Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders

Name: Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup minced onion; 3 tablespoons ketchup; 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce; 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 12 pack Hawaiian rolls; 4 slices American cheese; 4-5 tablespoons mayonnaise or room-temperature butter; 2 tablespoons yellow mustard; 20 pickle rounds; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

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Need a crowd-pleasing game day snack or easy dinner? These Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders bake up in 30 minutes and never last long. They're cheesy, buttery, and full of classic burger flavor-perfect for tailgates, movie nights, or Tuesday dinner.

🕒 Ready in 30 minutes | 🍽 Serves 6-8 | 🍔 Sheet Pan Slider Recipe
Main flavors: juicy ground beef, melty cheddar, buttery Hawaiian rolls
Best for: game day spreads, weeknight dinners, casual entertaining
Recipe type: oven-baked sheet pan sliders with lots of ideas for variations and swaps

Impress your guests with these adorable sliders made with tender, cooked ground beef that's mixed with classic cheeseburger toppings and oh-so-much gooey cheese! These sheet pan cheeseburger sliders are then finished with buttery sesame seeds for that authentic burger look.

Read on for all the loving details to make Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders.

Jump to:

Key Ingredients (and why they work)
Tools you'll need
How to Make Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders
Pro Tip!
Serving Suggestions
Ingredient Swaps for Cheeseburger Sliders
Variations of Cheeseburger Sliders
Storage Tips
FAQ's
More ground beef recipes
More appetizer recipes
Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders
💬 Comments

Key Ingredients (and why they work)

Here's what gives these sliders their classic burger flavor and perfect texture.

All the ingredients needed to make the cheeseburger sliders.

Hawaiian rolls - I prefer to use King's Hawaiian rolls due to their sweet bread flavor. It complements the savory beef mixture.

Ground beef - For best flavor and texture 85/15 or 80/20, well drained. You can also use a half-and-half mixture with ground pork for a fantastic flavor boost like these BBQ Cheddar Burger Patties.

Cheeses - You will be using two different cheeses in this recipe: shredded cheddar mixed in with the ground beef, and American cheese slices melted between the rolls and the beef. Besides its great flavor, the cheddar lends the meat a slight binding quality, and the American cheese is salty, becoming gooey when it melts.

See recipe card for quantities.

Single sliders on a plate with a napkin.

Tools you'll need

Measuring tools and cheese grater
Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
Large nonstick skillet and sheet pan
Mixing bowl (paid link) and spatula

How to Make Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders

Make the beef filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, brown the beef, breaking it into smaller crumbles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drain the grease, reserving 1 tablespoon in the skillet, and put the cooked beef in a bowl.
Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and add the minced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until you see a little color on the onions, then add them to the bowl with the beef. (You can cook the onion and beef together to save a step, but I think the flavor and texture of the onion develop much better when cooked alone.)
Next, add the ketchup, BBQ sauce, and shredded cheddar to the beef and onions bowl and stir until fully incorporated. The combo of ketchup, BBQ sauce, and mustard gives just enough sweet-tangy punch without needing extra seasoning blends.

Build the sandwiches

Now, you'll need to prepare the Hawaiian Rolls. Keep the paper tray they come in. You'll need that to bake the burger sliders. Leaving all the rolls connected, split them in half by drawing a bread knife horizontally through the middle.
To seal the bread from the moist filling and prevent sogginess, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise or butter on both sides.
Set the bottom half of the rolls back into the paper tray, then place the tray on a sheet pan.
Place an even layer of American cheese slices on the bottom buns, tearing the cheese apart if needed to fit and fill the space without overlapping.

A bowl with ground beef, ketuchup, bbq sauce, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Mix cooked beef, onions, ketchup, BBQ sauce, and shredded cheddar.

A long serrated knife slicing through the hawaiian rolls horizontally.

Slice the rolls completely in half through the middle.

The bottom half of the rolls in the paper tray with american cheese slices.

Add a thin layer of mayonnaise, then a layer of American cheese on the bottom half.

Spread the beef mixture evenly over the cheese slices, then drizzle on the yellow mustard to your liking. Add the sliced pickle rounds, then the top half of the Hawaiian rolls.

