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4.5 from 6 votes

Grilled Hamburger Sliders with Bacon Cherry Compote

Fire up the grill this summer and make a twist on a classic: Beef Sliders with homemade Bacon Cherry Compote! Juicy USDA choice beef burgers are topped with a smoky-sweet-tart compote to make the ultimate summertime entertaining finger food!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 55 mins
Servings: 12 sliders
Calories: 396 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Classic Slider Burgers
  • 2 lbs. 85/20 ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground if possible
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
  • 12 Sprouts Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls or 12 slider burger buns
Bacon Cherry Compote (Makes 1 ¼ cups)
  • 1 lb. fresh cherries
  • 3 lices Bacon diced
  • ½ onion finely diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the Compote
  2. Pit and seed the cherries. Cut them in half.
  3. Chop the bacon into a fine dice, and chop the onion, too.
  4. Place the onion and bacon in saucepan over medium high heat. Stir regularly, mixing the ingredients, until the bacon crisps up and the onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the balsamic vinegar and the brown sugar. Stir until incorporated and the vinegar has deglazed the pan, about 2-3 minutes.
  6. Measure in the halved cherries, and lower the heat to medium-low.Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, uncovered, or until the cherries are soft and the juices have boiled off, leaving a thick and luscious compote.
  7. Transfer to a glass jar or another food storage container, and chill in the fridge. While you can enjoy the compote hot, we found that it holds together better once it's been refrigerated for 1-2 hours.
  8. Make and Cook the Burgers
  9. Preheat the grill to 600F. This may take a few minutes, so I fire mine up before I form the slider patties.
  10. Place the ground beef, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl together. Using your hands, massage them together until incorporated.
  11. Roll burgers into 2 ½ oz. balls, and then press into patties. (Ours were ¾” tall and 3” across.)
  12. Repeat the process until all the slider patties have been made, and place them all on a plate that you can easily take outside to the grill.
  13. Place the burgers onto the hot grill. Grill the first side for 5 minutes and the second side for 2 minutes, then remove from the grill. (You can always adjust the cooking time based on what doneness you want for your burgers. Since these are sliders and we were feeding our kids, we wanted them to be more on the well-done side.)
  14. Turn off the grill, and place the Hawaiian buns on the top rack. Let cook in the ambient heat for 5 minutes, or until they get a little color.
  15. Serve the Sliders
  16. Place the slider patties onto the grilled buns.
  17. Add a dollop of the Bacon Cherry Compote.
  18. Add the bun’s top and enjoy immediately.

Notes

  • Please note the total cook time is for the combined compote and burgers. The sliders WILL NOT cook for 40 minutes on the grill.
  • How big should slider patties be?Your slider patties can be as big or little as you like. Ours ended up being ¾” tall and 3” across after we flattened them out and before we grilled them.
  • Can I use frozen cherries if I don’t have fresh ones?
  • I think part of the beauty of these sliders is the fresh cherry compote, but if you can’t find fresh cherries (or they’re out of season), you could absolutely use frozen cherries. Just be sure that they’re thawed so they cook up a little faster.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 396kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 33g (11%) Protein 25g (50%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 83mg (28%) Sodium 858mg (36%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 11g (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12sliders

Amount Per Serving

Calories 396

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 396kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Protein 25g 50%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 10g 59%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 858mg 36%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 11g 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.