These Pizza Sliders are cheesy, saucy, buttery, and packed with all the cozy flavors of your favorite pizza in an easy pull-apart sandwich. They're fast to make, incredibly satisfying, and always disappear the second they hit the table. Whether you need a fun weeknight dinner, game day snack, or easy party food, this recipe delivers every single time.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Dish / Appetizer / Snack
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 12 sliders
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Cheesy, savory, buttery, herby, classic pizza flavor
- 🍚 Best Served With: Soup, fries, broccoli crunch salad, veggies, marinara, party platters
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, assemble ahead and bake when ready
Summarize and Save This Content On
The sweet Hawaiian rolls, melty cheese, pizza sauce, and pepperoni come together in the best way. I love how easy the toppings are to customize, too, so you can make them just right for you and your family.
This was inspired by my crack chicken sliders and turkey burger sliders on this site, and pairs well with this amazing deviled egg pasta salad and chicken bacon ranch pasta salad.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: These sliders come together easily using common ingredients for a quick weeknight dinner, a casual party or game day.
- Pizza flavor in slider form: You get all the saucy, cheesy, pepperoni goodness of pizza in a fun handheld bite.
- Kid-friendly: The flavors are familiar and always a hit with kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
You only need a short list of everyday ingredients to make these pizza sliders.
- Hawaiian slider rolls: These soft, slightly sweet rolls create the perfect base and balance the savory pizza filling beautifully but any slider rolls will work.
- Pizza sauce: Homemade or jarred sauce adds that classic rich tomato flavor that makes the sliders taste just like pizza.
- Basil leaves: Adds herby flavor to your pizza sauce but is optional.
- Sandwich pepperoni: Gives the sliders a bold, savory bite and classic pizzeria flavor. You can substitute about a pound of pizza pepperoni if you prefer.
- Mozzarella cheese: Melts beautifully and gives you that stretchy, cheesy center everyone loves. Provolone will work in a pinch.
- Melted butter and pizza seasoning: Brushed and sprinkled on top to help the buns turn golden and flavorful in the oven but margarine will work in a pinch.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, savory finish sprinkled over the hot sliders once removed from oven.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Add more meat: Layer in crumbled cooked Italian sausage, cooked bacon or sweet glazed bacon for a meatier slider.
- Make veggie pizza sliders: Add sautéed mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives or zucchini and onions for a vegetable-loaded version.
- Hawaiian pizza sliders: Use ham instead of pepperoni add well drained pineapple chunks for a milder, kid-friendly twist. You can too.
- Make them spicy: Add crushed red pepper, jalapeños, hot pepperoni or jalapeño hot sauce for more heat.
- Swap sauce: Use marinara or alfredo sauce if that is what you already have on hand.
How to Make Pizza Sliders
These sliders are super easy to make and come together in just a few simple steps. For best results, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and toast buttered or unbuttered sliders on two seperate baking sheets until insides are golden brown.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray an 9x13 casserole dish lightly with nonstick spray.
Step 1: Assemble. Place the bottom half of your sliders into your casserole dish.
Add finely diced fresh basil to pizza sauce and stir, if desired.
Layer your ingredients over the bottom buns, starting with a layer of mozzarella cheese, then sauce, pepperoni slices, more mozzarella, and finally place the bun tops last.
Step 2: Top and Bake. In a small bowl make your pizza seasoning. Add onion powder, garlic powder, oregano leaves and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
In a small bowl melt your butter. Brush it all over the bun tops. Immediately sprinkle pizza seasoning over the tops.
Bake in your preheated oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are toasted and the sliders are heated throughout, and the cheese is melted. Immediately sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Slice the sliders and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Toast inside of buns lightly before filling: Reduces chance of bun from becoming soggy. Brush on a little butter before toasting too for even better results.
- Keep the rolls connected: This makes the sliders faster to assemble and easier to slice evenly after baking.
- Place cheese on bottom and top: Cover entire surface with cheese to prevent buns from becoming soggy.
- Brush the tops well: The butter mixture helps the buns toast and adds extra flavor to every bite. Do not skip the seasoning.
- Watch the bake time: Bake until the cheese melts and the tops are toasted, but do not dry the buns out. Ovens vary.
- Use fresh basil if you can: It gives the sauce additional flavor.
- Let them rest briefly: A short rest makes them easier to cut and serve neatly.
- Serve warm: These sliders are at their best right out of the oven while the cheese is melty.
