During my years as a professional caterer, I learned one very important thing: Keep it easy. Easy doesn’t have to mean simple—I’ve made plenty of fancy dishes with complex flavors. But I would get stressed out every time the process was too complicated, like trying to cook a dozen burgers at once for cheeseburger sliders. So, I learned to change recipes to make them easier to handle.
Instead of forming a dozen individual burger patties, why not make a larger patty that will fit across the entire loaf of slider buns? It’s a brilliant way to transform a multistep slider recipe into a make-ahead dish. You can even bake the meat ahead of time and reheat it when you’re ready to serve.
Of course, this method isn’t limited to serving sliders at a party. This recipe delivers juicy cheeseburger flavor any time you don’t want to flip burgers on the grill.
Ingredients for Cheeseburger Sliders
- Ground beef: Normally we say the best ground beef for burgers is 80/20. However, lean ground beef or ground sirloin is a better option for this cheeseburger sliders recipe. Leaner beef releases less grease, and too much grease can create soggy slider buns.
- Eggs: The eggs work as a binder, holding the beef patties together in the oven. They also add moisture to keep the meat from drying out while cooking.
- Dinner rolls: Use any soft dinner roll or small bun, like potato rolls, pretzel slider buns or Hawaiian rolls. If you want to go the extra mile, make homemade buttery dinner rolls.
- Thousand Island dressing: This dressing takes the burgers to the next level! Thousand Island salad dressing is remarkably similar to McDonald’s special sauce. Make it from scratch, or grab a bottle from the store to save time.
- American cheese: This quick-melting cheese is the classic choice for fast-food cheeseburgers. Feel free to change it up and use another cheese, like cheddar, Swiss or pepper jack.
- Burger toppings: Top the sliders with dill pickles and shredded iceberg lettuce. If you’re feeling fancy, add any of your favorite burger toppings.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the beef mixture
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, 1/2 cup minced onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix lightly but thoroughly.
Editor’s Tip: Avoid overmixing the ground beef. Overworked ground meat can become tough, dry or crumbly.
Step 2: Bake the beef patties
Place the beef mixture on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape it into two 6×8-inch rectangles, each about 1/2-inch thick. Bake until a thermometer reads 160°, 15 to 20 minutes.
Editor’s Tip: The beef patties should shrink to the size of the rolls as they cook. If you use a different type of roll, form the patties so they’re slightly larger than the bread’s dimensions.
Step 3: Prepare the rolls
Cut the bread in half horizontally without separating the individual rolls, creating one single top half and one single bottom half. Spread 1/4 cup dressing evenly over the bottom halves of the rolls.
Step 4: Melt the cheese
Blot the beef patties with paper towels to remove the excess fat. Top the patties with cheese, and return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake until the cheese has just melted, two to three minutes.
Step 5: Layer the sliders
Place each beef patty on the bottom halves of the rolls. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup dressing evenly over the meat. Layer with pickles, the remaining 1/4 cup minced onion and shredded lettuce. Replace the top halves of the rolls.
Step 6: Cut and serve
Cut the bread into individual sliders. Brush butter on top of the rolls, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Recipe Variations
- Don’t make burger patties: If you don’t want to deal with making large burger patties, omit the eggs and cook the beef and onion in a skillet (as we do to make sloppy joe sliders).
- Make Hawaiian-inspired sliders: Include crushed pineapple, soy sauce and jalapenos to make Hawaiian beef sliders.
- Use another ground meat: Use ground turkey, chicken or wild game instead of beef. For a change of pace, use ground lamb to make mini lamb burgers.
- Think outside the bun: Use noodles to turn this recipe into ramen sliders, or bust out the waffle maker and create waffle sliders.
Can you make cheeseburger sliders ahead of time?
It’s best to assemble this cheeseburger sliders recipe just before serving, as the buns can get soggy if they sit too long; however, you can bake the burger patties several days in advance and let them cool completely. Then, wrap them tightly and store them in the refrigerator for up to four days.
When you’re ready to serve the sliders, reheat the beef patties in the oven until they’re warmed through. Then, add the cheese and continue as directed.
How to Store Cheeseburger Sliders
Store leftover cheeseburger sliders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can reheat the sliders in the microwave, but the buns will get soft and soggy. It’s better to reheat the sliders in a 350° oven until warmed through.
Cheeseburger Slider Tips
What makes a burger a slider?
The word slider was originally used to describe a small hamburger, but it now refers to any type of sandwich made on a small bun. Rumor has it that sliders were invented by White Castle, and the name comes from how easy they were to eat. It’s easy to turn any hamburger recipe into a slider—simply prepare it on a dinner roll or slider bun.
What do you serve with cheeseburger sliders?
Serve cheeseburger sliders at a party with other crowd-pleasing appetizers, or enjoy them for lunch or dinner paired with anything you’d eat with a regular burger. Try them with air-fryer french fries, crispy baked onion rings or your favorite potato salad recipe.
