Inspired by the Flamethrower Grillburgers at Dairy Queen, these Flamethrower Sliders pack a deliciously spicy punch! With spicy cheddar cheese, jalapeno bacon, and a spicy mayo, these tiny turkey burgers will be your new favorite.
I think I have mentioned a time or two that I live with a fast food burger connoisseur. My other half is all about Burger King. Dairy Queen. Jack-in-the Box. We go round and round about his awful eating habits, but the bottom line is that Chad loves burgers.
The good news though, is that he really doesn’t mind my lightening things up. He doesn’t mind a turkey burger swap or even a veggie burger. So when he came home all excited about the Dairy Queen FlameThrower GrillBurgers, I knew I could keep all the flavor while knocking off some of the calories at home. That’s the place where these little Flamethrower Sliders were born.
The basics of the Dairy Queen version involve a grilled burger, pepper jack cheese, spicy mayo, and JALAPENO BACON.
yes I just said that.
So let’s talk about jalapeno bacon. As soon as I heard those two words together I knew I was hooked (in fact, so much so that there is ANOTHER jalapeno bacon recipe happening next week It’s awesome, just you wait.).
You can actually purchase jalapeno bacon — sort of like you can buy peppered bacon. I’m guessing it’s some kind of magical curing process. But I was unable to find it in any of my local stores.
I took matters into my own hands.
I sliced up one whole huge jalapeno pepper and tossed the slices in the pan while I fried the bacon. I turned the pepper slices over when I turned the bacon, making them crisp all over. And when I pulled the bacon from the pan to drain on paper towels, I took the jalapeno slices with it.
The flavor of the peppers seeps into the bacon while it cooks. It’s not super hot, but then neither was my jalapeno, so I guess that verdict could go either way. I also opted to serve the crispy little fried jalapeno slices on the burgers.
Good decision.
Back to trying to lighten things up though, I went with ground turkey for this recipe. We’re in North Carolina so we can grill year round, but you could definitely broil your burgers if you are snow bound.
No one noticed that I made these with turkey. Well seasoned ground turkey totally mimics well seasoned ground beef, especially if you throw it on the grill.
Topped with Cabot’s Pepper Jack Cheese and a simple spicy mayo, these tiny burgers are totally full of flavor and just the right amount of heat.
Flamethrower Sliders
Inspired by the Flamethrower Grillburgers at Dairy Queen, these Flamethrower Sliders pack a deliciously spicy punch! With spicy cheddar cheese, jalapeno bacon, and a spicy mayo, these tiny turkey burgers will be your new favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 85% lean ground turkey (the slightly higher fat content adds flavor and prevents sticking)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 large jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 3 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 12 slider buns
- lettuce & tomato slices to dress the sliders
Instructions
- Mix the ground turkey, salt, pepper, and granulated onion together in a large bowl using your hands. Make 12 small patties (they will be between 2 & 3 ounces each). Be sure to make the patties thicker at the edges than in the center so they don't puff up into burger balls while cooking.
- If you're cooking outside, go ahead and heat your grill. Ours was between 300° and 350°F when we started cooking.
- Cut the bacon slices in half and place them in a large skillet with the sliced jalapenos. Cook over medium heat, turning after about 4 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon and the peppers to a paper towel to drain.
- Place the slider patties on the hot grill -- direct heat is fine. They will only need about 4 minutes per side. Since it's turkey you want to make sure it's cooked all the way through. Add shredded cheese to the top of each burger while still hot.
- Mix together the mayo and Tabasco.Spread a little on the top bun of each slider.
- Assemble by dressing the bottom buns with lettuce and tomato. Top with a burger, a piece of jalapeno bacon, and a few fried jalapeno slices if desired
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Cholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g