Lamb Sliders

Add an elegant touch to your next party with these Lamb Sliders. Succulent, spiced, roasted lamb is paired with a creamy pesto mayo and pickled radishes to make an irresistible tiny sandwich.

Something about this time of year makes tiny sandwiches just feel oh so right. Whether it’s leftover maple bourbon turkey on a dinner roll with cranberry sauce, or a slice of pineapple ham on a small piece of crusty baguette with salted butter, it just tastes great.

But sliders don’t have to be just a way to use up leftovers. They can be their own special, dare I say elegant, dish.

These lamb sliders start with a succulent roasted boneless leg of lamb generously rubbed with warming spices. The meat is put on a slider bun and dressed up with pickled radishes and pesto mayo.

Bookmark this lamb slider recipe for a party this festive season! You can also use leftover lamb from a holiday dinner to make these sliders.

What’ll you need for lamb sliders:

• boneless leg of lamb – About 4 pounds, and you’ll need it tied (trussed) so it cooks evenly for this lamb slider recipe. Ask your butcher to do this! Buy some ground lamb while you’re there, for lamb bolognese or Greek lasagna.
• chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper – this is the the spice mixture you’ll rub on the lamb before roasting it. You could also use my rib rub if you have it on hand. Cumin is also one of my favorite spices for kafta.
• radishes – about 8 medium radishes will do. If you have a mandoline to thinly slice them, that’s great.
• cider vinegar – this will be the backbone of the pickling solution for the radishes.
• sugar – to add a touch of sweetness to the pickled radishes.
• mayonnaise – for making the pesto mayo.
• basil pesto – Just like for salmon pesto pasta, you can make homemade pesto, or simply buy a container of high-quality pesto for the pesto mayo.
• slider buns or rolls – just about any small bun or roll will work for these, as long as they’re sturdy enough to hold up to the juicy meat we’re going to fill them with.

How to roast a boneless leg of lamb:

The first step to a great roasted leg of lamb (or my country style pork ribs recipe, for that matter) is to season it. Since there are so few ingredients involved in building these lamb sliders, we want to make sure that the meat itself is well seasoned and super flavorful.

That’s why we’ll be rubbing it with salt, chili powder, cumin and black pepper and then letting it rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 1 day. This allows the spices some time to really penetrate the meat.

Let the lamb stand at room temperature for 45 minutes before roasting. Then, we’re going to use the same technique we use for Cajun turkey – starting the meat at a higher oven temperature to get a nice brown on it, and then reducing the temperature for the rest of the cook.

For this lamb, we’ll be starting at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, and then lowering the temp to 400 degrees F and roasting for 45 to 60 minutes longer or until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 130 degrees F for medium-rare.

When it reaches this temperature, remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest, tented with foil, for at least 10 minutes before slicing it up for this lamb slider recipe.

Pickled radishes are a perfect topping for lamb sliders!

In my opinion, every sandwich needs something pickled, and pickled radishes are something unique that you don’t see every day (kind of like the pickled cherries in my jarcuterie). They also have a great peppery taste which pairs well with the rich lamb.

To make the quickest pickled radishes, simple shake together some vinegar, sugar and salt in a large mason jar, and then add thinly sliced radishes. Let this sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and you’re all set!

If radishes aren’t your favorite thing, but spicy things are, pickling jalapenos would also be a great choice for this lamb slider recipe.

Pesto mayo is irresistible, but there are other condiment options:

The combination of creamy mayonnaise and herby basil pesto is such a match made in heaven. Not only on these lamb sliders, but pretzel bun sliders, and also as a dip for french fries, roasted potatoes and even mashed potato cakes. Trust me!

If you have leftover pesto after making these sliders, use it to make pesto salmon or pesto pasta with veggies.

If pesto mayo isn’t your thing, there are a few other options for dressing this lamb slider recipe. Regular mayonnaise would do just fine. I’ve also enjoyed Greek yogurt with a touch of minced garlic stirred in.

You can also use the yogurt sauce from my lamb lollipop recipe.

Another great option would be using my feta dressing as a sauce for these lamb sliders.