Description
These Cowboy Butter Steak Sliders combine juicy, perfectly grilled ribeye or sirloin steak with rich, flavorful cowboy butter, caramelized sweet onions, and creamy Havarti cheese on soft slider buns. Ideal for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a hearty snack, these sliders deliver a bold taste experience with tender steak and buttery, herbed goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sliders:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless steak such as ribeye, filet, or sirloin
- Neutral oil (such as avocado oil) as needed
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 3 sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 9 slider buns
- 3/4 pound sliced Havarti cheese
For the Cowboy Butter:
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon chives, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Steaks: Trim any excess fat and silver skin from the steaks if necessary. Rub the steaks evenly with neutral oil (preferably avocado oil due to its high smoke point) and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. For thicker cuts, apply more seasoning.
- Seasoning Rest: Wrap the seasoned steaks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the seasoning to penetrate deeply.
- Make Cowboy Butter: In a small saucepan over low heat, gently melt the unsalted butter while whisking continuously. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
- Finish Butter: Remove the saucepan from heat and fold in the minced chives and fresh parsley. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Reserve Butter: Spoon out a few tablespoons of the cowboy butter into a separate small bowl to use while grilling the steak. Keep the remaining butter for brushing the slider buns later.
- Preheat Grill: Set your grill to medium-high heat and establish an indirect heat zone. Remove steaks from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Grill Steaks: Place the steaks over the direct heat side of the grill. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes without charring. If flare-ups occur, move steaks temporarily to indirect heat until flames subside.
- Brush with Butter: While grilling, brush both sides of the steaks with the reserved cowboy butter. After about 5-6 minutes of direct grilling, move the steaks to indirect heat to finish cooking to your desired doneness.
- Rest Steaks: Remove the steaks from the grill and tent them loosely with foil. Let them rest for 10 minutes to reabsorb juices before slicing thinly for the sliders.
- Caramelize Onions: Place a cast iron skillet on the grill over direct heat. Add a few tablespoons of butter, allowing it to melt before adding the sliced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply caramelized and soft, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare Slider Buns: Preheat your oven’s broiler and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Separate slider buns and brush the inside with the remaining cowboy butter. Layer Havarti cheese on both the top and bottom buns, then add a generous helping of caramelized onions on each bottom bun.
- Assemble Sliders and Broil: Place several strips of sliced grilled steak onto the bottom buns. Arrange the tops over the steak and cheese. Broil the assembled sliders on the prepared tray for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese just begins to melt.
- Serve: Remove sliders from the oven, slice if desired, and serve immediately while warm with melty cheese and flavorful steak and onions.
Notes
- Use avocado oil for seasoning the steaks due to its high smoke point, which helps prevent burning during grilling.
- Allowing the steaks to rest after seasoning and again after grilling ensures maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Caramelizing the onions in a cast iron skillet adds a rich, sweet flavor and enhances the overall taste of the sliders.
- Broiling the assembled sliders melts the Havarti cheese perfectly without overcooking the bread or steak.
- This recipe yields about 9 sliders, serving approximately 4 people depending on appetite.
