Cheeseburger Sliders
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Juicy burgers in a small package with big flavor, these Cheeseburger Sliders are delicious, easy to make in 20 minutes and perfect for sharing! Make them for parties, tailgates or a fun dinner. Toss them on the grill or bake them in the oven for an easy, tasty meal!
Growing up in Oklahoma, cheeseburgers were on the menu at least once a week. There’s just something about firing up the grill, tossing on a juicy burger, then watching the cheese melt on top.
When it comes to tailgating, or throwing game day parties at home, I love to make sliders to share with friends. These Ham and Brie Sliders are always a hit at parties, and when it comes to game day snacks, people always rave about these Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Sliders.
Cheeseburger sliders are great for sharing at parties as an appetizer, but they also make an easy meal to share with your family during the week. It only takes 20 minutes to make these sliders, start to finish, making them perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal!
You can serve them with a variety of sauces and toppings (I’ve got lots of ideas below in the post!) and let everyone make their own sliders. Fun and delicious, a winning combination!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Ground beef – I recommend an 80/20 or 85/15 blend to make juicy, flavorful cheeseburger sliders.
- Salt + pepper + garlic powder – to season the ground beef.
- Sliced cheese – feel free to use cheddar or American cheese slices, or sub in your favorite cheese.
- Buns – these can be slider buns, dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls. The buns that you see pictured throughout this post are brioche dinner rolls.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For this recipe, I like to toast the slider buns in the oven before I make the cheeseburgers. If you’re using dinner rolls, you’ll want to use a serrated knife to slice the rolls in half first. Next, place the top buns and bottom buns with the inside facing up on a large baking sheet.
Turn the oven broiler on to high. Place the buns under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven and set aside while you prepare the cheeseburgers.
The buns can also be toasted on the grill, while you cook the burgers, if you prefer.
Step 1: combine ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a medium bowl.
Step 2: form the ground beef mixture into 8 slider patties. Make sure they’re somewhere between 1/2 inch – 1 inch thick. We’re making sliders, not meatballs!
Step 3: heat a grill to medium heat. Add the slider patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
Step 4: during the last minute of cooking time, add a slice of cheese to each slider. You’ll want to cut a slice of cheese in half, then fold each half in half, so you basically have a double slice of cheese on each burger patty.
Once the cheese melts over the burger patties, remove the sliders from the grill and place them on slider buns or dinner rolls with your choice of toppings. More on that below!
Optional toppings
One of my favorite things about sliders is that you can eat 2 or 3 for a meal and top each one differently for a little variety. Maybe you want to try something new without committing to topping a whole burger with a new sauce, that’s where sliders come in! It’s a great way to taste and try new burger toppings.
You can also make a slider bar at a party and serve a variety of sauces on the side for people to try. Here are some of my favorite sauces to top burgers!
- Sauces
- Burger sauce – aka secret sauce, aka special sauce
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickles (or relish) and 2 teaspoons dijon mustard. Voila, you have a delicious In-N-Out style burger sauce!
- Sriracha ketchup – add a kick to your ketchup by combining 1 tablespoon sriracha with 1/4 cup ketchup.
- Gochujang mayo – this spicy Korean chili paste has become quite the trend lately. Combine 1 tablespoon Gochujang with 1/4 cup mayonnaise for a creamy, spicy burger sauce.
- Buffalo honey mustard – it might sound crazy, but the combination of buffalo sauce and honey mustard is just the sweet, spicy, tangy combo you need in your life. Combine 1/4 cup buffalo sauce with 1/4 cup honey mustard dressing for a sweet and tangy sauce.
- Bacon jam – easily make bacon cheeseburger sliders by adding a spoonful of bacon jam on top of these sliders.
- BBQ sauce – for a Western style burger, add your favorite bbq sauce to the sliders.
- Burger sauce – aka secret sauce, aka special sauce
- Toppings
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Dill pickle slices
- Avocado
- Raw white onions
- Pickled onions
- Caramelized onions
- Crispy onions
- Cooked bacon
- Sauteed mushrooms
How to bake them in the oven
Don’t have a grill? No problem! These sliders can easily be baked in the oven, instead of cooked on a grill.
