White Castle Hamburgers

It was 2 AM on a cold winter night in college when I first experienced the magic of White Castle sliders. Those perfectly square, impossibly thin patties, with their distinctive oniony aroma, became an instant obsession. Today, I’m sharing how to recreate these iconic burgers in your own kitchen, complete with that signature steam-grilled flavor that made White Castle famous back in 1921.

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Why This Recipe Works

White Castle’s signature sliders aren’t just regular mini burgers – they’re a carefully engineered fast food masterpiece. The secret lies in the unique steam-grilling process and the paper-thin patties with five holes punched through them. These holes allow the burgers to cook quickly without flipping, while the steam infuses them with the sweet flavor of grilled onions.

What are the ingredients in a White Castle burger?

The ingredients are pretty straightforward and simple.

For the Patties:

Ground Beef – Provides the base protein and essential fat for flavor
Water – Creates steam and helps achieve the signature thin texture
Salt – Enhances overall flavor and helps bind the meat
White onion – Creates the signature White Castle flavor and aroma
Beef bouillon – Adds depth and umami to the onion mixture

For the Assembly:

Dill pickle slices – Adds tangy crunch and balances the rich meat
Dinner rolls – Serves as the traditional slider bun

That’s it!

Homemade White Castle Hamburgers Ingredients

Best Buns for Sliders

Use dinner rolls for them. They are a perfect size and look just like the real thing. Some people like sweet rolls. But White Castle doesn’t use sweet rolls. If you want to stay authentic, use regular dinner rolls.

How to Make White Castle Burgers at Home

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Meat Mixture

Place ground beef, 1/4 cup water, and salt in a food processor
Pulse until the mixture becomes paste-like (about 10-15 pulses)
Place mixture between two sheets of parchment paper
Roll to 1/4-inch thickness
Cut into 3-inch squares
Using the end of a straw or tip of a pen, poke 5 holes in each patty
Refrigerate patties until ready to cook

Prepare the Onion Base

Process onions in a food processor until very finely minced
Dissolve bouillon cubes in 1/2 cup hot water
Spread onion mixture evenly in a large skillet
Pour bouillon mixture over onions

Cooking the Sliders

Heat skillet with onions over medium heat until simmering
Place patties directly on top of the onion mixture
Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes until patties are no longer pink
No flipping needed!

Assembly

Serve immediately
Slice dinner rolls horizontally
Place cooked patty with onions on the bottom bun
Top with 2 pickle slices
Add top bun

Finally, fry your beef patties in a pan with water in the bottom.

If you follow these steps, you will have the most amazing little patties.

How do you dice the onions so small?

I prefer to use a food processor to chop my onions this small. I know there are many hacks for chopping onions and not crying, but it’s easier to let the food processor do the work for me.

You can also buy frozen chopped onions, saving you all the work entirely.

Once the onions are diced, they are cooked with beef bouillon for authentic White Castle flavor.

How do you make White Castle burgers in the oven?

The most authentic way to make them is by frying the patties. But if you want, you can bake them in the oven too.

Thyme for Cocktails has a fantastic recipe for them. Basically, it involves baking the hamburger meat on a cookie sheet and then cutting it up into squares afterward.

homemade White Castle Hamburgers on black and white parchment paper

Storage & Reheating

Store assembled burgers wrapped in foil for up to 2 days
Reheat in microwave for 20-30 seconds
For better results, separate patty from bun when reheating
Steam patties in a covered skillet for 1-2 minutes

a homemade White Castle hamburger on black and white checked parchment paper

Popular Fast Food Recipes

Want to try some more fast food recipes? Here are some of my favorite ones.

Homemade Burger Recipes

Check out all my restaurant copycat recipes and tasty game day eats.

White Castle Burgers

Make White Castle Hamburgers just like they do with this copycat recipe. They are the perfect late-night snack!

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Burger Recipes, White Castle Burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 652kcal

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup water for beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup onion diced
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 cup water for onions
12 dinner rolls (Parker house shape, 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ size)
dill hamburger slices

Instructions

In a food processor place ground beef, salt, and water. Process for a few seconds so water and salt are blended through ground beef and meat should look a little pasty.
Place plastic wrap on the bottom of an 11 x 13-inch jelly roll pan. Place blended hamburger in the middle and cover it with another piece of plastic wrap. Roll the hamburger out to 1/4-inch thick.
Remove the plastic wrap and cut the meat into 3-inch squares. Leave the ground beef pieces on the tray. You should get between 12 and 14 squares.
Perforate each piece five times with the end of a plastic straw, this will give the meat little steam holes. Cover the hamburger with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until the meat is partially frozen but not solid.
Place onions, beef bouillon, and 1/2 cup water in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Saute and stir onions until they are clear, more water may be added as needed. Turn the heat off until ready to cook hamburger patties.
When beef patties are ready to prepare, turn the heat to medium-low heat and add enough water to onions just so the bottom of the frying pan is covered. Place patties in pan and cover with lid. Frying time is just a few moments.
Turn the patties and cook until done but not dry. The patties should be juicy. When hamburgers are finished cooking, place on top of a roll, add pickles, cover hamburgers so they will steam slightly or pop them in the microwave covered just for a few seconds until ready to serve.

Notes

Pro Tips from a Slider Enthusiast

Meat Preparation

Temperature matters: Keep your meat very cold until processing. This helps achieve the perfect texture
Don’t overprocess: Stop pulsing as soon as the meat becomes paste-like. Over-processing can make the patties too dense
Use a bench scraper: This tool is perfect for cutting uniform squares and transferring the delicate patties
Make a template: Cut a 3×3 inch cardboard square to use as a guide for perfectly sized patties

Nutrition

Common Questions & Troubleshooting

Why aren’t my patties thin enough?

Make sure to use the food processor method
Roll between parchment paper
Use a ruler to measure 1/4-inch thickness
Don’t skip the holes – they prevent puffing

Can I make these ahead?

Prepare patties up to 24 hours in advance
Store uncooked patties between wax paper in refrigerator
Cook just before serving for best results

Substitutions & Modifications

Vegetarian Option: Use Impossible or Beyond Meat
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free dinner rolls
Lower Fat: Use 93% lean beef (though flavor will differ)
No Food Processor: Very finely hand-chop onions and hand-mix meat with water

Scaling the Recipe

Double ingredients for large gatherings
Can freeze uncooked patties for up to 3 months
For smaller batches, freeze unused rolled meat mixture