How to Make the Best Super Bowl Sliders (You Can Thank a Salty Snack Chip)

Be honest with yourself: Have you ever had a truly memorable slider? I can’t say that I have. I’m not sure what it is about sliders, but they don’t have the same staying power as a regular old burger or fried chicken sandwich. I think something about their size makes it hard to fit all of the ingredients you want on each one, so they end up tasting uneven or incomplete. For example: What if the slider you picked up only fits one crunchy pickle chip? Or what if all the coleslaw falls out before you take a bite? Tell me I’m not insane! This is a real predicament, people!!

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But for your Super Bowl watch party this year, we want your burger sliders to stand out. (Remember, it’s the Super Bowl’s 60th birthday! That’s a big one, folks.) So we’ve come up with to upgrade them using something you probably already have in your pantry. Work smarter, not harder. Ready? 

Kettle Chips. No, not in the way that you’re thinking. Stick with me. 

We’ve all smushed kettle chips into a sandwich before—but have you ever tried pressing them into the patty as you’re cooking? It’s built-in flavor and crunch that can’t escape. And you can experiment with different flavors…like our favorite Kettle Brand flavor, Honey Dijon. (Though I really think dill pickle chips could be interesting, too.) 

Here’s the step-by-step process, because I love to be helpful: 

• Crush the kettle chips into coarse pieces (not fine dust) 
• Form your slider patties as usual
• Gently press the chips into both sides of each patty before searing on a pan or grill

Kettle chips work best because they’re thick enough to hold up to heat. Also: Don’t toast your buns. Using softer slider buns (like those potato buns from Shake Shack—yum) or slightly sweet Hawaiian rolls will give a better textural contrast. Because at the end of the day, the biggest problem with sliders might just be how texturally one-note they can be.