Air Fryer Friday - Cheeseburger Sliders

Happy Friday everyone! This feels like it's been the longest week ever. Probably because I haven't worked a full like in probably a month with the holidays! Now I'm back to work, and back to my healthy eating routine.

One of my favorite presents I got this Christmas was an air fryer (thanks mom!) I truly cannot say enough good things about it. Most people think that you can only fry things like French fries or chicken nuggets. But you can do SO MUCH MORE! If you have one and you don't use it, your life is literally about to be changed. It makes making dinner SO much quicker. You just mix your food, set the air fryer, and voila! It's done.

I've been taking polls on Instagram about adding some recipes to the blog, and got an overwhelming response that YES, people want to see more recipes. So I decided to start a recipe series focused around my air fryer because I'm actually obsessed with it. Introducing Air Fryer Friday's! I'll share recipes, tips & tricks to try to make dinnertime quicker and easier.

My first tip: If you haven't yet opened your air fryer like many people have told me they haven't - DO IT! Don't be intimidated. It is so, so easy to use. My second tip: buy the Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook! There are so many easy, delicious recipes that I've made in the few weeks that I've had my fryer.

My first recipe in the series is going to be Low Carb Cheeseburger Sliders with Special Sauce from the Skinnytaste cookbook! They're seriously SO good. And husband approved, which is a win in my book. You could also totally use slider buns for these, but I think they're really good with just the lettuce wraps!

Low-Carb Cheeseburger Sliders with Special Sauce

Serves 4

SLIDERS

1 pound 90% lean ground beef

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

3/4 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 tablespoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

SPECIAL SAUCE

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 teaspoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon dill pickle juice

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika

FOR SERVING

4 large outer leaves of iceberg lettuce, halved lengthwise

8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices of tomato

2 slices red onion, rings separated

8 dill pickle chips

FOR THE SLIDERS:

In a large bowl, combine the beef, cheddar, mustard, salt, onion powder, and Peppe. Gently form the meat into 8 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Press your finger in the center of each patty to create a dimple (this will help them maintain their flat shape when they cook).

FOR THE SPECIAL SAUCE:

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika and mix until smooth.

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.

Working in batches, arrange a single layer of sliders in the air fryer basket. Cook, flipping halfway, to your desired doneness - about 8 minutes for a medium burger.

TO SERVE:

Place 2 lettuce halves on each plate and top each with a slice of tomato, a slider, onion, special sauce, and pickles.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you make it and how you like it!