Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders
Want to turn dinner into a Happy Hour?! It’s always a good time when you have my Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders! Scrumptious juicy homemade meatballs, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil are stuffed into pillowy soft Hawaiian sweet rolls.
Hawaiian Roll Sliders are an easy weeknight dinner as the meatballs can be prepared ahead of time.
Be sure to check out other delicious appetizer ideas such as my Cherry Empanadas, Crispy Shredded Chicken Tacos, and my 3 Ingredient Hawaiian Meatballs.
Can I use frozen meatballs
You can! If you don’t want to make your own meatballs fresh, you can use frozen Italian meatballs, chicken meatballs or turkey meatballs.
Ingredients needed for Hawaiian Roll Meatballs Sliders
Here are some simple ingredients needed for this dish:
- Ground beef. I recommend 80/20 because the fat will add flavor and will make some darn good juicy meatballs
- Sweet onions. Any onion can be substituted but sweet onions make this meatball delicious.
- Garlic. Recipe calls for 8 cloves. You can tone that down if you like.
- Egg. This works as a binder.
- Milk. 2% is good or you can use whole milk or plant based milk.
- Mozzarella or parmesan cheese. I use a mixture of both.
- Fresh basil and Italian parsley. Dried herbs or Italian seasoning can be used but fresh herbs make these the best meatballs ever!
- Marinara sauce. Or any of your favorite sauce can be used.
- King’s Hawaiian rolls. These rolls are not only used for the slider buns but they are also used as the bread crumbs in the meatball mixture. You can substitute with other dinner rolls or slider buns.
How to cook homemade meatballs
First you will preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Use nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking. In a large bowl, add in the ground beef. Then you will add the garlic, herbs, egg, milk and cheese. To use the slider buns as bread crumbs, break up 2 of the Hawaiian buns and add them into the mixture. Add the salt and pepper last.
Gently combine the mixture and then form it into 20 meatballs. Place them on the sheet pan and let them bake for about 20 minutes. Heat the marinara sauce on the stove top while the meatballs bake.
There are some other alternatives to making this easy dinner recipe.
You can sear meatballs in olive oil for about 5-10 minutes, while rotating them in a large skillet. Then add the marinara to the meatballs and let them braise in the sauce.
If using frozen meatballs, you can cook them in a crock pot.
Assembling these tasty meatball sliders on Hawaiian rolls
For best results, start with warming the Hawaiian sweet rolls. Remove the plastic and keep the buns in the container. Then heat them until golden brown for 3-5 minutes in the oven. Some people like to make a butter mixture with melted butter and garlic powder and then brush the tops of the rolls with it. This a delicious option but it’s not needed.
Next for this yummy recipe, grab a small knife and slice the top layer of bread. To make individual sandwiches, add in 2 meatballs, spoon marinara on top and sprinkle on the cheese.
To make this more of a party snack, take the entire package of rolls and slice through the top and bottom. Place the bottom half of the rolls into a baking dish and then add the meatballs, marinara and cheese. Add the top buns back on top and place them in the oven for about 2-3 minutes for the cheese to melt.
What to serve with meatball sliders
A fresh green salad or slaw is always good with this slider recipe. You can never go wrong with potato chips or French fries as well.
Why you will love this Hawaiian Bread Meatball Sliders recipe
Sweet Hawaiian rolls are one my families favorites. They make the meatballs taste delicious since they are used as a binder. This dish is an easy meatball sliders recipe and it also makes for the perfect game day snack for the football fan on super bowl or or any time you are looking for a fun way to entertain.
You can also use these homemade meatballs and make meatball subs using hoagie buns. Hawaiian rolls can be stuffed with other yummy things like Sloppy Joe’s.
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Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders
Equipment
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1/2 cup sweet onions diced, about 1/2 of an onion
- 8 cloves garlic crushed, you can use less if you like
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk 2% or whole
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded , plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup basil chopped
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt as needed
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper as needed
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1 package King's Hawaiian rolls pack of 12, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On the stove top, warm the marinara sauce.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sweet onions, garlic, egg, 1/4 cup of cheese, milk, herbs and 2 of the Hawaiian sweet rolls (broken up). Add a touch of salt and pepper.
- Combine the ingredients together.
- Form into 20 meatballs, about 1- 1/2 inches thick and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or (until internal temperature hits 165)
- Remove from the oven when done.
- Warm the Hawaiian rolls by placing them in the oven until golden brown for about 3 minutes.
- Then serve the meatballs in the Hawaiian bread (about 2 meatballs per 1 roll) and add a tablespoon of marinara and sprinkle cheese on top.
Nutrition
Making this? I would love to see! Tag me on Instagram @whensaltyandsweetunite and #whensaltyandsweetunite
