Don’t you just love a good slider? It makes the perfect game day food, or a fun family meal that everyone will love.
So why not make those sliders with another favorite: Sloppy Joes!
These Sloppy Joe Sliders are a package of dinner rolls filled with a deliciously sauced meat and baked to make crispy edges on every bun. It takes the Sloppy Joe to a whole new level!

Why I love this recipe
I can’t help it; I love Sloppy Joes. Is it childhood, grade school cafeteria food? Maybe. But I have really never outgrown it.
By taking Sloppy Joe meat and using it to make sliders, something special happens. Baking the dinner rolls gives them deliciously crusty edges. It contrasts perfectly with the Sloppy Joe meat. They’re even better than the traditional soft buns we usually expect.
This might be my new favorite way to serve Sloppy Joes. Not just for game day, for every day!
Ingredients
How to make these Sloppy Joe Sliders
First, make the Sloppy Joe meat. Simply brown the ground beef with onion, celery, and green pepper. You want to cook this until the meat is fully cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
Add the sauce ingredients, stir to mix, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.
Then spray the bottom of a baking pan. This helps prevent sticking and also promotes the crustiness of the bottoms of the sliders. (Can you tell it’s my favorite part? LOL)
Use a serrated knife to split the dinner rolls lengthwise, forming a top and bottom layer. The individual rolls are still connected to each other; you have simply split them open.
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Place the bottom layer of bread (rolls) into the baking dish. Add the meat mixture and spread evenly to cover the bread.
Then, use the top layer of rolls to cover the meat mixture.
You are going to bake these, first uncovered, then covered. It is helpful to tear off a piece of foil and loosely form it on the baking pan now, then remove it for later. I say these because I really hate trying to add a piece of foil to a hot pan. Having it semi-formed will make that step much easier.
Go ahead and bake the sliders (350F) for 10 minutes. Remove the baking pan, cover with foil, then bake for 10 minutes more.
When done, remove the pan from the oven. Use a sharp knife to cut at the indent for each roll to form individual sliders.
Your Sloppy Joe Sliders are ready to serve!
Sula’s Tips
If you have a favorite recipe for Sloppy Joe sauce, feel free to use it here! Just take the time to simmer the sauce so it’s not too runny.
People will find these very fun to eat, perfect for an appetizer or game day spread. Great with beans, potato chips, pasta salad, etc. I once knew someone who always put mayo and pickles on his Sloppy Joes. (it’s better than it sounds LOL)
I tried these once with cheese. I added a layer of shredded Monterey Jack cheese before placing the top layer of buns and baking. They were good, but surprisingly (because I am ALL about the cheese) I actually preferred no cheese. I just prefer a more authentic Sloppy Joe, I guess.
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📖 Recipe
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Sloppy Joe Sliders
Ingredients
- 1-1.25 pounds ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 celery rib chopped
- ⅓ cup green pepper chopped (about ½ a medium pepper)
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard prepared
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup water
- One package sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, begin to cook the ground beef with the onion, celery, and green pepper. Stir and break up the meat as it cooks. Continue cooking until the meat is fully brown and the vegetables are soft, about 7 to 10 minutes.1-1.25 pounds ground beef, 1 small yellow onion, 1 celery rib, ⅓ cup green pepper
- Add the ketchup. Mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Mix to combine. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.¾ cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup water
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Spray the bottom of a 9x13-inch or similar sized baking pan (see notes). Split the dinner rolls lengthwise by cutting (if necessary) with a serrated knife to form a top and bottom half. The individual rolls should remain connected together.One package sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls, Cooking spray
- Place the bottom half of the bread in the prepared pan. Spread the sloppy joe mixture evenly over the bread in the pan. Use the top half of the bread to cover the mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover with a piece of foil and bake for 10 minutes more.
- When finished baking, use a sharp knife to cut each individual roll from the group. The bottom will be crusty, so be sure to cut all the way through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Chrysa
These are so good! We love them for a weekend lunch. The mustard adds a great zing and sometimes I’ll even add a little extra.
Sula
Yes, sometimes a little extra zip is just what you need! Thanks for the kind review!