Description
Delicious Meatball Marinara Sliders featuring tender homemade meatballs simmered in rich marinara sauce, topped with melted mozzarella cheese, and served on soft slider buns. Perfect as a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a hearty snack for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce and Assembly
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 12 slider buns
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil (for cooking)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the assembled sliders.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, egg, minced garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into small meatballs approximately 1 inch in diameter. You should end up with around 24 meatballs.
- Cook Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides—about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cooked meatballs from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.
- Add Marinara Sauce: In the same skillet, pour in the marinara sauce and bring it to a simmer. Return the meatballs to the skillet, coating them well with the sauce.
- Prepare Slider Buns: Slice the slider buns in half horizontally and arrange the bottom halves in a baking dish.
- Assemble Sliders: Place 2 to 3 meatballs with sauce on each bottom bun half. Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese over the meatballs.
- Add Top Buns: Place the top halves of the slider buns over the cheese layer to complete the sliders.
- Bake: Cover the sliders with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove the sliders from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy your delicious Meatball Marinara Sliders!
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey for ground beef for a leaner option.
- For extra flavor, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the meatball mixture.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet when browning meatballs; cook them in batches if necessary.
- Slider buns can be lightly toasted before assembling for added texture.
- Leftover sliders can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