To do this, you’ll want to follow these instructions.
- Season the ground beef and form the slider patties.
- Preheat the oven broiler to high.
- Place the slider patties on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and into the oven, under the broiler, for 7 minutes.
- Remove the sliders from the oven, top with a slice of cheese and put them back under the broiler in the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven, add to buns and serve immediately.
You can also cook the sliders in an air fryer at 380°F for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, remove the basket from the air fryer, top the burger patties with the cheese slices and place the basket with the sliders back in the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes.
Tips and tricks
- If you’re making the sliders for a party and want to keep the cheeseburgers warm, once they’re cooked, place them in a slow cooker on warm. I use this Casserole Crock Pot. Keep the buns and toppings on the side. When your guests are ready to dig into a slider, they can grab one out of the slow cooker and assemble it with the toppings of their choice.
- To make a larger batch of sliders for a party, simply double or triple the ingredient amounts. This can be done in the recipe card below by switching the “serving amount” from 8 sliders, to 16 or 24.
- If serving these sliders at a party with several other appetizers, I recommend 1-2 sliders per person. If serving the sliders as a meal, I recommend 2-3 sliders per person.
- To make these sliders gluten free and low carb, serve the sliders in a lettuce wrap, instead of on a bun.
- Leftover sliders can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- To reheat leftover sliders in the microwave, place just the cheeseburger (without the bun or toppings) in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until heated through, then place it on a bun and add the toppings of your choice.
- To reheat sliders in the oven, place just the cheeseburger in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. Place on a bun and layer up with your favorite toppings.
What to serve with sliders
- Potato chips
- French fries
- Animal style fries
- Salt and vinegar potato wedges
- Crispy smashed potatoes
- Tater tots
- Cheesy grilled potatoes – for the ultimate cheesy meal on the grill!
- Sweet potato fries
- Buffalo pickle chips
More cheeseburger recipes
Don’t just stop at these cheeseburger sliders, make each of these delicious spins on the almighty cheeseburger for your next party, tailgate or family dinner!
- Buffalo Cheeseburger Dip
- Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
- Buffalo Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Buffalo Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Animal Style Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 slices cheddar cheese, or American cheese
- 8 slider buns, or Hawaiian rolls
Instructions
- Combine the ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a large bowl.
- Form into 8 sliders, no more than 1 inch thick.
- Heat a grill to medium heat.
- Add the sliders to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
- During the last minute of cooking time, place a slice of cheese on each slider. You’ll want to cut a slice of cheese in half, then fold each half in half, so you basically have a double slice of cheese on each burger patty.
- Once the cheese melts over the burgers, place them on buns.
- Add the sauce or toppings of your choice.
Notes
- To bake the sliders in the oven:
- Season the ground beef and form the slider patties.
- Preheat the oven broiler to high.
- Place the slider patties on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and into the oven, under the broiler, for 7 minutes.
- Remove the sliders from the oven, top with a slice of cheese and put them back under the broiler in the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven, add to buns and serve immediately.
- To cook the sliders in an air fryer:
- Season the ground beef and form the slider patties.
- Place the patties in an air fryer basket and cook at 380°F for 8 minutes.
- After 8 minutes, remove the basket from the air fryer, top the burger patties with the cheese slices and place the basket with the sliders back in the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes.
- If you’re making the sliders for a party and want to keep the cheeseburgers warm, once they’re cooked, place them in a slow cooker on warm. I use this Casserole Crock Pot. Keep the buns and toppings on the side.
- To make a larger batch of sliders for a party, simply double or triple the ingredient amounts. This can be done in the recipe card above by switching the “serving amount” from 8 sliders, to 16 or 24.
- If serving these sliders at a party with several other appetizers, I recommend 1-2 sliders per person. If serving the sliders as a meal, I recommend 2-3 sliders per person.
- To make these sliders gluten free and low carb, serve the sliders in a lettuce wrap, instead of on a bun.
- Leftover sliders can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
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