw. Finish with a little sprinkle of Jake’s Seasoning then add the bun tops to close the sliders.
Enjoy these delicious tasting chicken sliders with friends and family! For more of Jake’s Recipes, head over here.