For a snack they'll want to stack, whip up these Ground Beef Sliders for your next game day party! You’ll just need 30 minutes and some simple ingredients.
It’s Party Time!
Nothing says “party” like a good appetizer. Inspired by sloppy joes, these Ground Beef Sliders with Garlic Aioli are the perfect starter for any celebration. They’re hearty and filling, but small enough to fit right in among the snacks.
Plus they're less messy than their sloppier siblings. (Though, if you're into sloppy joes like us, be sure to check out our collection of recipes including Big Mac Sloppy Joes, Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, and even Korean Sloppy Joes).

This garlic ground beef sliders recipe makes 12 sliders, but you could always double or triple the recipe for a larger gathering.
And if you're searching for party inspiration, go ahead and make these alongside our Hawaiian Roll Ham and Swiss Sliders, Waffle Fry Sliders, and Pulled Roast Beef Sliders for a full-blown slider soiree.
Why We Love Ground Beef Sliders
- They only take 30 minutes. No need to get up at the crack of dawn to make these sliders! You can hit the snooze button and get these ready right before party time.
- You can customize them. We used slider buns, but you can use sweet Hawaiian rolls if you prefer. You can also use whatever cheese you like! We used American and baby swiss, but any sliced cheese will work just fine.
- They use simple ingredients. There’s nothing fancy going on here. We used staple ingredients for these sliders, most of which you probably have on hand already. Speaking of ingredients…
Key Ingredients for Ground Beef Sliders
- Lean ground beef - You’ll need a pound for this recipe. You can also double all the ingredients if you’re feeding a crowd or want some leftovers!
- Onion - We used a white onion, but you can substitute a sweet yellow onion if you’d prefer.
- Slider buns - Feel free to use a different type of bun if you’d prefer.
- Garlic and parsley - They both enhance the flavor of the patty. We used dried parsley, but you can use fresh instead. Just use three times the amount of fresh parsley. In this case, that would be one tablespoon.
- CHEESE - Choose whatever cheese you like, but we love the combo of deli-style American and baby swiss.
- Garlic aioli - This is optional, but we think it adds a lot to the sliders. You only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to mix up a killer sauce!
How to Make Ground Beef Sliders
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt two (2) tablespoons of butter.
- Add the chopped onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent.
- Add the ground beef and break it into smaller pieces with a spatula, spreading it out over the pan. Brown undisturbed for several minutes, then stir. Continue to brown several minutes at a time until meat is fully cooked and no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the bottom halves of the slider buns on your prepared baking sheet.
- Place the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl, and melt for 20-30 seconds, or until totally melted.
- Stir in the minced garlic and parsley flakes to make an herby garlic butter sauce, and season with a pinch of salt.
- Brush half of the butter mixture over the bottom halves of the slider buns.
- Arrange 4-6 slices of cheese over the bottom buns, overlapping if needed.
- Spoon the beef & onion mixture over the cheese, then arrange the remaining 4-6 slices of cheese over the beef.
- Place the tops of the slider buns over the cheese, then brush the remaining half of the garlic butter sauce generously over the tops of the slider buns.
- Place the sliders into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops of the buns are toasted golden brown.
- Slice or tear the sliders apart, then serve hot with pickles and garlic aioli for dipping, if desired, and your favorite side dish.
Tips
- You can saute your onions in olive oil instead of butter if preferred.
- Be sure to stir the onions often while cooking to prevent them from over-browning and crisping.
- I used a super lean 93%/7% chili-style ground Angus beef for this recipe, but any ratio of lean to fat will taste great.
- Use slider buns, brioche, or sweet Hawaiian rolls if you prefer.
- I’ve noticed that whenever I make sliders in my oven, the tops of the buns brown very quickly and I risk over-toasting them/ending up with non-melted cheese. You can do two things to avoid this: 1. Be sure to place your pan on the middle rack inside your oven so that the buns aren’t too close to the top heating element. 2. You can cover the sliders with aluminum foil before baking to prevent the tops from browning too quickly, if you like. A note about the buns: If you choose to cover the sliders with foil, the buns will steam rather than crisp in the oven. If you still want your buns to be slightly toasted, you can remove the foil for the last minute or two of baking.
