Where to eat Krystal slider in Chattanooga
The South's square slider: a thin beef patty steamed over diced onions on a soft square bun with pickle and mustard, invented in downtown Chattanooga in 1932 and eaten by the sackful ever since.
The story of Krystal slider
Rody Davenport Jr. and J. Glenn Sherrill opened the first Krystal in Chattanooga on October 24, 1932, betting that even in the Depression people would pay for a spotless room and a cheap, good meal. The square steamed burger with onions, pickle and mustard became the South's answer to the slider, and the chain grew to hundreds of locations across the region. Headquarters stayed in Chattanooga until the company moved its offices to the Atlanta area in 2013.
How to make Krystal slider
Serves: Makes 8 sliders
Ingredients
- 500g beef mince, 20 percent fat
- 1 large onion, diced very fine
- 8 soft square dinner rolls or slider buns
- Dill pickle slices
- American mustard
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Press the mince into a thin sheet on parchment, about 1cm thick, and cut into 8 squares slightly larger than your buns. Season both sides.
- Heat a large flat griddle or skillet over medium heat and scatter over the diced onion in an even layer. Let it soften 2 minutes.
- Lay the beef squares directly on the onions, cover, and let the patties steam-cook through in the onion vapour, about 4 to 5 minutes without flipping.
- Set the bun tops over the patties for the last minute so they soften in the steam.
- Build each slider on the bun base with the onion-crusted patty, a pickle slice and a stripe of mustard. Serve in stacks.
Editor tip. The onions are the engine: dice them near-minced and never let the pan get hot enough to fry, or you lose the steam that defines the burger.
The editor picks for Krystal slider in Chattanooga are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Chattanooga signature-dishes index or the Chattanooga food guide.