Meatball Sliders are an irresistible appetizer! Cheesy mini meatball sandwiches with tomato sauce are sure to be a hit at any party.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
What Makes Meatball Sliders the Perfect Game Day Snack?
These meatball sliders make the perfect shareable snack or quick and casual meal. Baking the meatballs is much healthier than frying them and makes prepping for a crowd so much easier.
If you love the taste of meatball subs, you will want to try this Meatball Sliders recipe on Hawaiian rolls at your next game-day get-together.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
These simple sliders deliver huge flavor in tiny bites. Using both beef and pork in this recipe guarantees every meatball is exceptionally juicy and delicious.
The sweetness of the toasted Hawaiian rolls pairs wonderfully with the well-seasoned meatballs, tangy sauce, melted mozzarella, and savory garlic butter. Make extras to guarantee that you don't run out.
Ingredients to Make Kings Hawaiian Meatball Sliders
For the meatballs, you'll need:
- White onion, chopped
- Garlic, finely minced
- Olive oil
- Ground chuck
- Ground pork
- Plain bread crumbs
- Whole milk
- Egg, whisked
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Parmesan cheese
For the meatball sauces, you'll need:
- Pasta sauce, jarred
You can, of course, use homemade pasta sauce instead.
For assembling the meatball sandwiches, you'll need:
- Slider or roll buns (see below)
- Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic salt
Hawaiian rolls are preferable for these meatball sandwiches, but you can use ordinary slider buns or dinner rolls if you prefer.
How to Make Meatball Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
To prepare the meatballs:
- Place a large pan over medium heat.
- Pour the olive oil into the pan. When it starts to shimmer, add the chopped onion. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the onions. Stir well.
- Saute the chopped onion until it becomes transcalent, about five minutes. Reduce the heat if you notice any browning.
- Lower the heat and add the finely minced garlic.
- Stir from time to time and cook the chopped onion until it is very soft, about five to ten minutes more.
- Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- Place the remaining ingredients for the meatballs into a medium mixing bowl.
- Use your fingertips to toss all the ingredients until they are well-mixed. Avoid squeezing the meat to prevent overly dense meatballs.
- Gently mix the cooked onions and garlic into the meatball mixture.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
To cook the meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Remove the bowl of meatball mixture from the fridge.
- Wet your hands and form an inch and a half meatballs. Put the formed meatballs onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn them halfway through the cooking time.
- While the meatballs are cooking, warm up the jarred tomato sauce over medium-low heat in a large saucepan.
- Once the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches at least 165 degrees, transfer them to the pot of warm tomato sauce.
To make the garlic bread buns:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the bottom halves of the buns into a baking dish.
- Spread a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom bun.
- Put a meatball on top of each bottom bun and top with a little more sauce.
- Sprinkle finely shredded mozzarella cheese over the meatballs and cover with the top buns.
- Melt the butter in the microwave and stir in the parmesan cheese and garlic salt.
- Brush the garlic-butter sauce over the top of the buns.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
- Uncover the baking dish and return it to the oven until the tops of the sliders are crunchy.
Variations
Streamline this recipe by using store-bought meatballs. For a vegetarian option, you can use vegetarian meatballs instead.
Special Equipment Needed
This recipe doesn't require any special equipment, but several good-to-have gadgets can make your life easier:
- An instant-read thermometer can give you extra peace of mind that your meatballs are not uncooked.
- A meatball maker will save a lot of time when forming meatballs.
- A meatball rack keeps the meatballs off the bottom of the baking tray and allows the fat to drain.
What to Serve With Meatball Sliders
A platter stacked high with baked Meatball Sliders is a welcomed addition to any tailgate or game-day snack table. Sides that go particularly well with meatball sandwiches include potato chips, pasta salad, coleslaw, onion rings, garlic knots, and jalapeno poppers.
How to Store the Leftovers
Remove the meatballs from the sauce and keep them in separate containers in the fridge for up to three days. You can freeze the meatballs for up to two months.
What's the Best Way to Reheat Meatball Sliders
The best way to slowly rewarm a lot of meatballs is in tomato sauce on the stovetop. Once the meatballs are warm, finish in the oven as above. But using a microwave is more convenient to reheat only one or two meatballs.
More Recipes for Meatballs and Sliders
Meatball Sliders
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 teaspoon salt + extra divided use
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- ½ pound ground chuck
- ½ pound ground pork
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese divided use
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 12 slider buns or roll buns
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup melted butter
- garlic salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a small pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onion is very tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground chuck, ground pork, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Use your hands to mix gently. Add the onion and garlic and mix to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator. Form the mixture into 1 ½–inch meatballs and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until the meatballs are browned and cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove the meatballs from the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- While the meatballs are cooking, pour the pasta sauce into a large pot. Heat the sauce over medium heat. When the meatballs are done, add them to the pasta sauce.
- Cut the slider buns in half and place the bottom buns into a casserole dish. Spoon a little sauce and 1 meatball over each bun. Top with a bit of additional sauce and cover with mozzarella.
- Place the top buns over the meatballs, brush them with melted butter, and sprinkle with garlic salt and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Leave a Reply