- You can use whatever variety of cheese that you like. I used a deli-style American cheese (Kraft Deluxe and Land-O-Lakes deli American cheese slices are both great options) and baby swiss cheese for the ultimate ooey-gooey cheese pull combination.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat for 3 minutes in the air fryer, about a minute in the microwave, or in a 350 degree oven covered with foil for about 8-10 minutes or until heated throughout.
FAQs
What do you serve with beef sliders?
You can never go wrong with a potato side dish. Serve these sliders with Easy Cheesy Potatoes or Air Fryer Potatoes. But if you’re wanting something a bit healthier, you can make this Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing.
If you’re looking for a dessert pairing, check out these Buckeye Brownies or Oreo Cheesecake Bars.
How many sliders are needed per person?
You’ll probably want 2-3 sliders per person.
More Super Bowl Recipes
Need more ideas for the Super Bowl? We’ve got you covered with our favorite ground beef recipes from our Taco Dip, to our BBQ Meatballs, to Ground Beef Nachos.
📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Sliders Recipe
Ingredients
For sliders:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 pacakge slider buns, sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 4-6 slices American cheese
- 4-6 slices Swiss cheese
- Dill pickles for garnish (optional)
For aioli:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For sliders:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt two (2) tablespoons of butter. Add the chopped onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent.
- Add the ground beef and break it into smaller pieces with a spatula, spreading it out over the pan. Brown undisturbed for several minutes, then stir. Continue to brown several minutes at a time until meat is fully cooked and no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the bottom halves of the slider buns on your prepared baking sheet.
- Place the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl, and melt for 20-30 seconds, or until totally melted. Stir in the minced garlic and parsley flakes to make an herby garlic butter sauce, and season with a pinch of salt.
- Brush half of the butter mixture over the bottom halves of the slider buns. Arrange 4-6 slices of cheese over the bottom buns, overlapping if needed.
- Spoon the beef & onion mixture over the cheese, then arrange the remaining 4-6 slices of cheese over the beef. Place the tops of the slider buns over the cheese, then brush the remaining half of the garlic butter sauce generously over the tops of the slider buns.
- Place the sliders into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops of the buns are toasted golden brown.
- Slice or tear the sliders apart, then serve hot with pickles and garlic aioli for dipping, if desired, and your favorite side dish.
For aioli:
- Combine the mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve as a condiment on burgers or sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce for fries, roasted veggies, and more.
Notes
- You can saute your onions in olive oil instead of butter if preferred.
- Be sure to stir the onions often while cooking to prevent them from over-browning and crisping.
- I used a super lean 93%/7% chili-style ground angus beef for this recipe, but any ratio of lean to fat will taste great.
- Use slider buns or sweet Hawaiian rolls if you prefer.
- I’ve noticed that whenever I make sliders in my oven, the tops of the buns brown very quickly and I risk over-toasting them/ending up with non-melted cheese. You can do two things to avoid this: 1. Be sure to place your pan on the middle rack inside your oven so that the buns aren’t too close to the top heating element. 2. You can cover the sliders with aluminum foil before baking to prevent the tops from browning too quickly, if you like. A note about the buns: If you choose to cover the sliders with foil, the buns will steam rather than crisp in the oven. If you still want your buns to be slightly toasted, you can remove the foil for the last minute or two of baking.
- You can use whatever variety of cheese that you like. I used a deli-style American cheese (Kraft Deluxe and Land-O-Lakes deli American cheese slices are both great options) and baby swiss cheese for the ultimate ooey-gooey cheese pull combination.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat for a minute or so in the microwave, or in a 350 degree oven, covered with foil, for 10 minutes or until heated throughout.
- I used Kraft brand mayo with olive oil. You can use any variety of mayonnaise that you like.
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic is roughly equal to 1 minced clove of fresh garlic.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- This aioli is best when the flavors have been allowed to rest and meld for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. For best results, keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.