How To: Make Perfectly Sized, Uniform Patties for Sliders & Mini Burgers Without Getting Your Hands Dirty

There is no such thing as a pulled pork slider. In fact, there is no such thing as a pork slider. Or a chicken slider. Or turkey or fish. The term "slider" actually means a lot more than just a hot miniature sandwich, and if it's not beef, it automatically missed the first cut.

Sorry, but that is not a slider above.

Sliders have been around since 1916 and were invented by the founder of White Castle. As Serious Eats explains, for a sandwich to be classified as a true slider, it has to meet a certain set of criteria. If the meat is anything besides a beef patty, it's automatically out.

The patties should be two ounces or less, topped with American cheese and pickles, and steam-cooked on a bed of onions with the buns piled on top. As a matter of fact, at White Castle, the beef never even touches the griddle.

Whether you're making real sliders or just mini hamburgers, the size of the patties is important. You want them to be the right size for the buns, and they won't cook evenly if they're all different sizes.

There are burger presses for both regular-sized and mini burgers, but one-use gadgets are annoying and just add to the clutter in your cabinets. A kitchen scale will ensure your patties are all the same weight, but how many of us actually have one?

So, how do you make perfectly uniform patties without any special tools? The answer is right in your kitchen drawer.

Measuring cups are perfect for making burger patties. Just scoop some ground beef into the cup and use a spoon to press it flat, then turn it over onto a plate or spatula. If you do it right, you never even have to get your hands dirty!

Don't have any measuring cups? Check your junk drawer and see if you've got any small metal or plastic lids.

Alice from Savory Sweet Life got this tip from a Whole Foods employee. She uses plastic wrap to make sure the burgers stick to the lid, but if you don't have any, they should still come out fine.

You can even use an ice cream scoop to get the same shape every time.

Or cookie cutters.

Really, what can't you use?

In no time you'll have a bunch of perfectly uniform patties, ready to be steamed. Or, if you prefer, throw them on the grill, squirt on some ketchup and call it a day. Just try not to call them sliders.