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Grilled Meatloaf Sliders are a whole new way to enjoy a family favorite. Mama’s classic meatloaf meets family-friendly handheld grilled sliders.
As an afternoon snack, a family cookout, or a casual dinner on the patio, sliders are always a big hit.
Why We Love This Recipe
- What’s not to love? Meatloaf and handheld sliders come together for the best of both worlds.
- It usually takes about 40 minutes to bake a meatloaf in the oven. With these sliders, there’s no need to heat up the kitchen when you are craving Mama’s classic meatloaf because these babies are grilled to perfection on your indoor or outdoor grill in about 10 minutes.
- One of the things I like best about sliders is what I call portion control. Portion control from the fact that if you are calorie conscious you can still have a slider and feel like you’ve indulged. Also, portion control so small eaters can have just one and big eaters can have as many as they want…something for every size eater.
- They are hearty. Don’t let the fact that these are sliders fool you. They are hearty just like a classic meatloaf.
Slider Ingredients
Meatloaf Mix – My local market makes a meatloaf mix that is 2/3 ground beef and 1/3 ground pork and it’s labeled “meatloaf mix”. If your market doesn’t have a packaged meatloaf mix, you can make your own with 2/3 lb. ground beef and 1/3 lb. ground pork.
Panko Bread Crumbs – Panko is not the traditional “bread” or “crumb” in most meatloaf recipes. It’s a Japanese style breadcrumb that has a coarser texture. I’ve made meatloaf using both the soaked bread method and the traditional bread crumb method and have settled on the fact that we like the texture of our meatloaf when it’s made with Panko bread crumbs.
Fresh Parsley – I’m a big fan of using freshly chopped parsley and other fresh herbs just for the fact that they really do bring a bright fresh taste to any recipe. They also let you know that this recipe was made from scratch.
Slider Buns (not shown in photo) – Use your favorite slider buns. We like Hawaiian slider buns and potato slider buns.
Sauce Is A Must
All my meatloaf lovers know that you cannot have meatloaf without a delicious ketchup-based sauce or glaze. To make my crowd-pleasing sauce, simply mix together the ingredients pictured below. Believe me when I say – it’s soooooo good!
How To Make Meatloaf Sliders
- Place all of the ingredients except the egg into a large bowl.
- Slightly beat the egg and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Using clean hands, gently fold the ingredients together. If the mix seems too wet, add 1 TBS of additional Panko bread crumbs at a time.
- The mixture should be very moist, but not too wet and able to hold together but not too firm or dry.
- Form the sliders into small disk shapes that are the same size as your slider buns.
- Grill the sliders on a medium-hot grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Serve on slider buns slathered in meatloaf sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
They absolutely do taste exactly like meatloaf. In fact, I am not the biggest fan of traditional meatloaf, but when I make these sliders, I can’t stop eating them. And talk about a fantastic leftover! Just pop a slider into the microwave for 20-30 seconds and enjoy it.
This recipe is actually my traditional loaf-style meatloaf. I just formed small sliders to fit into the buns. To make this in a loaf pan, form it into a rectangle, place it in a loaf pan or baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake it for 35-45 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Just add a splash of cold milk. If it’s still too dry, add 1 TBS of milk at a time until it’s moist and you can form it into patties.
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- When forming any type of meatball or meatloaf, make sure you do not over-work the mix. Slowly and gently use a folding method using your clean bare hands. The mix should come together and you can still see some of the coarser ingredients, like the chopped onions and parsley.
- I highly recommend chopping the onions and the parsley very small for this recipe. You still want to see and taste them but you don’t want to bit into a large chunky piece of onion.
- I’ve seen a lot of “meatloaf” recipes using just ground beef. I recommend you use the ground beef/ground pork combination for a true homemade meatloaf taste.
- You can make these sliders a day ahead of time. Just store them in the refrigerator on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- You can also freeze pre-made patties by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and then placing all of them in a zip-top bag. To thaw, place them in the refrigerator overnight.
More Family Favorite Recipes
- Weeknight Pepper Steak
- Grilled Chicken Caprese
- Peach Panzanella Salad
- Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Tostadas
- Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza
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Grilled Meatloaf Sliders Recipe
Ingredients
For the sliders
- 1 lb. meatloaf mix
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup onion diced small
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 slider buns
For the sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the sliders
- Place all of the ingredients except the egg into a large bowl.
- Slightly beat the egg and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Using clean hands, gently fold the ingredients together. If the mix seems too wet, add 1 TBS of additional Panko bread crumbs at a time. The mixture should be very moist, but not too wet and able to hold together but not too firm or dry.
- Form the sliders into small disk shapes that are the same size as your slider buns.
- Grill the sliders on a medium-hot grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Serve on slider buns slathered in meatloaf sauce.
For the sauce
- Mix all of the ingredients together. This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
Notes
- When forming any type of meatball or meatloaf, make sure you do not over-work the mix. Slowly and gently use a folding method using your clean bare hands. The mix should come together and you can still see some of the more coarse ingredients, like the chopped onions and parsley.
- I highly recommend chopping the onions and the parsley very small for this recipe. You still want to see and taste them but you don’t want to bit into a large chunky piece of onion.
- I’ve seen a lot of “meatloaf” recipes using just ground beef. I recommend you use the ground beef/ground pork combination for a true homemade meatloaf taste.
- You can make these sliders a day ahead of time. Just store them in the refrigerator on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- You can also freeze pre-made patties by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and then placing all of them in a zip-top bag. To thaw, place them in the refrigerator overnight.
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