I had a version of these bite-sized Hawaiian Spam Slider delights in restaurant on Folly Beach, South Carolina, last year. I half-jokingly ordered them just because they had Spam in them. Well, the joke was on me, because they were awesomely flavorful and delicious. It’s no wonder Hawaiian’s eat more than 7-millions cans of Spam every year. It’s quite tasty.
Spam gets a bad rap, because many think it’s a bunch of unidentifiable meat scraps soaked in tons of salt. The truth is the meat in Spam is simply pork shoulder and ham. And, yes, it does have a lot of salt; however, there is a low sodium option that tastes just as well as the original.
While I’m not sure what the restaurant used in their Spam Sliders, these recreations come awfully close to the goodness I had on the beach that day. And they’re so simple to make. Pan fry slices of Spam over a medium heat until crispy, golden brown on both sides.
Assemble the cooked Spam with all other ingredients on Hawaiian sweet rolls. That’s all there it to it. As they say in Hawaii…
So good. Broke da mouth!
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Worry-Free Cooking |
- Cutting dinner rolls with a chef or utility knife is likely to flatten or squish the bread. Consider using a serrated bread knife to maintain the bread’s shape. One of the best, used by many professionals, is the Dalstrong Gladiator Series 10” bread knife. It’s top quality and will last for years.
- Be sure to heat your frying pan before adding the Spam to it. I always turn to my Cast Iron Skillet for this task because it gets good and hot, which is the key to keeping the meat slices moist on the inside and crispy, golden brown on the outside.
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Menu Planning |
- These Hawaiian Spam Sliders make for a fulfilling dinner or lunch. Try pairing them with side of potato salad or a small green salad to complete your meal.
- Serve as a side with a heaping bowl of hot, homemade soup.
- Sliders make perfect hors d’oeuvres for holidays, family gatherings, wedding showers, and other parties. Make just before guests arrive and set out generous portions on a serving platter. If serving with other appetizers, plan for two to three sliders per guest.
- If serving as an entrée, plan for three to four sliders per person.
- If you decide to make a smaller batch of sliders, store any unused Spam in the fridge for up to five days.
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Helping Hand |
- Spam gets a bad rap, especially because it’s often considered too high in sodium. While that’s true, there’s always low-sodium Spam. I also remove salt on the outer part of the meat by rinsing the Spam with water before cooking it. If you do this, be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel before frying it.
- Make sure your pan is good and hot before adding the Spam to it. This will lock in the moisture on the inside and ensure a crispy, golden-brown outside.
- Not a fan of spicy pickles? No worries. The tastes found in bread and butter pickles work just as well.
- There’s a distinct sweetness in Hawaiian dinner rolls, which is why I recommend them for this recipe. However, if you can’t find them in the store or prefer a less sweet taste, regular dinner rolls make a great substitute.
- There are other flavored Spam choices, which may be good substitutes. I haven’t tried them yet, though the bacon and black pepper flavors sound delicious. Drop me a note if you try one of these flavors — I’d love to hear how they taste.
- I recommend you stick with the recommended meat, pickle, and sauce products for this recipe. However, if you do try other variations, I’d love to hear about them.
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Grocery & Gourmet |
- There are a few recipes where exact brands make all the difference, and this is one of them. I recommend that you stick with these brand choices for this recipe. Spam Luncheon Meat, of course, is a must.
- Another must-have is Famous Dave’s Devil’s Spit pickle chips. These have a little kick to them, yet I don’t find they burn your taste buds like some hot spices do.
- And finally, Terry Ho’s Yum Yum Sauce complements all the flavors in these Spam Sliders.
