Get ready for some luxe, freakin’ delicious mini burgers: surf and turf sliders! This sliders variation puts an exclamation point on classic surf and turf. I’m not shy about my love for sliders, so you’ve got to know I’m stoked to add these sandwiches to the mix.
Why You’ll Love Surf and Turf Sliders
Whatever you call it — surf and turf, reef and beef, just plain old lobster and steak — surf and turf has a stellar reputation for a reason. Plus, because you’re serving two proteins, it’s a versatile crowd pleaser.
Our version of surf and turf sliders uses ribeye steaks and lobster claw meat for that high-quality feel. Since I love cheese on sliders, I’ve also got provolone cheese slices to round out the dish. You can skip it on these surf and turf sliders if you don’t like seafood and cheese (which I can’t say I’ve ever really understood, because lobster mac and cheese is insanely good).
For more surf and turf, check out Steak and Lobster in a Pizza Oven, Grilled Steak with Lobster Mac and Cheese, Steak and Shrimp Alfredo and Texas Fajitas!
Ingredients for Surf and Turf Sliders
- Steak: For the turf portion of our sliders, we’ll grill ribeye steaks. Our steak seasoning is my Bourbon Prime Rub and I used FYR BLK Hot Sauce as a binder.
- Lobster: I use lobster claw meat here because it’s less expensive than lobster tail, but still has great flavor and texture. We’ll season the lobster meat with butter, seafood rub, garlic cloves and chopped chives.
- Sliders: For slider buns, I’m a huge fan of King’s Hawaiian Slider Rolls. We’ll also add provolone cheese and Everything Bagel Rub to round out this freakin’ delicious recipe.
Cowboy Butter
If you want to take these sliders to the next level, serve them with cowboy butter for dipping! Cowboy butter is really just a catch-all term for a spicy garlic and herb butter. To make my favorite cowboy butter, which I’ve used with grilled ribeyes, mix together 1 cup melted butter, juice from 1 medium lemon, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1.5 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder and kosher salt to taste (I usually like 1/2 tsp salt) in a small bowl. Serve and enjoy with these sliders or really any surf and turf recipe!
For other delicious butter recipes, check out all my favorites here: The Best Butter Recipes
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How to Make Surf and Turf Sliders
Grilling the Ribeyes
Slather your steaks with vegetable oil and generously season with 3 tablespoons of my Bourbon Prime Rub (or your favorite steak rub) and a few dashes of FYR BLK Hot Sauce to serve as a binder. Set in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Preheat your outdoor grill to medium-high heat (about 375 degrees Fahrenheit) for two-zone indirect grilling. Next, add your 1-2 ribeye steaks to the grill. Cook them for 4-6 minutes per side or until they are 120 degrees F internal temperature.
Once the steaks have reached temperature, pull them off to let them rest for 10 minutes. When they’re done resting, slice the steaks against the grain.
Preparing the Lobster Meat
Next, add a cast iron skillet to the grill with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add 2 cups of lobster claw meat, 4 minced garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of your favorite seafood rub to the skillet. Mix it all together and cook for 5 minutes over a low simmer. Then, pull the skillet off the grill and top your surf mixture with 2 tablespoons of chopped chives.
Assembling the Sliders
While keeping the slider rolls together, slice your slider rolls in half (horizontally) so there is a top side and bottom side. Then, place the bottom bun half into a foil bin or a large skillet. Add a layer of provolone cheese, sliced steak, cooked lobster meat, then finish with another layer of sliced cheese plus the top part of the buns. Gently brush a little melted butter over the top of the rolls and sprinkle the surf and turf sliders with Everything Bagel Rub.
Next, get your grill to a two-zone medium high heat (around 350-375 degrees F) for indirect cooking. Add your sliders in the foil bin, then place on the hot grill rack to cook until they are golden brown and crispy (about 10-12 minutes). Once they’re done, pull the sliders off the grill and let them cool for 2-3 minutes.
Slice up your sliders and serve with cowboy butter for dipping. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Surf and Turf Sliders
This is definitely a full recipe, so feel free to keep your sides easy with a simple green salad or your favorite green vegetable. To get that steakhouse vibe, I like sautéed spinach, grilled asparagus or grilled zucchini.
For More Sliders
Leftovers and Reheating
If you find yourself with leftover surf and turf sliders, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply warm them up on a medium-high heat grill or a 350-degree F oven while wrapped in aluminum foil.
FAQs
Definitely! You can use jumbo shrimp instead of lobster for your surf and turf sliders. In that case, just toss shrimp with the same ingredients in the cast iron skillet. If you want a different turf, you can go with other steaks like New York strip or sirloin. You could also use beef patties or lamb burger.
My Lemon Chili Rye is a great choice for any seafood, or you could go the Old Bay route.
You can also make your own with 1 tablespoon celery salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and kosher salt and black pepper (about 1 tablespoon each).
It’s based in the fact that a lot of fish is delicate — like haddock, cod and other flaky white fish — and because cheese can overpower its flavor. But you can definitely mix cheese and seafood! Think lobster mac and cheese, shrimp alfredo, shrimp and feta bakes in Greece, these surf and turf sliders and more. This Smithsonian Magazine story does a deep dive on the super interesting history behind this idea!
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Surf and Turf Sliders
Ingredients
Steak:
- 1-2 Ribeye Steaks
- 3 tbsp Bourbon Prime
- FYR BLK Hot Sauce binder
Lobster:
- 2 cups Lobster Claw Meat
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 tbsp Seafood Rub
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tbsp Chopped Chives
Sliders:
- 1 Slider Roll
- 8-10 Provolone Cheese Slices
- Everything Bagel Rub
- Melted Butter
Instructions
- Slather your steaks with oil and generously season with my Bourbon Prime Rub or your favorite steak rub. Set in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 375F) for two zone indirect cooking.
- Next, add your steaks to the grill and cook for 4-6 minutes per side or until they are 120F. Once the steaks are done, pull off to let rest for 10 minutes. When done resting, slice the steaks.
- Add a cast iron skillet to the grill with butter to melt. Add the lobster meat, minced garlic and seafood rub to the skillet and mix together. Cook for 5 minutes over a low simmer, then pull off and top with chopped chives.
- While keeping the slider rolls together, slice your slider rolls in half (horizontally) so there is a top side and bottom side.
- Add the bottom side into a foil bin or cooking safe skillet. Add a layer of cheese, sliced steak, cooked lobster meat and finish with a layer of more sliced cheese plus the top part of the buns.
- Gently brush a little butter over the top of the rolls and sprinkle with everything bagel rub.
- Get your grill to a two zone medium high heat (around 350-375F) for indirect cooking. Add your sliders in the foil bin on to the smoker to cook until they are golden brown & crispy (about 10-12 minutes). Once done, pull the sliders off and let cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Slice up your sliders and serve with the cowboy butter for dipping. Enjoy!
