The Naval Origins Of The Classic Slider

Sliders have come a long way. It's likely you've seen these mini burgers making rounds at barbecues or at the bars on Super Bowl Sunday. But sliders' popularity goes beyond casual occasions. These bite-sized appetizers or entrees may also make an appearance at graduation parties and even wedding receptions (think, slider stations). Typically, the term "sliders" is not just limited to tiny cheeseburgers. Slider recipes generally range from hotdogs and steak sliders to BBQ chicken sliders. 

However, chefs have different perspectives on how to define a slider, or whether they should even use the name. Some restaurants suggest that specifically, a slider "is not just a small burger — a slider is a small burger where the patty is cooked with onions and pickles," (per American Social Bar & Kitchen). Other restaurant owners elect not to use the term sliders, possibly because of its link to fast casual spots.

As sliders continue to evolve, you may wonder when this nickname was first used, why the mini burgers and sandwiches are called sliders, and how the name became so popular.

The name slider is thought to date back to the 1940s when it first become popular along the sea (per kitchn). Sailors in the United States Navy used the nickname for small burgers loaded with grease, namely, because they "slide" down the gut so easily in a few quick bites. Another theory suggests that sliders got their name because they "slide" across the grill.         

When you think of little burgers that go down quickly, you might imagine pulling into White Castle. The fast food chain is often credited for popularizing the term slider, thanks to its numerous slider varieties. Last year, the chain debuted "The 1921 Slider" to commemorate the restaurant's first small hamburger, as well as 101 years of slider recipes (via PR Newswire). According to Lynn Blashford, chief marketing officer at White Castle, "The 1921 Slider brings our menu full circle to the hamburger that started it all." 

Billy Ingram, who founded White Castle, perfected his hamburger recipe by flattening a "beef meatball" into a "circular patty." White Castle began using the slogan "Selling em' by the Sack" to advertise its sliders in 1927 and marked selling 1 billion sliders in 1961.

Not only is the term slider thought to be nearly one hundred years old, but if you're open to the broader definition of this miniature meal, you can whip up hundreds of slider (or burger) recipes. More recently, United States Navy sailors stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, home to the largest base outside of the U.S., revealed that every one of their ships has a distinct "Navy burger," (per THE WALL STREET JOURNAL). For example, the "Ronnie Burger" is a staple on "the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan." The sailors provided the recipe for this particular burger nearly a decade ago, suggesting that their affinity for all things "burger" continues to stand the test of time.     

If you'd rather focus specifically on sliders and are looking to impress party guests right before the Super Bowl, take notes from celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who offered The Daily Meal some recommendations on how to turn his Nacho Average Torta Slider into a vegetarian option. "You could take our Nacho Average Torta Slider, and you could incorporate soy chorizo in there and go to a vegetarian version of this. But chorizo doesn't get enough play. There's so much flavor inside of it, and it works well. It's chorizo and cheese sauce," he says. 

Whether you serve up some mini cheeseburgers on a boat as they slide across the table or prep some sliders pre-Superbowl, you can impress your guests by dishing on the sliders' diverse history.