Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders

The first time I made Hawaiian roll cheeseburger sliders, I did what every recipe told me to do. I browned a pound of beef, crumbled it over the rolls, and baked. They looked great coming out of the oven. Then I lifted the first slider and the bottom roll slumped in my hand like wet bread.

The grease was the culprit, and so was the texture. Crumbled beef eats more like sloppy joe filling than a cheeseburger.

So I changed the method. These Hawaiian roll cheeseburger sliders use small smashed patties with a real crust, a toasted roll underneath, and two kinds of cheese. The rolls stay soft on top and firm on the bottom, and every bite tastes like a diner cheeseburger.

It takes about 40 minutes start to finish. There’s no bacon in it. The pickles, the burger sauce and the browned beef carry the flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

They taste like a cheeseburger. The smashed patties get a browned, lacy crust that crumbled beef never does.

One pack of rolls makes 12 sliders, and they bake together on a single sheet, which is easy to carry and easy to cut apart.

And the patties can be cooked a day ahead, so the only job left when people arrive is assembling and baking.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Makes 12 sliders.

For the sliders

1 package (12 count, 12 oz) King’s Hawaiian original sweet rolls – I use the sweet ones, since the contrast with salty beef and pickles is the point. The savory butter rolls make a milder slider.

1 pound 80/20 ground beef – The fat is what makes a smashed patty brown and stay juicy.

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt – On the outside of the patties, not mixed in.

1/2 teaspoon black pepper – Freshly ground if you have it.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder – Sprinkled on with the salt.

1/2 teaspoon onion powder – It gives you that diner flavor without chopping an onion.

6 slices American cheese, each cut in half – It melts smoothly and never turns greasy.

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar – This is for flavor, which American cheese lacks.

24 dill pickle chips – Two per slider. Blot them first.

For the burger sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise – The base of the sauce.

2 tablespoons ketchup – Just enough to turn it pink and a little sweet.

1 tablespoon yellow mustard – A little tang.

1 tablespoon dill pickle relish – It makes the sauce taste like a burger spread.

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce – A small amount, for depth.

For the butter topping

4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided – Half toasts the rolls and half goes on top.

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce – Stirred into the top butter.

1 tablespoon sesame seeds – Sprinkle them on while the butter is wet.

How to Make Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders

Heat the oven to 350°F and whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish and 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire together in a small bowl.

Keep the rolls connected. With a serrated knife, cut the whole sheet in half horizontally, so you have one top slab and one bottom slab. Set both on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut sides up, and brush the cut sides with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Toast them for 5 minutes, then take the pan out and leave the oven on.

Divide the beef into 12 equal balls, about 1⅓ ounces each. Don’t season the inside. Salt mixed into the meat makes dense patties.

Set a cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until it’s very hot. You don’t need oil, because the beef has enough fat. Put 3 or 4 balls in the skillet, spaced apart. Lay a small square of parchment paper over each one and press down hard with a sturdy spatula until each patty is about 3 inches wide and thin. Peel off the parchment.

Sprinkle the tops with some of the salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook for about 60 to 90 seconds, until the edges look deeply browned and lacy. Scrape under each patty so you keep the crust, flip, and lay half a slice of American cheese on each one. Cook another 20 to 30 seconds. Move the patties to a plate and repeat with the rest of the beef. They’re done when no pink remains in the center, and the USDA guidance for ground beef is 160°F.

Set one patty on each bottom roll. Scatter the cheddar over the patties and add 2 pickle chips to each slider. Spread the burger sauce on the underside of the top slab and set it on top, sauce side down.

Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire, brush it over the tops, and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops are golden and the cheddar has melted. Let the sliders sit for 3 minutes, then cut along the roll lines with a serrated knife.

My “Don’t-Let-the-Bottom-Go-Soggy” Mini Guide

• Smash the patties. Crumbled beef steams in its own juices and soaks the rolls. A thin patty browns fast and gives off much less liquid.
• Toast the cut sides with butter. It makes a thin seal, so grease and sauce sit on top instead of sinking into the crumb.
• Sauce goes on the top half only. And keep it thin. A thick layer leaks down the sides and turns the bottom to paste.
• Skip the foil. It traps steam, and steam is what turns the bottom roll to mush. For extra insurance, bake on the upper-middle rack.
• Fresh toppings go on after baking. Lettuce wilts into a damp mat and tomato slices release water into the bread.
• Let them rest for 3 minutes. The cheese sets a little, and the rolls cut cleanly instead of squashing.

Helpful Tips

For the faster method, brown the beef crumbled with the same seasonings, drain it well and press it between paper towels, then spread it over the toasted bottom rolls. The draining step is not optional. I make the smashed version whenever I have 10 extra minutes.

To scale it, 6 sliders take half a package of rolls, 1/2 pound of beef, 3 slices of American cheese and 1/4 cup of cheddar. For 24, double everything and use two sheet pans, including the sauce and butter topping.

For a spicier version, swap the cheddar for pepper jack and add a few pickled jalapeño slices. For a Big Mac–style slider, put shredded lettuce on after baking. If you miss something smoky, caramelized onions on each patty would be my guess, though I haven’t tried it on this tray.

You can cook the patties up to a day ahead and refrigerate them. Assemble and bake the same day. I wouldn’t brush the butter topping on early, because it soaks into the rolls overnight and the sesame seeds go soft.

Leftovers keep up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat them on a baking sheet at 325°F, covered loosely with foil, for about 10 minutes, until hot all the way through.

To freeze, let baked sliders cool completely, wrap the whole sheet tightly in foil and seal it in a freezer bag. They keep up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake at 350°F covered with foil for 20 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5. The rolls soften a bit after freezing, so think of it as a rescue plan, not the best version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

These are best straight from the pan, with a pile of crispy fries or a bowl of cold coleslaw next to them. The coleslaw cuts through the richness.

Set out extra burger sauce for dipping, because someone will ask. A cold lager or a sharp lemonade goes better with them than anything sweet, since the rolls already bring the sugar.