Glazed Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

These cheeseburger sliders with Hawaiian rolls are made with perfectly seasoned ground beef, a pop of tangy rotel tomatoes, gooey melted cheese, topped with a rich buttery sweet glaze and toasted to perfection.

I originally posted this recipe in 2019 and have since updated it with new photos, step by step directions, and tips for making this ahead of time.

Ingredients

• A 12 pack of your favorite Hawaiian rolls
• 1 pound lean ground meat (I use either beef or venison)
• 1 can of rotel (I use mild, especially when serving kids)
• 12 slices cheddar cheese, or your favorite cheese
• 1 small to medium onion, diced
• 1-2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• sesame seeds-for garnish and a little crunch

Tools you may need

9×13 pan or quarter sheet pan, medium skillet or pan, and a small mixing bowl

How do I make glazed cheeseburger sliders?

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large skillet or pan, add the ground beef or venison and season however you like your hamburger meat. I love Southern Flavor or seasoned salt on mine and a little splash of Dale’s seasoning.

Dice your onion and add that to the pan to cook with the meat. Continue to cook until the meat is brown and the onion is translucent. Go ahead and give it a little taste and make sure that meat is well seasoned! If you’re mixture is very liquidy, drain off excess fat before the next step.

Add your drained rotel tomatoes and some minced garlic (optional, but recommended). If you don’t like rotel, you can skip it but it adds a nice pop of flavor. Stir together until everything is mixed and the rotel and garlic are scattered throughout the meat.

Prep the rolls & assemble sliders

Take the rolls and cut them in half horizontally, and place the bottom half of the rolls in a greased 9×13 baking dish or pan.

Spoon the meat mixture over the bottom of the buns in an even layer. It’s okay if some falls off to the sides.

Top with 12 slices of your favorite cheese-I’m using extra sharp cheddar. Then place the top of the buns on.

Next, we bake the dish for 25 minutes covered, then another 5-10 minutes uncovered or until the tops are toasty and golden brown.

Ideas for Variations:

There are so many options to customize these sliders-if you don’t like Hawaiian rolls try a regular slider bun or brioche style buns. Use your favorite deli meats, or pulled pork instead of hamburger meat. Swap out the cheese to your favorite.

Questions about sliders

Can this be made ahead?

These sliders can be made a day ahead of time. Make and assemble the sliders, pour the glaze over, and cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.

Tips for reheating and preventing soggy sliders

We rarely have leftovers, but in the unlikely even you’re left with extras, reheating is best done in the oven. They tend to get soggy on the bottom, and putting them in the microwave makes the buns fall apart. To reheat, place them back in the oven until they’re warmed throughout and the buns firm up. If your oven has a “toast” setting, you can flip the sliders upside down halfway through so both sides of the bun get toasted.

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5 from 1 vote

Glazed Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

These Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian rolls are toasty and cheesy with a pop of tangy Rotel tomatoes and topped with a rich buttery sweet glaze.

Recipe by: Katie

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 12 sliders

Ingredients

Sliders:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt and/or your favorite seasonings
• 1 onion, diced
• 1-2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 can Mild Rotel, drained
• 12 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 12 Hawaiian rolls or slider buns

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) salted butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 ℉ and grease a 9×13 baking dish
• Place a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt and/or your favorite seasonings, and 1 onion, diced and cook until meat is browned and onions are golden. (We aren’t making patties here, you want the meat to be crumbled.) Stir in 1 can Mild Rotel, drained and 1-2 tsp minced garlic until well combined.
• Slice 12 Hawaiian rolls or slider buns horizontally and place bottom half of buns in prepared pan. Top with meat mixture and then layer 12 slices sharp cheddar cheese on top. Add the top layer of the rolls.

Make the glaze

• In a microwave safe bowl, melt the 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) salted butter. Add in 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp mustard and whisk together until smooth. Pour over the buns & top with 1 tbsp sesame seeds .
• Cover the dish with foil and let sit for 10 minutes for the glaze to absorb. *Or if you're making these ahead of time, cover and refrigerate several hours up to overnight. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking.*
• Bake for 25 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tops of the buns are golden and toasty. Watch carefully, each oven is different.

Notes

Even mild Rotel has a little hint of spice to it. If you’re serving this to people who can’t tolerate any spiciness, you can omit the Rotel or sub in a can of regular diced tomatoes. 

For burger seasonings, I like Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and Southern Flavor (Charbroil Seasoning). Feel free to use your favorite! 

I’d love to hear from you!

If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a star rating and let me know how it went. Happy Baking!