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Cowboy Sliders

Seasoned ground beef, cheddar, bacon, crispy fried onions, and jalapeño baked between buttery Hawaiian rolls with a homemade cowboy butter.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 368
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 0.5 cup salted butter sliced into pats
  • 1 tbsp Honey Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped chives
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp minced garlic for the cowboy butter
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp paprika
  • 0.25 tsp ground chipotle powder
  • 12 King Hawaiian Rolls 1 pack, kept connected
  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 recommended
  • 0.5 cup sweet yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp minced garlic for the beef mixture
  • 2 tbsp hamburger seasoning
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
  • 8 smoked bacon slices cooked crispy and crumbled
  • 1 cup french fried onions
  • 1 medium jalapeño seeded and sliced into 12 rings

Equipment

  • 9x13 baking dish
  • large skillet
  • small saucepan

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then remove from heat. Whisk in the mustard, chives, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and chipotle powder until combined. The butter may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
  3. Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, keeping them connected. Place the bottom half in the prepared baking dish.
  4. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic, breaking up the meat as it browns, until fully cooked. Drain excess grease, then stir in the hamburger seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Brush the bottom half of the rolls with cowboy butter.
  6. Spoon the beef mixture evenly over the buttered rolls, then sprinkle with shredded cheddar.
  7. Layer on the crumbled bacon, followed by the french fried onions, then place one jalapeño ring on top for each slider.
  8. Top with the upper half of the rolls and brush with the remaining cowboy butter.
  9. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes, checking around the 8-minute mark, until the tops are deep golden brown.
  10. Let the sliders rest in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing into individual portions and serving hot.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes to re-crisp the buns. The cowboy butter and beef mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, then assembled and baked before serving. Thin-sliced steak can be substituted for the ground beef for a steak-slider variation.