Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

These juicy cheeseburger sliders have quickly become one of my family's favorite meals! They're cheesy, savory, tangy, and total comfort food.

Making classic burgers on the grill can be a pain sometimes. It's not always easy to form up a dozen beef patties and then babysit them on the outdoor grill.

That's why we all love these mouthwatering, mini, pull apart, Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls! They start on the stovetop and finish in the oven. No gas grill is required!

Are you looking for more creative ways to satisfy your cheeseburger cravings? Try my cheeseburger meatloaf and my cheeseburger pasta skillet recipes next!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Equipment needed
• How to make Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
• Expert tips
• Substitutions and variations
• How to make ahead, store, and reheat
• What to serve with sliders
• Frequently asked questions
• Burger recipes you might also like
• Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
• Hungry for more?
• 💬 Comments

Why you'll love this recipe

• Very minimal prep work is required for this recipe. The only step you have to prepare for is shredding the cheddar cheese.
• Sliders are so versatile! You can serve them as an appetizer, for lunch, or as your main course at dinner. They will definitely be a hit at your next gathering!
• Sliders are really easy to scale up so that you can feed a crowd. Whether you double or triple the recipe, the cooking and baking times are the same.
• Sliders are perfect for little hands and little mouths! Big, overstuffed burgers can be really hard for kids to eat. Not cheeseburger sliders! The layer of tender ground beef combined with a soft, mini roll is PERFECT for kids!

Ingredients

Ground beef: Try to use lean ground beef for this recipe - either 80/20 or 90/10 would be good choices. Either way, I instruct you to drain the fat, so if you can't find lean beef, you'll just have more fat to drain off.

Hawaiian rolls: I prefer to use King's Hawaiian Rolls. You can find Hawaiian rolls in a 12-pack or a 24-pack. You'll only need a 12-pack for this recipe. I like to use sweet Hawaiian rolls, but savory butter Hawaiian rolls also work.

Cheese: You'll need freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Buying pre-shredded cheese is a huge time-saver, but packaged shredded cheese doesn't always melt that well. I recommend shredding it yourself if you have the time.

Condiments: Instead of topping the ground beef with your typical cheeseburger condiments, I mix them right in! Ketchup, yellow mustard, and sweet relish are mixed into the cooked ground beef before you layer it onto your rolls.

Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire, kosher salt, and black pepper are all added for flavor.

Additional ingredients needed: Extra virgin olive oil, room temperature butter, and sesame seeds

A detailed ingredient list and recipe instructions are found in the recipe card below.

Equipment needed

• Rimmed baking sheet - You'll need a medium-sized, parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Skillet - A medium to large skillet is needed to cook the ground beef on the stovetop.
• Additional kitchen tools needed - Cheese grater, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a sharp bread knife.

How to make Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

Recipe rundown

1. Cook the beef on the stove.
2. Mix all of the condiments and seasonings into the cooked beef.
3. Layer the shredded cheese and ground beef onto the Hawaiian rolls.
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for 12 minutes.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet and cook the ground beef.

Step 2: Cook the beef until no pink remains. The beef will not be in the oven for very long, so you need to fully cook the beef on the stovetop. Drain the fat from the skillet and return the beef to the pan.

Mix the ketchup, mustard, relish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper into the cooked ground beef. Set the pan aside.

Step 3: Use a sharp bread knife to slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally. This can be a little tricky to do. Gently press down on the top of the rolls with the palm of your hand that's not holding the knife. Slice the knife through the middle of the rolls so that they open up and all stay connected together.

Step 4: Spread one-half of the shredded cheddar cheese onto the sliced rolls.

Step 5: Spoon your ground beef mixture onto the layer of shredded cheddar. You can gently press it down so that it stays on the rolls better.

Step 6: Spread the remaining half of the cheddar onto the top of the ground beef. You will end up having two layers of shredded cheese, one beneath the ground beef and one on top of the beef.

Step 7: Place the tops of the rolls onto the ground beef sliders. Top each roll with a smear of room-temperature butter. Sprinkle several sesame seeds onto each buttered roll.

Step 8: Place the sliders onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. When finished, remove the sliders from the oven and let them cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Expert tips

• Using a parchment-lined baking sheet is a must! If you don't have parchment paper, then you'll have to grease your baking sheet with butter. Greasing the baking sheet is certainly okay to do, however, I find that it makes the burgers a little too greasy. I preferred to use parchment and cut down on the oil added to the outside of the rolls.
• Make sure you drain the fat before you add your condiments and seasonings to the cooked ground beef. If you add them before draining the fat, you'll end up mixing a lot of the fat back into the ground beef which again, makes the burgers a little too greasy.
• A small, little dab of soft butter is all you need to butter the tops of the rolls. You don't need to brush on melted butter.
• You can prep Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls in advance! Follow all recipe steps up until you're instructed to put the burgers in the oven. Wrap the assembled sliders in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake them.
• Soggy sliders are a common concern. Since we drain the fat and put a layer of cheese on the bottom (and the top) of the rolls, you don't need to worry at all about soggy burgers!

Substitutions and variations

Ground beef: Ground turkey is an excellent substitution for ground beef. I've made these sliders with ground turkey, and they are just as yummy! Using ground turkey will cut down on fat and calories too.

Shredded cheddar cheese: Sliced cheese can be used in place of shredded cheddar. Other cheese options include Colby jack cheese slices, pepper jack cheese, sliced American cheese, and Havarti cheese.

Add-ins: Add slices of bacon to make bacon cheeseburger sliders! Some other cheeseburger slider recipes call for diced onion, mayonnaise, and chopped dill pickles to be mixed into the ground beef.

How to make ahead, store, and reheat

How to make ahead: You can make sliders ahead of time in two different ways. The first way would be to prepare all of your ingredients and cook the ground beef in advance. Shred the cheese, cook the beef, mix the condiments and seasonings into the beef, and then package everything up for when you're ready to assemble the burgers.

The second way to make these in advance is to make the entire recipe and assemble the sliders, but don't bake them right away. Cover them in plastic wrap and then store the prepared sliders in the fridge until you're ready to bake them.

How to store: Store leftover cooked sliders in an airtight, glass container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

How to reheat: Reheat leftover cheeseburgers in the microwave for one minute at a time, until your desired warmth is reached.

What to serve with sliders

I like to serve Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders with your traditional cheeseburger sides! French fries, onion rings, potato chips, air fryer Alexia sweet potato fries, potato salad (no eggs), American coleslaw, and pesto pasta salad with sundried tomatoes are all some of my favorites.

Frequently asked questions

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