Ground Pork Sliders with Mustard Cream and Quick Pickled Cucumbers
A recipe for quick and easy mini pork burgers topped with creamy mustard, 5 minute pickled cucumbers and pepper jack cheese. Great appetizers. Perfect for game day!
If you’re cooking something up for game day this year, my friends, THIS is what I’m looking for! The Super Bowl is just around the corner here, so I hope you have your menus ready, but whether it’s the Super Bowl or any other game, your food table needs to impress!
I have a TON of Game Day Recipes here on the site, and this one is set to star. Just sayin’! I know I’m biased here. I mean, I made it for my own particular tastes, but DANG were these crazy good and I can’t wait to whip up another batch. And you know what? It won’t take me much time because these are crazy super easy to put together.
We’re talking half an hour TOPS, including prep time, even for a SLOW cook like me.
We’re talking Ground Pork Sliders with Mustard Cream and Quick Pickled Cucumbers.
YES!
Look at these gorgeous little burgers. SO. GOOD. I chowed down the lot of them and washed them down with a beer. Game day not necessary. They’re filled with plenty of seasoning, bursting with flavor.
I like to grind pork shoulder at home for making these, though you can find ground pork at your local butcher or grocer. These sliders are lighter than you might think with the quick mustard cream. Pickled cucumbers add a welcomed crunch factor.
Let’s talk about how to make them. First! Make your mustard cream by whisking together spicy brown mustard, Mexican crema or sour cream, honey and a dash of salt. Set it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Next! Make the pickled cucumbers. Slice them nice and thin then set them into a large pan with sugar, salt and vinegar. Heat it through, then remove from heat and let it steep there a few minutes. 5 minutes is totally fine. You want them to be nice and solid for that tangy crunch factor.
Then! Add the ground pork to a bowl with your seasonings and a bit of breadcrumbs to help bind them. You don’t need much. Hand mix a bit then form it into 8 small patties. Cook them in a lightly oiled pan a few minutes per side, then top with cheese. Let it melt and boom! You’re just about done.
Set the sliders onto lightly toasted buns, top with mustard cream and pickled cucumbers.
BOOM! DONE!
Get eating, my friends. These are awesome. The game awaits.
Let me know if you make these. I hope you enjoy them! If you want to make your own ground pork for this – Learn Why and How to Grind Meat in a Meat Grinder.
Enjoy!
NOTE: I did this recipe for Chile Pepper Magazine’s latest issue. See my article on “Twists on Bar Food Classics”. I’ve done many features for them. If you’re interested in Chile Pepper Magazine, get yourself a subscription. I’ve added a link to the right where you can pick one up at Amazon (affiliate link, my friends!). Highly recommended. I am a regular contributor.
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- 1 pound coarsely ground pork
- ¼ cup spicy brown mustard + more for serving
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more for the pan
- 3 tablespoons bread crumbs or more if needed
- 8 small slices pepperjack cheese
- ¼ cup spicy brown mustard
- ¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Dash of salt
- 1 small hothouse cucumber very thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Dash of salt
- Rice wine vinegar to cover
- 8 slider buns lightly toasted
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To a mixing bowl, add ground pork with ¼ cup mustard, cayenne, smoked paprika, dried basil, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons bread crumbs. Hand mix, but do not overmix or the sliders can become mealy. If the meat mixture doesn’t stick together enough, add a bit more bread crumbs.
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Form the meat mixture into 8 2-ounce slider patties roughly the width of your buns. They will shrink a bit when cooked.
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Heat olive oil on a large grill pan to medium heat and cook the sliders about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the pork is cooked through.
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Top with pepperjack cheese and cover. Cook another minute to allow the cheese to melt.
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For the quick pickled cucumbers, add the cucumber slices to a pot and cover with vinegar. Add sugar and salt and heat lightly to let them dissolve. Remove from heat and cool.
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For the mustard-cream, whisk together mustard, crema, honey and salt.
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Serve the sliders on toasted buns. Top with mustard-cream and quick pickled cucumbers.
Makes 8 servings
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