Hawaiian sweet rolls, cooked meatballs, sharp cheddar, sautéed onions, and chopped crispy turkey bacon come together to make flavorful sliders that work equally well as a main course or an appetizer.
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⏲️ Time needed
You can have these sliders ready in about 30 minutes. Warming the meatballs takes roughly 10 minutes while you prep the onion. Sautéing the onion and cooking and crumbling the bacon take about 15 minutes. Assembling and finishing the sliders under the broiler takes just a few minutes.
🥘 Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked meatballs (frozen or pre-made)
- ½ cup sliced onion
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 3 slices sharp cheddar cheese, divided into quarters
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
📋 Instructions
1. Heat the meatballs in a skillet over medium heat until browned and heated through.
2. In the same or a separate skillet, fry the turkey bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving any rendered fat in the pan (add a small amount of oil if your pan is dry).
3. Add the sliced onion to the skillet with the bacon fat, reduce heat to medium, and sauté until the onion is soft and lightly caramelized.
4. Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally. Place meatballs on the bottom halves of the rolls. Brush the inside of the top halves with BBQ sauce.
5. Top each meatball with a quarter piece of cheddar, a sprinkle of chopped bacon, and some sautéed onions.
6. Arrange the open sliders on a baking sheet and place them briefly under a hot broiler — about 2–3 minutes — just until the cheese melts and the edges are golden. Watch closely to prevent burning.
7. Place the roll tops on each slider and serve immediately. If your meatballs are small, the sliders may be a bit messy — forks or napkins can help.
Recipe
Barbecue Meatball Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked meatballs
- ⅓ lb turkey bacon, chopped
- ½ cup onion, sliced
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 3 slices sharp cheddar cheese, divided into quarters
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
Instructions
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Heat meatballs in a skillet, frying until browned and heated through.
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Fry the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy, remove and set aside, keeping the fat in the skillet. Add the sliced onion, reduce heat to medium, and sauté until tender.
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Cut the rolls in half. Place a meatball on each bottom roll, brush the tops with BBQ sauce, then add a piece of cheese, bacon bits, and sautéed onions.
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Broil the assembled sliders for 2–3 minutes until the cheese melts. Close with the roll tops and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
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This version is inspired by the Smoky Mesquite BBQ meatball sliders concept, but uses prepared meatballs to save time while keeping the bold, savory flavor.