A crispy bite of history: The slugburger story

By Cheri Sicard
A single burger helped whole towns survive during hard times. The slugburger takes folks back to a tougher era, when making food stretch was a daily challenge and gathering around the table meant everything.

In the video at the end of this post, Cowboy Kent Rollins [3.36M subscribers, 384M views] shines a light on this simple, crispy burger with deep roots and a fascinating past.

Let’s look at how this humble burger and its famous side brought folks together and became a Southern favorite.

The slugburger started around the 1910s in Corinth, Mississippi. John Weeks, after some time in Chicago, brought back lessons from German immigrants about stretching meat in lean times. They’d add breadcrumbs, potato flour, or soy meal to make the meat last. Back home, John mixed ground beef with soy grits or cornmeal, then shaped and deep-fried them.

Why call it a slugburger? Back then, a “slug” was slang for a fake nickel. For the price of a nickel, people could get a hot burger and maybe a cold soda pop. It was cheap, filling food at a time when every penny counted.

The slugburger rose to fame in tough times. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl hit hard, making even beans and bread a treat. People lined up for soup kitchens when jobs dried up and the land turned to dust.

Some of the biggest challenges included:

• The stock market crash that left banks empty and families broke
• The Dust Bowl stripping farms bare out West
• Scarce meat and the need to stretch what little there was

In the South, where Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee meet, slugburgers became a daily meal for many.  Slugburgers stood for more than just food. They stood for hope, filling stomachs when times got hard and money was tight. Railroad towns and blue-collar joints served them, building a culture around these thrifty patties. Corinth, Mississippi, even holds an annual Slugburger Festival, keeping tradition alive.

The slugburger lives on not for fancy flavors, but for filling bellies and bringing folks together. It’s about sharing, using what you’ve got, and sitting around the table with family and neighbors.

When Cowboy Kent tried a slugburger for the first time, he loved the crackly bite and the way the potato flakes puffed up, making each burger taste like it had potato chips tucked inside.

Slugburger ingredients and preparation

The slugburger was all about making do. The meat got stretched using fillers like soy grits, potato flakes, cornmeal, or flour. Instead of grilling, folks deep-fried the patties until golden and crisp, using whatever oil or lard they had on hand.

Here’s how to make a traditional slugburger:

• Mix ground beef with potato flakes or soy grits (sometimes cornmeal or flour).
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper (plus chili powder or garlic powder if there’s extra on hand).
• Shape into thin patties and lightly coat them in flour.
• Heat oil to 350° and deep fry the patties until both sides are golden brown.

Deep frying thin patties was key to getting that iconic crunch without burning. The thin shape lets the heat cook right through. Each patty was dredged in flour, then fried in lard or neutral oil at about 350°, then checked with a reliable thermometer. Shallow or deep, the goal was a crisp crust and a juicy center.

Simple, filling, and as crispy as anything you’d find at a diner.

Copper pennies – the perfect slugburger side

No slugburger is complete without a side. Copper pennies—thin, sweet carrot coins—were a staple in many homes. Families grew carrots in backyard gardens and glazed them with butter and brown sugar. As Cowboy Kent remembered, “You could smell it in the kitchen when you came in there.” These carrots became as beloved as dessert when the juice was sopped up with biscuits.

To pull off this classic side, you need just a few simple ingredients: carrots, butter, brown sugar, vinegar, tomato soup, onions, and peppers.

Step-by-step for copper pennies:

1. Slice carrots into coins and add to a pan with a little water.
2. Toss in plenty of butter and brown sugar.
3. Add sliced onions and peppers if you have them.
4. Splash in vinegar and a bit of tomato soup for flavor.
5. Cook until the carrots are tender and coated in glaze.

Serve hot and save some for later—flavor only improves.

MORE LIKE THIS WITH COWBOY KENT:

• How to make Cowboy Coffee—The best campfire coffee
• Buying cast iron: What to look for in a cast iron skillet
• How to cook a perfect fried egg in a cast iron skillet
• Hearty Mountain Man Dutch Oven Breakfast Casserole

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