- Customize the filling: Treat these like mini pizzas and switch up the toppings to suit your tastes.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy my Big Mac sliders and these cheeseburger sliders.
Storage Directions
These sliders are best warm from the oven, but leftovers store surprisingly well. They make a great quick lunch or snack the next day, too.
Refrigerator: Store the sliders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Keep in mind texture will change after thawing.
Reheat: Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through and the cheese is melty again. A microwave works too, but the buns will be softer.
Make Ahead: Assemble the sliders a few hours ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before needed to come to room temperature before heating or add a few extra minutes to the bake time if they are going into the oven cold.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with Salad: A simple tossed salad, creamy cucumber salad, caesar salad, old-fashioned cucumber salad, and cold asparagus salad taste great with these cheesy pizza sliders.
- Serve with marinara for dipping: Extra sauce on the side makes them even more fun to eat.
- Pair with soup: This makes a cozy lunch or easy dinner combo serving with slow cooker tomato soup, my grandma's cream of tomato soup or cream of mushroom soup and roasted butternut squash soup.
- Serve with fruit salad: Fresh fruit and fruit dip adds a light and refreshing contrast to the sliders.
- Enjoy as a game day snack: Set them out with chips and onion bacon dip for an easy crowd-pleasing spread.
- Serve with fries or potato wedges: Great for game day or casual family dinners with french fries, mashed potato fries, sweet potato fries or air fryer steak fries.
- Offer with veggies: Fresh sliced carrots, celery, and cucumber help freshen up the plate or air fryer zucchini fries, crispy fried jalapenos or crispy fried tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, they are one of the best party foods because they are easy to make, easy to serve, and loved by just about everyone.
Yes, just do not overload the sliders. Small amounts of cooked sausage, mushrooms, peppers, or olives work well.
Make sure the bottoms are totally covered with cheese and add sauce on top of cheese.
Absolutely. Any soft slider rolls or dinner rolls will work, though Hawaiian rolls add a nice sweet contrast to the savory filling.
Check out my Sloppy Joe sliders and these hot dog sliders if recipes like this speak to your heart (and stomach).
More Slider Recipes
Do you like easy, cheesy party food recipes? Here some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Pizza Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian slider rolls still connected, any sweet slider rolls will work
- 1 cup pizza sauce homemade or jarred
- 2 fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- 12 slices sandwich pepperoni if you use pizza pepperoni, you will need about a pound.
- 12-16 slices mozzarella cheese or provolone
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
Pizza Seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon oregano leaves
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Topping
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
Optional Bun Toast
- Slice the slider buns in half (keep them connected). Place cut side up on a baking sheet. (Optional but recommended) Lightly brush with extra melted butter.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F or 350°F. (350°F is standard, but 325°F gives more control and prevents over-browning) for about 5 minutes and lightly golden brown. Let cool slightly before adding filling.
Skip Bun Toasting
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray an 9x13 casserole dish lightly with nonstick spray.
- Add finely diced fresh basil to pizza sauce and stir, if desired.
- Place the bottom half of your sliders into your casserole dish.
- Layer your ingredients over the bottom buns, starting with a layer of mozzarella cheese, then sauce, pepperoni slices, more mozzarella, and finally place the bun tops last.
- In a small bowl make your pizza seasoning. Add onion powder, garlic powder, oregano leaves and red pepper flakes. Stir and set aside.
- In a small bowl melt your butter. Brush it all over the bun tops. Immediately sprinkle pizza seasoning over the tops. Immediately sprinkle pizza seasoning over the tops.
- Bake in your preheated oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are toasted and the sliders are heated throughout, and the cheese is melted.
- Immediately sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Allow sliders to dit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Toast inside of buns lightly before filling: Reduces chance of bun from becoming soggy. Brush on a little butter before toasting too for even better results.
- Keep the rolls connected: This makes the sliders faster to assemble and easier to slice evenly after baking.
- Place cheese on bottom and top: Cover entire surface with cheese to prevent buns from becoming soggy.
- Brush the tops well: The butter mixture helps the buns toast and adds extra flavor to every bite. Do not skip the seasoning.
- Watch the bake time: Bake until the cheese melts and the tops are toasted, but do not dry the buns out. Ovens vary.
- Use fresh basil if you can: It gives the sauce additional flavor.
- Let them rest briefly: A short rest makes them easier to cut and serve neatly.
- Serve warm: These sliders are at their best right out of the oven while the cheese is melty.
- Customize the filling: Treat these like mini pizzas and switch up the toppings to suit your tastes.
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