Meatball Sliders
These Hawaiian roll Meatball Sliders combine meatballs, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese with soft Hawaiian rolls for a classic Italian flavor you’ll love.
Sliders are one of our favorite things to make because they’re so versatile. You can serve them as a meal or as an appetizer, and they’re perfect for parties of all kinds. This recipe is especially great because it uses frozen meatballs. E-Z.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s super easy, and it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- It’s loaded with classic Italian meatball flavors.
- It’s perfect for lunches, dinners, or at parties.
🛒Ingredients
You’ll only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this recipe, and they’re all just a quick trip to the store away. See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.
- Savory butter Hawaiian rolls
- Melted butter
- Garlic powder
- Frozen meatballs
- Marinara sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
🔪 How to Make Meatball Sliders
Making these sliders is so easy. It only takes a few minutes of prep and a few more of baking!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, cut a circle out of the center of the Hawaiian rolls with a sharp knife and press the center of the bun down to make a hole in the top of each bun.
Step 2: Make the Sliders
Brush the tops and insides of the buns with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. Then, add a small amount of cheese to each hole. Press a frozen meatball into each hole and top with a spoonful of marinara sauce. Finally, sprinkle with more mozzarella cheese.
Step 3: Bake
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the meatballs are heated through and the cheese is melted.
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Meatballs – Use your favorite variety of meatballs for this recipe. They all work.
- Spicy – Add a slice of jalapeno to the bottom of the hole in each bun.
- Pizza – Use pizza sauce for a sausage pizza slider.
For another Italian-inspired slider recipe, check out our pepperoni pizza sliders.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cup and spoons
- Baking sheet
🥫 Storage
Refrigerate these Hawaiian roll meatball sliders for up to 3 days in an air-tight container.
💭 Tips
- Be careful when cutting your holes out of the buns. They only need to be as big as one meatball and shallow.
- Press down into the rolls just enough to make a pocket for the meatballs. Don’t push through the rolls!
- Be sure you buy fully cooked frozen meatballs for this recipe.
- I’ve found that it’s easier to assemble these sliders inside the packages and then sliding them out all together once they are assembled. If you prefer you can slide them out of the package first.
- Just make sure that you do not bake them inside the package.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes and no. While this sandwich was invented by Italians, they were Italian-Americans living in the USA sometime around the turn of the 20th century.
If you add too much sauce to the sliders, they can get soggy. In addition, if you press down too far into the bun, the juice from the meatballs will collect at the bottom and make a soggy bottom.
As long as they’re pre-cooked frozen meatballs, you can use any variety you like.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy meatballs? Then try these delicious recipes:
- Swedish Meatballs with Noodles
- Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs
- Orange Glazed Ginger Meatballs Over Jasmine Rice
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Meatball Sliders
Equipment
- Knife
- bbq brush
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 12 savory butter Hawaiian rolls
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 frozen meatballs
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Use a knife to cut a circle out of the center of each bun. Press the center of the bun down to make a hole on the top of each bun.
- Brush the top and inside of each bun with butter and sprinkle the garlic powder over the top.
- Add a small amount of cheese to the inside of each hole in the buns.
- Press one frozen meatball into the top of each bun.
- Top the meatball with a spoonful of marinara sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top of each meatball.
- Slide the rolls out of the package and onto your baking sheet or casserole dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are heated through and the cheese is melted.
