Cheeseburger Sliders Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/27/22
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 23 mins
Total: 38 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 24 sliders

Cheeseburger sliders are the perfect party food, and they make a fantastic snack for a family game or movie night. And with minimal chopping or dicing, they're easy enough for a weeknight meal. Sliders are always a hit, whether for a graduation celebration, potluck dinner, or a game day party!

Cheeseburger sliders

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

These sliders are versatile as well. Add extra cheese for double cheeseburger sliders or make bacon cheeseburger sliders with the addition of cooked crumbled bacon. And you don't have to use ground beef. You can make these sliders with ground turkey, chicken, or sausage—you could even make them vegetarian-friendly with a meat-free alternative.

If you're serving cheeseburger sliders as part of a meal, add a side of fries, roasted potatoes, potato chips, or coleslaw. Or serve the sliders with a cup of soup or tossed salad for a satisfying lunch.

Cheeseburger Sliders Recipe/Tester Image

"This is a great way to serve cheesy burgers to a crowd. Mixing the burger sauce into the meat simplifies prep and ensures every slider is perfectly seasoned. The Hawaiian buns add a subtle sweetness." —Danielle Centoni

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Special Sauce

  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons pickle juice

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

For the Sliders and Assembly

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef

  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 24 Hawaiian sweet rolls, such as King's Hawaiian (2 packages)

  • Dill pickle slices

  • 6 ounces cheese (about 10 American cheese slices or shredded cheddar jack)

For the Topping

  • 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, or a blend of sesame and poppy seeds

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make cheeseburger sliders

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Combine the mayonnaise, pickle juice, ketchup, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.

    Mayonnaise, pickle juice, ketchup, and Dijon mustard combined in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 3 minutes.

    Onions cooking in a large skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic powder, and the salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.

    Ground beef and onions cooking in a large skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Remove from the heat. Drain any excess fat. Add the mayonnaise-ketchup sauce and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

    A skillet with ground beef, onion, and sauce mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Remove the rolls from the package. Without separating into individual rolls, simultaneously slice all 12 rolls in half horizontally. Repeat with the remaining package of 12 rolls.

    Rolls cut in half horizontally

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Place the bottom half of the rolls on a large foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

    A large baking sheet with the bottom half of rolls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Spoon enough of the ground beef mixture over the bottom half of the rolls, covering completely. Top with pickle slices, then a layer of cheese. 

    A baking sheet of rolls covered with beef mixture, pickles, and cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Cover the rolls with the top layer of buns. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

    Top roll of buns brushed with butter and sesame seeds

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  10. Bake the sliders until they begin to warm through, 7 to 8 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the sliders are hot and the cheese has melted, 5 to 7 minutes longer.

    A baking sheet of baked sliders with aluminum foil

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  11. Let the sliders cool for about 5 minutes. Slice into individual sliders and serve.

    A serving plate of individual cheeseburger sliders

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • To keep the sliders warm for a party, cover them with foil and place them in a warm (170 F) oven. Or wrap the individual hot sliders in foil and put them in a slow cooker set on "warm."
  • Assemble the sliders the night before or earlier in the day; cover and refrigerate until about 20 minutes before it's time to bake. Depending on how cold they are, they may need a few more minutes in the oven.


Recipe Variations

  • For spicy sliders, add about 2 to 3 teaspoons of Sriracha or sambal along with the ketchup, or add a dash or two of cayenne pepper.
  • Or turn up the heat a bit by replacing the dill pickle slices with slices of pickled jalapeño peppers.
  • Instead of sesame seeds and poppy seeds, top the rolls with everything bagel seasoning.
  • Replace the ground beef with ground turkey, sausage, or chicken.
  • For vegetarian sliders, use a ground meat alternative.
  • For bacon cheeseburger sliders, cook and crumble about 12 ounces of bacon over the meat mixture before adding the pickle slices.
  • To make double cheeseburger sliders, arrange an extra layer of cheese slices or shredded cheese on the bread before adding the ground meat.

How to Store

  • If you have any leftover sliders, refrigerate them in a covered container within 2 hours of serving, and eat within 3 days.
  • To freeze, wrap individual sliders in plastic wrap and foil. Place them in a freezer container or resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
  • To reheat, wrap the sliders in foil (remove the plastic wrap if they were originally frozen) and heat in a preheated 375 F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
660 Calories
41g Fat
39g Carbs
34g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 660
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 52%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 106mg 35%
Sodium 1282mg 56%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 410mg 32%
Iron 6mg 32%
Potassium 570mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)