Bake the sliders

Brush the top of the assembled sliders with melted butter and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake the Hawaiian roll cheeseburger sliders for 15 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted and the top is toasted.

The bottom half of the rolls with all the ingredients layered on top alongside the top half of the rolls.

Add a thin layer of mayonnaise to the top half of the rolls, and place the remaining ingredients on the bottom half.

The assembled cheeseburger sliders with melted butter on top and sesame seeds.

Replace the top half, then brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake on a sheet pan at 350°F for 15 minutes. (I let these ones go for 20 mins, which gave a bit too much color on top.)

Pro Tip!

To help serve these sliders, slice the beef sliders at the creases through to the bottom using a serrated knife before removing them from the tray. Then, open the corners of the tray and push all the sliders onto a serving platter.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these right off the sheet pan and let your guests pull them apart themselves. Or you can cut them in the tray and transfer them to a serving platter. Here are some ideas for complementary additions to this meal.

Classic sides to serve with these Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders include French fries, garlic fries, curly fries, waffle fries, potato wedges, or potato chips.
Add a dipping sauce, such as Sriracha mayo, garlic aioli, or BBQ Ranch.
Serve alongside a simple, crunchy romaine salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded carrots, and black olives or coleslaw.

Sliders with cheese and meat on a plate.

Ingredient Swaps for Cheeseburger Sliders

Cheese - Substitute pepper jack cheese for the shredded cheddar to add a kick of spice, or use cheddar for both the shredded and sliced cheese.
Rolls - I really enjoy the added sweetness from the classic King's Hawaiian rolls, but similar-sized dinner rolls or slider packs from other brands work as well.
Vegetarian - To make vegetarian cheeseburger sliders, replace the beef in the recipe with an equal amount of vegetarian-style beef crumbles.

Variations of Cheeseburger Sliders

Spicy - Top the beef mixture before baking with some Mama Lil's sweet & spicy pickled peppers, and use pepperjack cheese instead of cheddar.
Breakfast sliders - Stir 1 cup of precooked chopped bacon into the ground beef mixture before baking. Scramble or fry 5-6 eggs while the rolls are baking. Once they're cooked, remove the top layer of rolls and set the eggs on top of the beef. Then, return the top layer of rolls and serve.
Deluxe - After baking, remove the "lid" from your cheeseburger sliders and add sliced tomato and shredded lettuce. Then, replace the top and serve! Make it even fancier by spearing a black olive or small pickle through the top with a toothpick.

Cheeseburger sliders on a plate with potato chips.

Storage Tips

These hold up about as well as any regular leftover hamburger. They are best consumed on the day they are made, but if you prefer, you can refrigerate them in a sealed container for up to 2 more days. Reheat at 350°F for 5-10 minutes.
To freeze, wrap the assembled burgers tightly in plastic wrap and then in a zip-top bag before baking. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To prepare more than a day ahead, cook the burger mixture with onions and sauce (add cheese on the day you bake) for up to 2 days before baking the fully assembled burgers. Alternatively, prepare the beef mixture ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months.

FAQ's

How do I keep my cheeseburger sliders from becoming soggy?

To prevent sogginess after assembling the sliders, ensure that the cooked ground beef is well-drained. Also, spreading a layer of mayonnaise or butter over the rolls before adding the fillings helps to prevent sogginess.

Can I make cheeseburger sliders in advance?

Yes! Assemble the sliders up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerate. Wait to brush on the butter topping and bake until just before serving.

Do I need to drain the ground beef for the cheeseburger sliders?

Yes. After browning the beef, drain the excess grease to keep the sliders from becoming too greasy or soggy.

Can I use a different kind of meat for these sliders?

Yes-ground turkey, chicken, or pork all work. If using leaner meats, consider mixing in a tablespoon of olive oil or extra cheese to prevent dryness.

What's the best way to reheat leftovers?

Wrap in foil and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes to keep buns soft and fillings melty.

Are there any food safety tips I should follow for this recipe?

Yes-since this recipe uses ground beef, it's important to cook it to at least 155°F. Also, avoid using the same utensils for cooked food that have touched raw meat. Wash your hands after handling raw ingredients, and don't leave the sliders out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Always ventilate well if using a gas stove. For more, see USDA guidelines.