Growing up in New York, the White Castle chain served a different kind of burger than your normal fast food type. They were smaller and topped with onions and super soft. You could most likely eat three for every standard burger at another place. We called them “belly bombers“ because you’d most likely be uncomfortable after eating too many (amongst other reasons). I decided to try a vegan version using the block style ground meat available now in stores. I used Beyond Meat, but you could use another brand like Impossible or in a pinch you could grind up some veggie burgers to make your own “ground” meat.
These are pretty easy to make but there are a few steps involved. Don’t let that scare you, just prepare and you’ll have delicious sliders without having to go to a restaurant! If you can’t find vegan slider rolls you can use regular hamburger buns and just trim the sides to make them square! If you can’t find the onion mushroom Lipton soup mix (or prefer not to use it), you can use a vegan dry soup mix as a substitute and add some dried chopped onions (about a tablespoon) or use vegan bouillon powder (Frontier Co-op makes a good one often sold in bulk). The onion mushroom is not as harsh as the regular onion variety but that’s fine to use too. Simply Organic brand makes a good onion soup mix which can be used as well.
You can add cheese slices or shreds if you desire (I recommend it!), and pickles before serving. I’ve even added shredded lettuce and my own “secret sauce” to make them “Big Mac” style. You can get my recipe here for that!
How do I make these?
- First you mix the burger ingredients together.
- Next, you spread that mixture onto a baking sheet. I like to trace the outline of the slider buns on the back of a piece of parchment then flip that over on the baking sheet so when I add the burger mixture I can make it the exact size of the buns.
- Bake the burgers for a bit then you’ll be adding the onions around it and bake it some more.
- Lastly, you can add vegan cheese to the top and bake a bit more to melt.
- It can be tricky to get the slab onto the buns so what I do is place the bun “tops” onto the cooked burger slab as they’re usually in one piece then place a baking sheet over that and flip it right side up. Then place the bun bottoms on the slab and invert again then cut into individual sliders!
Retro Vegan Fast Food Style Sliders
4
servingsClassic fast food/diner style sliders now vegan!
Ingredients
1 lb (16 oz) vegan ground beef (see notes for kinds you can use)
1 packet Lipton onion mushroom soup mix (see notes for substitutions)
1 tbsp nut butter (I prefer peanut butter, but you could use almond, another type or even tahini)
1/3 cup plain unsweetened alternative milk (like soy, almond, oat – just nothing sweet)
1 onion, chopped (you can use a mini chopper for this, but don’t chop too fine)
12-16 vegan slider rolls
Vegan cheese (optional) I found using cheddar slices to be easier
Directions
- In a large bowl mix the vegan ground beef, Lipton onion soup mix, nut butter, and milk. I suggest mixing with clean hands for best results.
- Once mixed, spread the mixture on a parchment paper lined medium sized cookie sheet. Use a rubber spatula on the meat to smooth it out. I like to use parchment and trace the size of the slider buns on the back side so I have a template to use to spread out the burger mixture onto so it’s sized correctly. You could also use a piece of wax paper on top while spreading it so it doesn’t stick.
- Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. It will shrink slightly and exude some juices.
- Take out of the oven and put the diced onions all around the edges into the juice, this will add the fast food style flavor.
- Bake for 15 more minutes, remove from oven, then spoon the onions from the edges all over the top of the meat and layer with cheese slices if desired.
- Bake another 5-7 minutes (until cheese is melted). Remove from oven and add the tops of the rolls to the burger slab. Use a baking pan or cutting board and flip it over to invert it. Once inverted, add the bun bottoms and flip once more. I usually place it back into the turned off oven and using the residual heat, let then buns warm for a few minutes.
- Take out of the oven and cut out with a sharp serrated knife into individual sliders. Eat right away! If there are leftovers, I like to microwave them covered in a damp paper towel and they’ll taste more like a steamed White Castle burger. Microwaves vary so always start out in small time increments until they’re as hot as you’d like them to be. For my microwave, about a minute for 3 sliders is perfect. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- You can use a ground beef brick like Beyond Meat, Impossible or another brand. In a pinch you can grind up some juicy veggie burgers in a food processor.
- If you can’t find or don’t want to use the Lipton soup mix, you can use 3 tablespoons of vegan bouillon mixed with 1 tablespoon dried chopped onions.
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do you have recommendations for vegan slider rolls? the ones in the picture, from Whole Foods, aren’t vegan… they have milk ingredients
These Hawaiian rolls are actually vegan in the Florida region. Like most retailers, Whole Foods has regional bakeries that supply stores and I know that they’re not vegan in every region. The only others I’ve found have been at Sprouts and at Gordon Food Service here in Florida. I’m not sure where you live, but another suggestion might be to find a soft potato roll and cut those in half slider size? I wish I had a better source or suggestion. I know those who don’t have access to these vegan slider rolls have been dying to try them as they are hard to find. Good luck in your search and let me know if you find a good alternative. 🧡 Kreg
ah that makes sense! thanks Kreg!
I absolutely loved this recipe! So so delicious, my boyfriend mentioned awhile back that he used to love White Castle burgers. We live in Canada and we’re vegan so it’s been awhile. He thought these were delicious! Thanks for the great recipe ☺️
I’m so happy you liked them! They were definitely a favorite of mine too so now you can have them anytime the mood strikes!
These sliders are awesome! My family said the are better than White Castle. Super easy to make too. I used Publix water rolls for the buns and Violife cheddar cheese.
They will be great for Superbowl Sunday!
Thank you so much for your review, I’m so glad you liked them! Totally a big game eat!
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These are the best burgers! My whole family gobbles them up when I make them.
That’s so great to hear, I’m so glad you and your family enjoy them so much! I actually just made them into big burgers for my French onion soup burger recipe and they’re so good so check that one out too if you want a larger size! 🍔
Amazing!! These were quick to come together and just delicious. My husband said they were beyond fire! My ground was only 12 ounces so I just adjusted the added ingredients a bit.
I’m so happy you all enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the really great review.
Such a good meal! We have now had this 3 times since we initially made them 1.5 weeks ago. I’m constantly craving them! My new favorite meal.
Wow I can’t think of a better review than that! Thanks so much!