These meatball sliders are made with frozen meatballs, melty mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce, cratered inside a warm dinner roll that’s slathered with garlic butter. I’d argue these are one of the best warm football appetizers to exist.
Why this recipe works
There’s no room for messy meatballs sandwiched between a bun around here. I love that these meatball sliders are built in a way that doesn’t require two different halves of a bun, so you aren’t dealing with a spherical ball sliding out of the bun every time you take a bite. Cratering it is the way to go, baby!
These are one of the easiest party appetizers to throw together using frozen meatballs, mozzarella cheese, and marinara. Store-bought ingredients make the prep work minimal, though you can of course use homemade versions if you want to give them a little more lovin’. They remind me of a miniature version of a meatball sub. Perfect for a warm grab-and-go snack, especially for football parties.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
MEATBALLS – To keep this recipe quick and easy, we used frozen meatballs. You don’t have to thaw out the meatballs, but you can if you want to. Most frozen bags of meatballs will have cooking instructions on the back. We just simmered ours in marinara until cooked through. If you prefer to make them homemade, you can try our meatballs and marinara recipe!
MARINARA – Homemade marinara or store-bought marinara both work well. I’m a big proponent of marinara sauce being a personal preference kind of thing. Use your favorite.
BUNS – While slider buns have become a popular item, you actually don’t want to buy pre-split buns for this recipe. Be sure to get dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls since you’ll be carving a hole in the top! I think they’d be great with garlic bread rolls, too. If you really want to go the extra mile, we also have a homemade Hawaiian rolls recipe that would work great here.
How to Make Meatball Sliders
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper, using enough excess to use as handles later.
- Add marinara and meatballs to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Place rolls on parchment lined pan. Use a paring knife to cut a hole in the top of the rolls. Don’t cut all the way to the bottom, you need some “cushion” in there to hold the filling.
TIP – To make it easier to fit the meatballs, and for a uniform appearance, use something small and round to enlarge and round out the holes. We used a mini mason jar.
- Mix the garlic with the melted butter and brush it onto the rolls, inside and out.
- Fill each cavity with mozzarella cheese and top with a little marinara and a meatball, nesting it snugly into the hole.
- Top the rolls generously with more mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and just starting to lightly brown.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
You can prep your meatball sliders an hour or two in advance. Keep these warm in the oven on the warm setting, covered in foil. Another option is to add a small amount of water and a couple of layers of aluminum foil to the bottom of a crockpot, then add the sliders, cover the crock, and turn on the warm setting. Because there is sauce and bread involved, they aren’t the best option for making the day before. You can halfway prep them for transport by cooking the meatballs and marinara ahead, then place them in a container separately. Cut the holes in the buns and place the cheese inside, and then cover well with foil or an air-tight lid. Once you get to where you’re going, add the marinara and cooked meatballs to the buns and bake as normal.
Store leftover meatball sliders in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in a baking dish and warm in a 350F oven until heated through. You’ll probably want to add more marinara sauce as the buns will likely soak up the majority of it while refrigerated.
Serving Suggestions
These little meatball sliders were a big hit with our daughter and our friends! They are crazy easy to make and great for snacking on at a football party, too. My husband and I agree that this will be added to the appetizer rotation, especially on game days.
Serve your sliders with a side of marinara sauce for extra dipping. Optionally garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!
More Slider Recipes
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Meatball Sliders
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce plus extra for dipping if desired
- 12 ounces frozen meatballs dinner size
- 12 Hawaiian rolls or dinner rolls
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Before You Begin
- You don’t have to thaw out the meatballs, but you can if you want to. Most frozen bags of meatballs will have cooking instructions on the back. We just simmered ours in marinara until cooked through.
- While slider buns have become a popular item, you actually don’t want to buy pre-split buns for this recipe. Be sure to get dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls since you’ll be carving a hole in the top!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper, using enough excess to use as handles later.
- Add marinara and meatballs to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.TIP: To make it easier to fit the meatballs, and for a uniform appearance, use something small and round to enlarge and round out the holes. We used a mini mason jar.12 ounces frozen meatballs, 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce
- Place rolls on parchment lined pan. Use a paring knife to cut a hole in the top of the rolls. Don’t cut all the way to the bottom, you need some “cushion” in there to hold the filling.12 Hawaiian rolls
- Mix the garlic with the melted butter and brush it onto the rolls, inside and out.2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon butter
- Fill each cavity with mozzarella cheese and top with a little marinara and a meatball, nesting it snugly into the hole.
- Top the rolls generously with more mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and just starting to lightly brown.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store leftover meatball sliders in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in a baking dish and warm in a 350F oven until heated through. You’ll probably want to add more marinara sauce as the buns will likely soak up the majority of it while refrigerated.
- You can prep your meatball sliders an hour or two in advance. Keep these warm in the oven on the warm setting, covered in foil. Another option is to add a small amount of water and a couple of layers of aluminum foil to the bottom of a crockpot, then add the sliders, cover the crock, and turn on the warm setting.
- Because there is sauce and bread involved, they aren’t the best option for making the day before. You can halfway prep them for transport by cutting a hole in the buns, placing the cheese and frozen meatball inside, and then covering well with foil or an air-tight lid. Once you get to where you’re going, add the marinara and bake as normal.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
Chef Antoine Davis
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