Cheeseburger Sliders

By Gabriel H. Sanchez

Updated May 7, 2026

  • Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
20 min
Rating
5(43)
Comments
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Keeping meals quick and fun can mean the difference between a relatively chill evening and pure chaos in my house, so these quick-cooking sliders are a great way to feed my three kids under 6. To make the patties, roll ground beef into small meatballs, then press them into 3-inch patties and give them plenty of seasoning before cooking. A large 12-inch pan can handle an impressive number of these patties, which helps to keep the cleanup to a minimum. Toasted Hawaiian rolls offer a sweet cushion for the burgers, which are finished with a melty blanket of cheese and your favorite toppings (we prepare caramelized onions ahead of time to garnish along with dill pickle chips). Served alongside baked French fries or a handful of potato chips, it’s a quick meal that’s always a perfect match for my little ones’ tiny hands.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

  • 8 Hawaiian sweet rolls (from a 12-ounce package)

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

  • 1 pound lean ground beef (10-percent fat)

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

  • 4 slices American cheese, cut into quarters

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the buns: Heat the broiler to high, with a rack positioned 6 inches from the heat source. Separate and cut the Hawaiian rolls into halves, arranging them evenly cut-side down across a baking sheet. Brush the top portions of the buns with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

  2. Step 2

    Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 30 to 45 seconds, until toasty and golden brown. Keep a careful eye on the rolls so they don’t burn. Remove from the oven, flip the bottom buns cut-side up and set the baking sheet aside in a warm place.

    1. Step 3

      Divide the beef into 8 equal portions, then roll each portion into a large meatball. Place the meatballs on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover the meatballs with a second sheet of parchment and use a sturdy spatula to flatten each meatball into a patty, about 3 inches wide and ½-inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment and liberally season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper. (You can also flatten the patties by hand to save a bit of time!)

    1. Step 4

      Add the oil to a 12-inch skillet (not non-stick) and heat over medium until hot. Working in batches if needed, add 8 patties to the pan and cook until the underside is browned with a slight char, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook until almost done to your liking, 2 to 3 minutes more. When patties have about 1 minute remaining, arrange 2 squares of cheese on each patty and cover the pan with a lid until cheese is fully melted.

    1. Step 5

      Assemble the sliders and garnish with your favorite toppings and condiments. Enjoy the sliders warm.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
43 user ratings
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Comments

Gary -

This can be done more easily by keeping the bread intact, slice horizontally. Form the meat into a large rectangle slightly larger than the bread and then bake the meat on a parchment covered pan. Add mayo/ketchup mix to the bottom layer of bread, place cooked meat on followed by pickles and then topped with the cheese and finally the other half of the bread. Brush with the butter/ sesame seed mix and bake in a 375-400 degree oven until the cheese melts. Slice into individual sliders and serve.

Vince, L.A.

Trader Joe's sells Angus beef meatballs in the fresh meat section. Seems they would be ideal for this dish. I combine two meatballs and make smash burgers!

Val in NM

We grilled ours because it’s basically summer in the Southwest already. These were really easy and tasty.

JM

Can the meat patties just be broiled too? Feeding a big crowd of kids and adults and looking for a short cut to frying or grilling all those tiny patties.

Aileen

Just wondering if there is a typo in the nutrition information? 2400 calories per serving seems insane. Assuming a serving is two sliders, that’s 180 calories for the buns, 160 for the meat, 180 for cheese (1 slice per burger). That’s 520 plus if we add a generous 300 for condiments and the butter, that’s still only around 800 calories.

john golden

Why not grill the burgers on a very hot bbq grill?

Lara

Some people do not have a bbq grill

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