Your whole crowd is going to love these Cuban Sliders! The classic flavor of a Cuban sandwich are jammed into a convenient, fun little slider, then elevated with crispy bites of fried pork belly and a healthy dose of garlic butter.
I have an ongoing obsession with small foods.
I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about this before, so please stop me if you’ve heard this one.
Miniature anything, actually, gets me all excited, but especially food. This probably explains why I love cooking and baking for parties so much – especially on Game Day! Most of the things you find on the spread are small and portable.
These Cuban Sliders fit the bill, and I promise you are going to love them as much as I do – and not just because they’re cute and little!
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. There is also a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page if you’d rather not exercise your scrolling finger!
When was the last time you had a good Cuban sandwich? Like a really really good one?
I think I tried my first one when I was in college…I can actually remember it. It was in St. Petersburg, Florida, while visiting the Salvador Dali Museum with my philosophy class. We were grabbing lunch before heading back home, and I was going back and forth on whether or not I wanted to cheat on my Lenten no-meat-Fridays diet with this sandwich.
Spoiler alert: I cheated.
The ham. The shredded pork! The buttery crunch of the authentic pressed pan Cubano. It was pure bliss.
These Cuban sliders are considerably different than the traditional version, but in very a good way.
Say it with me: pork belly.
What is pork belly?
Chances are, if you live in the United Sates, you’ve at least heard of pork belly by now. It’s everywhere, and whether it’s served in tacos or sandwiches from food trucks or elevated in fine dining restaurants with some kind of glaze, it’s amazing. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend picking some up on your next trip to the butcher shop or supermarket.
Pork belly is a fatty type of meat that can be slow roasted, braised, barbecued or fried in all kinds of ridiculously indulgent international recipes.
It’s also what American bacon and Italian pancetta come from. So… that should be enough to convince you.
Abe introduced me to pork belly back in the early days of our relationship, but as chicharrón, an extremely popular deep-fried snack in many Latin American countries.
Given the choice, I’d take a slab of pork belly over bacon any day, and it was the clear winner on the short list of twists I felt like this dish needed.
The crunch of the slowly rendered bits of pork took the place of the missing extra-crispy Cuban bread. And my last-minute addition of Genoa salami didn’t hurt either.
These little pork belly sliders are an overall touchdown (teehee), from the bottom bun to the garlic butter-brushed crown. If your crew loves the convenience of sliders during your festivities, whip up a batch of these Sloppy Joe Sliders to serve, too!
Ingredients
There’s a bit more prep involved in whipping up these Cuban sliders, but I promise you, it’s all worth it!
- Pork belly – cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Slider buns
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder
- Sliced cheese – Swiss or Havarti is SO GOOD here!
- Dill pickle coins
- Deli ham slices
- Genoa salami slices
- Garlic butter
For exact ingredient measurements and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
How to make Cuban Sliders with Pork Belly
- Cook the pork belly. Place the pork belly pieces on a cutting board. Use a small knife to make shallow criss-cross cuts on each piece. Rub the strips with baking soda, then cut into 1-inch pieces and place in a medium skillet. Add the water and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until the water evaporates, about 40-45 minutes. When all the water has evaporated, increase the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping once, until golden and crispy. Remove from the skillet with tongs and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Prep the sliders. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bottom half of slider buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic powder and season with salt. Spread on bottom half of buns, then top with cheese, ham, salami, pickles, drained pork belly pieces, and remaining cheese.
- Make the garlic butter. Place melted butter and minced garlic in a small bowl and mix together.
- Bake. Place top half of slider buns on, then brush with garlic butter. Bake 10-15 minutes until buns are crispy and golden and cheese is melted.
- Serve. Remove from oven and place remaining 12 pickles on top, skewering the pork belly sliders with cocktail skewers.
Even more fabulous Game Day snacks…
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Cuban Sliders with Crispy Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly 1/2-inch thick slices
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 12 slider buns sliced in half
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt to taste
- 12 slices Swiss or Havarti cheese
- 24 dill pickles
- 8 ounces deli ham slices
- 8 ounces Genoa salami slices
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Place the pork belly pieces on a cutting board. Use a small knife to make shallow criss-cross cuts on each piece. Rub the strips with baking soda, then cut into 1-inch pieces and place in a medium skillet.
- Add the water and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until the water evaporates, about 40-45 minutes.
- When all the water has evaporated, increase the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping once, until golden and crispy. Remove from the skillet with tongs and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Place bottom half of slider buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic powder and season with salt. Spread on bottom half of buns, then top with 6 slices of cheese, ham, salami, 12 pickles, drained pork belly pieces, and remaining cheese.
- Place melted butter and minced garlic in a small bowl and mix together.
- Place top half of slider buns on, then brush with garlic butter. Bake 10-15 minutes until buns are crispy and golden and cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and place remaining 12 pickles on top, skewering them with cocktail skewers.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 15, 2018. It was updated with additional information on October 15, 2024
Rebecca Hubbell says
My husband and I absolutely love Cuban sandwiches, and these sliders are definitely going to make an appearance on out game day menu!
jane @ littlesugarsnaps says
These would go down o well at a football party – I’m thinking ahead to the World Cup – I know I’ll end up feeding a crowd, so I’m pinning these little bites.