Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

These cheeseburger sliders pack seasoned ground beef, burger sauce, pickles, sautéed onions, and melted Colby Jack into buttery Hawaiian rolls. They’re easy to make in one batch and perfect for game day, parties, or anytime you need a crowd-friendly appetizer.

Why I Love These Cheeseburger Sliders

I love having a few easy appetizers I can make when I’m hosting, especially during football season. I used my smash burger sauce all summer on burgers, and I wanted to find another way to use it once game-day food started taking over my kitchen.

Cheeseburger sliders on Hawaiian rolls felt like an easy win. You still get everything that makes a cheeseburger great, with seasoned beef, pickles, sautéed onions, melted cheese, and burger sauce, but they’re much easier to put out for a group than making individual burgers.

I wanted the cooking to be just as easy, so instead of shaping a bunch of mini burger patties or crumbling the beef in a skillet, I press all of the ground beef into one large patty and cook it at once. Then I can lift the whole thing right onto the Hawaiian rolls, add the toppings, and bake the sliders together. It makes assembly so much quicker and gives every slider a real layer of burger from edge to edge.

Ingredients You'll Need

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 1 package Hawaiian rolls, 12 count
• 8-10 slices Colby jack cheese
• 1 large sweet onion, small diced
• 12 dill pickle slices
• ¼ cup burger sauce
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• Salt, pepper, and sesame seeds, to taste

Ingredient Notes That Make These Burger Sliders Better

• Ground beef: I like using 80/20 ground beef for these sliders because it stays juicy while it cooks as one large patty. Leaner beef works too, but it can dry out a little faster under the broiler.
• Hawaiian rolls: The slightly sweet rolls work really well with the salty beef, pickles, cheese, and burger sauce. Keep the rolls connected when you slice them so you have one solid top and bottom sheet.
• Colby Jack cheese: Colby Jack melts really well and gives the sliders a mild, creamy cheeseburger flavor. American, cheddar, or pepper Jack would also work.
• Sweet onion: I cook the onion separately until it’s soft and lightly browned. That gives you more flavor without having raw onion overpower the sliders.
• Dill pickles: I use one pickle slice per slider so every piece gets some acidity and crunch. Burger chips work especially well because they fit neatly on the rolls.
• Burger sauce: My burger sauce adds the creamy, tangy flavor that ties everything together. You can use your favorite burger sauce or Thousand Island-style dressing if you need a shortcut.
• Butter: Brushing the rolls with melted butter helps them toast up golden and gives the tops that soft, buttery slider finish.

How to Make Cheeseburger Sliders

Step 1: Make the Burger Patty

Season the ground beef with salt and pepper, then press it into an even layer on a foil-lined quarter sheet pan. Try to keep the thickness as even as possible so the beef cooks at the same rate from edge to edge.

Broil the sheet-pan beef on high, rotating the pan as needed, until the top is browned and the ground beef is cooked through to 160°F. Remove it from the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2: Toast the Hawaiian Rolls

Keep the Hawaiian rolls connected and slice the whole sheet in half horizontally to create one large top and bottom. Place both halves cut-side up on a foil-lined sheet pan. Brush with melted butter and broil on low, rotating the pan as needed, until the cut sides are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Step 3: Cook the Onions

Cook the diced sweet onion in a skillet over medium heat until softened and lightly browned.

Step 4: Assemble the sliders

Spread the burger sauce over the bottom half of the Hawaiian rolls, then add the pickle slices.

Carefully place the entire cooked beef patty over the rolls. Spoon the sautéed onions over the beef, then add the Colby Jack cheese. Place the top half of the rolls over everything.

Step 5: Bake and Serve

Brush the tops with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 5–10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the sliders are hot throughout. Slice along the roll seams and serve warm.

