This Kings Hawaiian Sliders recipe is crafted with juicy and seasoned ground beef, nestled within the warm embrace of gooey melted cheese and the sweet rolls we all love. Serve these an appetizer for the holiday season, parties, events, or even on game days. Load them up with your favorite toppings and sauces for the best flavor.
Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword beef sliders, ground beef sliders, kings Hawaiian sliders, sliders with ground beef, sweet roll sliders
2garlic clovesMinced (or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder)
Instructions
Cook the Beef
In a large skillet or pan, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks using a meat chopper, wooden, or silicone spoon. Season the ground beef with the spices and garlic.
Add in the mushrooms, diced tomatoes, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese. Stir and cook until the meat is fully cooked, no longer pink, and the mushrooms are soft. Taste the ground beef and add additional spices if necessary.
Drain any excess fat from the beef and pat the meat dry using towel(s). This is important to avoid soggy buns. Excess grease will soak into your rolls/buns.
Assemble the Sliders
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the Hawaiian Rolls from the packaging and slice the entire set of rolls in half (horizontally) so that you have 2 separate sections, the top and bottom half of the rolls. I use a serrated bread knife.
Spray the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking oil spray.
Place the bottom half of the rolls in the baking dish. Add the drained ground beef mixture to the bottom rolls. (Alternatively, if you are using sliced cheese you can add it first before the beef. See notes).
Top with the remaining grated cheese. Place the top half of the rolls over the ground beef.
Combine the melted butter and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the top of the rolls.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted. Be careful not to overbrown.
Air Fryer Instructions
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray.
Add the assembled sliders to the air fryer basket and air fry for 3-7 minutes at 370 degrees. Keep a close eye to ensure the buns don't over-brown.
Notes
I use lean ground beef to avoid greasy meat in the recipe.Worcestershire sauce adds a complex, rich flavor to beef dishes. It contains a subtle sweetness along with its savory notes, which can help balance the overall flavor of the beef. Feel free to omit it if you wish, but note the benefits you may lose if you do. You can use soy sauce or balsamic vinegar as well.
How to Avoid Soggy Buns
Using ground beef in this recipe will make it hard to not experience some sogginess. Ground beef has more fat than a lot of cuts of meat and that fat produces grease. The grease will soak into the bottom bun if these sit for too long. I like to use lean ground beef.Here are some tips to try to prevent as much as possible:
Toast the Buns: Lightly toast the Hawaiian sweet rolls before assembling the sliders. This helps create a barrier that prevents moisture from the beef or other ingredients from soaking into the bread. I don’t do this because I always serve them immediately and don’t mind a soft bottom bun, but I highly recommend this if you know sogginess will both you.
Use a Barrier: Spread thick, sliced cheese (cheddar, provolone, etc) onto the bottom buns before adding ground beef. This acts as a barrier to help repel the moisture from the filling. (Again, this is not something I do, but I recommend it if you’re concerned.)
Pat Dry: Drain excess fat from the beef after it cooks. If your meat still has excess moisture, pat it dry with a paper towel before placing it on the buns.
Layer Ingredients Carefully: Arrange your ingredients thoughtfully. Place the meat and any juicy toppings like tomatoes or pickles in the center to minimize direct contact with the bun.
