‘The Pioneer Woman’: Ree Drummond’s Waffle Fry Sliders Recipe Is Anything But Boring

Ree Drummond makes a fun spin on cheeseburger sliders that’s totally kid-approved. The Pioneer Woman star swaps boring buns for waffle fries in her mini burger recipe. It’s guaranteed to be a hit!

Ree Drummond’s easy waffle fry sliders recipe

Drummond demonstrated how to make her mini cheeseburgers on an episode of The Pioneer Woman. “My kids love sliders and I’m getting ready to make a version involving these waffle fries,” she teased.

She continued, “I’m gonna make waffle fry sliders. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Instead of buns, I’m gonna use waffle fries and, let me tell you, these things are tasty.”

Drummond first baked the waffle fries in the oven according to the package instructions.

To make the burger patties, she seasoned ground beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and lemon pepper. Then she used her hands to combine everything.

She formed the meat into patties, then added the burgers to a hot skillet with vegetable oil. Drummond cooked them on the first side for 3 minutes, then flipped the burgers and pushed down on each slightly with a spatula to flatten them a bit. After 30 to 45 seconds, she added squares of cheddar cheese.

“You can change up sliders by using ground turkey or ground chicken, whatever you’ve got in your fridge,” she said. “Kind of lighten them up a little bit. I’m sort of a ground beef girl. Nothing beats a beef slider. They are so good.”

She placed a lid on top of the skillet to melt the cheese, then removed the burgers and let them rest on a plate while she gathered the toppings and took the waffle fries out of the oven.

Drummond’s waffle bun swap is genius

Drummond also noted her fun swap for a traditional bread bun. “There’s something so unexpected about using waffle fries as a little burger bun,” she said. “Such a cute idea and they look really neat.”

To build the sliders, Drummond started with a waffle fry. “And it’s really important to bake them until they’re super crisp because they’ve got to hold the burger patties,” she explained. The Pioneer Woman star placed a piece of lettuce on the fry then added ketchup and mayonnaise.

She added sliced red onions, then put a slider patty on, placed a slice of Roma tomato on top, then added a pickle, and topped it with another waffle fry. Drummond secured the slider with a toothpick.

“These make a great dinner for kids but wouldn’t it be fun to have a fancy cocktail party and serve these waffle fry sliders?” she asked.

As for her bun swap, she said, “I don’t know about you, but I am totally over slider buns. They’re so boring compared to these waffle fries. And just like my children, no two waffle fry sliders are alike.”

Drummond makes bacon cheeseburger bites without buns or fries

Drummond also makes a bunless slider if you’re cutting out carbs. Her bacon cheeseburger bites do away with the bread entirely. “There are no buns involved so if you’re trying to kind of watch your carbs, it’s a good alternative,” she said. “And trust me, you will not miss the bun at all.”

She tops her unless burgers with bacon, spinach, pickles, mustard, and half of a cherry tomato then secures “the cutest little burger bite ever” with a toothpick.

The full recipe is available on the Food Network website.