My Expert Tips for The Best Cheeseburger Sliders

• Shape the beef slightly larger than the rolls. Ground beef shrinks as it cooks, so press the patty a little wider than the Hawaiian roll sheet. That way it still covers the buns from edge to edge after cooking.
• Don’t make the beef layer too thick. A thinner, even layer cooks faster and gives you a better burger-to-bun ratio in each slider.
• Let the beef rest briefly before transferring it. Giving the patty a couple of minutes to settle makes it easier to move in one piece without breaking apart.
• Use a large spatula or two smaller ones to transfer the patty. Supporting it from both sides makes it much easier to move the whole sheet of beef onto the rolls cleanly.
• Keep the sauce on the bottom bun. That helps protect the top rolls from getting too soft and keeps the burger sauce evenly distributed throughout the sliders.
• Cover loosely with foil if the tops brown too quickly. The cheese may need another few minutes to melt even after the rolls look done, so foil lets you finish heating the center without over-browning the tops.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Cheeseburger Sliders

• In the refrigerator: Store leftover sliders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
• To reheat: Warm the sliders in a 350°F oven for about 8–10 minutes, or until heated through. I prefer the oven over the microwave because it helps keep the rolls from getting too soft.
• Make them ahead: You can cook the beef patty and onions up to 1 day in advance and refrigerate them separately. When you’re ready to serve, assemble the sliders with the sauce, pickles, cheese, and rolls, then bake as directed.
• For game day prep: You can have the beef, onions, sauce, cheese, and rolls ready to go ahead of time, then assemble and bake the sliders right before guests arrive. That way they hit the table hot with the cheese still melted. Don't fully assemble the sliders too early or the bread can get soggy.

Cheeseburger Sliders FAQs

What are cheeseburger sliders?

Cheeseburger sliders are mini burgers made with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, and classic burger toppings on small rolls. This version uses Hawaiian rolls, pickles, sautéed onions, burger sauce, and one large sheet-pan burger patty so all 12 sliders can be assembled and baked at once.

Are Hawaiian rolls good for cheeseburger sliders?

Yes. Hawaiian rolls are especially good for cheeseburger sliders because they’re soft, slightly sweet, and easy to keep connected as one sheet. Their hint of sweetness also works really well with salty ground beef, melted cheese, pickles, and tangy burger sauce.

How do you keep cheeseburger sliders from getting soggy?

Toast the cut sides of the Hawaiian rolls before assembling the sliders and avoid letting wet toppings sit on the bread for too long. I also recommend assembling the sliders shortly before baking instead of several hours in advance.

Can you make cheeseburger sliders on a sheet pan?

Yes, and that’s actually how I make these. Instead of cooking individual mini burgers, I press the ground beef into one large, even patty on a quarter sheet pan. Once it’s cooked, the entire burger patty fits directly over the sheet of Hawaiian rolls.

What is the best ground beef for cheeseburger sliders?

I prefer 80/20 ground beef because it has enough fat to stay juicy while the large burger patty cooks. You can use leaner ground beef, but watch it closely since lower-fat beef can dry out more quickly.

What cheese is best for cheeseburger sliders?

Colby Jack is my favorite because it melts easily and has a mild flavor that works well with the burger sauce and pickles. American cheese, cheddar, pepper Jack, or Swiss are also good options if you want to change the flavor.

What temperature should ground beef sliders be cooked to?

Ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Check the center of the large beef patty with an instant-read thermometer before assembling the sliders.

How many cheeseburger sliders should I make per person?

For a game-day appetizer with several other foods, I usually plan on about 2 sliders per person. If the cheeseburger sliders are one of the main foods being served, plan on roughly 3–4 per person, depending on what else is on the table.

What goes well with cheeseburger sliders?

For game day, cheeseburger sliders go well with wings, Buffalo chicken dip, fries, onion rings, chips and dip, potato skins, and other easy appetizers. For dinner, I like pairing them with fries, a simple salad, or roasted potatoes.

More Burger Recipes to Try

• Smash burger
• Burger stuffed buns
• In-N-Out burger bowl
• Oklahoma smash burger
• Flying Dutchman burger