Meatball Sliders Recipe

Name: Meatball Sliders Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 12 Meatballs; 12 Slider buns; 2 cups Tomato sauce (Your favorite); 12 slices Mozzarella cheese; 2 tbsp Butter (melted); 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese; 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

March 29, 2021 Recipes

Sliders may be one of the quintessential food items for any kind of gathering. Whether that is just family, a game day weekend, or even a birthday party sliders are a delicious way to feed a crowd.

We love sliders here. We have made several different kinds over the years and all are simple and crazy delicious.

It didn’t occur to us though, until recently, that our meatballs would make a great slider. Leigh does a wonderful job when she channels in her Italian heritage and slams something out amazing. Her meatballs are so good.

I’d eat them every week but for some reason (she likes to punish me) we only make them every now and then.

When the Super Bowl was coming up we were thinking about what we were going to prepare. I am always about some roast beef sliders and/or smoked chicken wings. She suggested that we make meatball sliders. Conversation over!

How To Make Meatball Sliders

To make meatball sliders you’re gonna need some meatballs, of course. You will also need the following:

1 package of slider buns (12)
12 slices of Mozzarella cheese
2 cups or a jar of your favorite marinara sauce
A little melted butter (about 2 tbsp)
A little shredded parmesan cheese (about 2 tbsp)
Italian seasoning (about a tbsp)

A Note About Meatballs

You can go about this two ways with your meatballs. You can get some store bought or you can make them. We highly recommend that you make them. It’s worth it!

You can even make them the day before and use them on the next day for an easier time.

You can find a link to the recipe here or in the recipe card below. But for the sake of this recipe here are the ingredients you will need to make the meatballs.

3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb ground pork
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup onion, minced
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the kind in the green can)
1/3 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
32 oz marinara sauce (homemade or jar)
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

Prepare the meatballs according to the directions and set them aside. If you’re using store-bought, add the sauce and meatballs to a pan and heat for 10 minutes.

Cut the slider rolls evenly. Now, you can either separate them then cut them, or keep them whole and cut the entire package in one cut, whichever is easier.

Bottoms of meatball slider buns in the bottom of a 9x13 pan

Place the bottoms of the slider buns into a 9×13 baking dish.

The bottom of slider buns with mozzarella cheese in a 9x13 inch pan

Lay 6 pieces of mozzarella cheese across the bottoms of the slider buns.

Put about a tablespoon of marinara sauce down on each slider section then place a meatball on top of that. Next, add an additional tablespoon of sauce on top of the meatball.

Top the meatballs and tomato sauce with the remaining 6 slices of cheese.

assembled meatball sliders about to go into the oven

Place the tops of the slider buns on top of all the goodness. Quickly melt the butter and add the Italian seasoning to it. Brush the tops of the buns with the melted butter and Italian seasoning mixture. Top with the optional shredded parmesan cheese.

Lightly cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10-12 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes until the tops are nice and toasted and the cheese is melting.

Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. After that, grab a spatula and start serving up.

A meatball slider being removed from the 9x13 inch baking dish

Conclusion

When it comes to quick and easy, fun party food meatball sliders are a great way to go. They’re easy to prepare and they’re freaking good!

When you get that first bite you get the softness of the bun, that tang of the tomato sauce, the mozzarella cheese mellows everything out … and then that super delicious meatball. Holy smokes!!

Honestly, two of these things put me in a wonderful, saucy food coma.

So, if you’re looking for something quick and easy that delivers big flavors, give this meatball slider a try!

If you’re looking for some other sliders you might want to check out our roast beef sliders or perhaps some super yummy oven baked sliders. Those taste like Krystal’s (White Castle), I kid you not!