Sloppy Joe Sliders with Asian Chili Sauce

(795)

At his former Boston gastropub, Blue Dragon, star chef Ming Tsai served these Asian-accented sliders. They’re based on a recipe his mother made for him when he was young.

Asian Sloppy Joe Sliders
Sloppy Joes will always be one of our favorite meals from childhood, so we weren’t too surprised to see that they’re also Nebraska’s favorite thing to pin. For a fabulously flavorful take on the original, try our Asian Sloppy Joe Sliders recipe. Photo: © Con Poulos
Total Time:
1 hrs
Yield:
20 sliders

She’d fill his thermos with the chili-sauce-and-ginger-flavored ground meat and include the slider buns in his lunch box. “Everyone at school wanted them, so I’d usually trade a little slider for a complete lunch,” says Tsai.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 2 medium red onions, finely chopped

  • 1 cup finely chopped celery

  • 3 tablespoons sambal oelek or other Asian chili sauce

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 1 pound ground chicken thighs

  • 1 pound ground pork

  • 1 cup hoisin sauce

  • 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes

  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

  • 20 brioche dinner rolls, split and toasted

  • Shredded iceberg lettuce and spicy pickles (optional), for serving

Directions

  1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Add the onions, celery, sambal oelek, garlic, ginger and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the ground chicken and pork and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Stir in the hoisin, tomatoes and lime juice and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sloppy joe filling on the bottom half of each roll. Top with shredded lettuce and pickles and serve.

Make Ahead

The sloppy joe filling can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Suggested Pairing

Bar snacks, like these fun sliders, almost always pair best with beer. Try these with a slightly hoppy pale ale, like the ones made by California’s Sierra Nevada or New York state’s Saranac.

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