Inside-Out Onion Ring Sliders w/ Adobo BBQ Sauce

One thing I really miss about summertime is being able to grill. Grilling is fun, social and delicious. I have really been craving some warmth and sunshine lately, maybe it was the week of -30 degree temperatures a few weeks ago that made me sick of winter. Either way, with hopes for an early spring, I decided to make burgers this week, except I sauteed them instead of grilling them since winter is unfortunately still here for now.

I had seen a photo of an inside-out burger recently and the idea seemed pretty awesome. I added one homemade onion ring to the top of each slider to create a seriously tasty combo; added a bit of adobo barbecue sauce that I had made previously and voila! The perfect miniature burger for a spring-time grill out.

Inside-Out Onion Ring Sliders with Adobo Barbecue Sauce

Yields 10 Sliders

For the Onion Rings:

• 1 small yellow onion (sliced into rings and separated)
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
• oil for frying

For the Adobo BBQ Sauce:

• 3 tbs butter
• 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/6 cup chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (chopped)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 tbs cider vinegar
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tbs worcestershire sauce

For the Burgers:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 10 (3/4″) cubed slices pepper-jack cheese (or cheese of choice)
• 10 miniature burger buns
• 2 roma tomaos (sliced)

Directions:

1. For the barbecue sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until soft (about 5-10 minutes).
2. Add the chiles in adobo sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and worcestershire sauce, then cook over medium heat until thickened (about 5-10 minutes). NOTE: If sauce is not thickening, add a few tablespoons of flour.
3. For the onion rings, heat the oil to 375F and combine the flour, garlic, salt and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl.
4. Dip each onion ring into the beaten eggs, then coat with the flour mixture and fry until golden (about 1 minute each). Lay to cool on a paper towel.
5. For the burgers, combine the ground beef, egg, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and knead together.
6. Form 10 miniature burger patties with the beef.
7. Next, slice each one in half and add one cube of cheese in the middle of each patty, then fold the edges back together.
8. Sauté the burgers over medium-high heat or grill until cooked to desired doneness (about 3 minutes per side for medium).
9. Heat the oven to broil and toast the buns until golden (about 1-2 minutes).
10. Spread barbecue sauce over each bun, then layer with one patty, one slice of tomato, and one onion ring.
11. Place the top of each bun on each slider and serve.

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