These Big Mac sliders are the perfect quick and easy game day appetizer! Everyone will ask for seconds because of the best copycat Big Mac sauce recipe.
Big Mac Sliders
These pull apart Big Mac sliders are so good! If you ask me, they are even better than McDonald’s – especially because it’s so much more affordable to feed a crowd with these baked sliders than it would be to get takeout for everyone.
The filling is made with large crumbles of lean ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then it’s mixed with a few slices of American cheese to add some creaminess and to help the beef mixture stick together.
To create the layered sandwich sliders, we’re stacking the ground beef between toasted slider buns and more American cheese that creates a delicious melted blanket of cheese.
Finally, we’re topping it all off with freshly sliced lettuce, pickles, diced onions, and the best ever Big Mac sauce recipe. Seriously, there’s a reason this sauce has hundreds of 5-star reviews!
These sliders really are mouthwateringly good, and I’m sure this recipe will be a family favorite in no time.
Ingredients
Big Mac Sauce: This homemade burger sauce is the special sauce that amps up the flavor of these cheeseburger sliders. It’s super easy to make this creamy, tangy sauce, and it complements the flavor of the beef and cheese perfectly. If you don’t want to make homemade Big Mac sauce, you could use bottled thousand island dressing, Russian dressing, or burger sauce.
Ground Beef: I prefer using lean ground beef because it has lots of flavor while creating minimal fat drippings. Excess grease can make the buns soggy. If you don’t have ground beef, you could also use chopped up burgers, ground chicken, ground turkey, or a plant-based meat alternative.
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder: This simple seasoning trio flavors the beef perfectly. The salt enhances the flavors, the pepper balances out the savory elements, and the garlic adds a rich and savory taste.
Dinner Rolls: Choosing rolls that are connected to each other is the trick to making sliders easily. It allows you to make one big sandwich, and then cut it into individual portions, rather than having to make many mini sandwiches. I also love using potato rolls or Hawaiian rolls for a different flavor.
Butter: This adds a rich flavor to the rolls and helps them become perfectly golden-brown when you toast them under the broiler.
American Cheese: This is the classic cheese used for fast food cheeseburgers, so it’s a natural choice for these sliders. Plus, it melts so smoothly and quickly, which makes it a great option. Feel free to swap this for slices of mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, or Swiss cheese if you prefer.
Toppings: Shredded lettuce, diced onion, and dill pickles are classic burger toppings that taste great here. They add a freshness, acidity, and crunch that balances out the savory, hearty beef and cheese. Diced tomatoes and pickled jalapenos would also be delicious toppings for these sliders.
Alternative Ingredients
Here are some easy ways to amp up the flavor even more:
- Use caramelized onions instead of diced onions.
- Add Worcestershire sauce to the beef for a layer of umami flavor.
- Add bacon crumbles to the beef to add a rich, salty flavor.
How To Make Big Mac Sliders
Make the sauce: Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. Chill it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the sliders. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Cook the beef: Heat a large skillet. Add the ground beef and break it apart as it cooks. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking the beef until it’s browned. Drain the excess grease, then stir in a few slices of American cheese until it’s melted. Set aside.
Toast the buns: Slice the rolls horizontally so that they stay connected. Arrange them, cut-side up, on a baking sheet, spread with softened butter, and toast under the broiler until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place slices of cheese over the bottom bun layer.
Assemble the sliders: Add the cooked beef mixture onto the cheesy bottom buns, then layer the remaining cheese on top. Return it to the oven and heat until the cheese melts.
Spread Big Mac sauce across the cut sides of the top buns. Add pickles and diced onions so they stick to the sauce.
Remove melted sliders from the oven. Sprinkle shredded lettuce over the cheese, then flip the prepared top buns over the lettuce.
Optional: Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Slice and serve: Slice into individual sliders and serve warm. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Don’t break up the beef crumbles too much: Larger beef crumbles taste more like smash burger patties than smaller pieces of beef do, which has a texture more similar to taco meat.
- Mix cheese into the meat: This not only flavors the meat, it also helps it stick together when people are eating the sliders.
- Watch carefully while broiling: Broiling can go from perfectly golden brown to burnt so incredibly quickly. It’s important to watch it the whole time you’re broiling it so you don’t accidentally leave it in too long.
What Is The Special Sauce In Big Mac Sliders?
The special sauce is a homemade copycat Big Mac Sauce. It’s creamy, tangy, and super flavorful. The combination of mayonnaise, mustard, relish, onion, and spices complements the flavor of beef perfectly.
What Are Some Tips For Making Big Mac Sliders?
- Toast the buns so they don’t get soggy.
- Add cheese in multiple places. Mixing cheese directly into the beef helps bind it together so that the beef doesn’t fall out while people are eating it, and layers of cheese on the sliders adds tons of creamy texture and yummy flavor.
- Make sure you spread the sauce all the way to the edges of the bread so every slider is perfectly seasoned.
- Add the shredded lettuce as late as you can so it stays nice and crisp.
What Kind Of Buns Are Used For Big Mac Sliders?
I normally use dinner rolls that are connected to each other and they’re great for sliders. Hawaiian rolls and potato rolls are also great options if those are easier for you to find.
What Exactly Are Big Mac Sliders?
They’re essentially mini sandwiches that mimic the flavor of a Big Mac using a homemade sauce and ground beef instead of beef patties.
Is Big Mac Sauce Basically Thousand Island Dressing?
They’re pretty similar, but they’re not quite the same. Thousand Island contains ketchup and is normally sweeter than Big Mac sauce.
What To Serve With Big Mac Sliders
I normally serve these as appetizers, so I think they pair perfectly with game day food like these dry rub chicken wings. If you want to serve these for dinner, my favorite dishes to serve them with are Hawaiian macaroni salad, french fries, baked potatoes, a simple side salad, frozen green beans, or this creamy coleslaw for pulled pork.
Storing And Reheating
If you want to prepare these as a make ahead appetizer, store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I recommend storing them without lettuce because the lettuce won’t hold up well. Reheat them in the air fryer or in the oven. I don’t recommend using the microwave because they’ll turn soggy.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other copycat recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Big Mac Sauce
- Chopped Cheese Sandwich
- Big Mac Tacos
- Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce
- Chick Fil A Sauce
- Travis Scott Burger
BEST Big Mac Sliders (5-Star Special Sauce Recipe)
Big Mac sliders are the perfect quick and easy game day appetizer! Everyone wants seconds because of the best copycat Big Mac sauce recipe.
Ingredients
Big Mac Sauce:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons grated yellow onion, with juice
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sliders:
- 12 dinner rolls
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 20 slices american cheese, divided
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Toppings:
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 24 dill pickle rounds
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, thoroughly stir all the ingredients for the Big Mac Sauce together. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and begin to break up. Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and pepper over the meat. Mix the spices in as the meat cooks, breaking the meat up to a large crumble texture.
- Once the beef has browned (about 10 minutes), discard the excess grease from the pan. Add 4 slices of American cheese to the meat, and mix in until melted.
- Remove from the heat, then set aside while you prepare the buns.
- Set the oven to the broil setting. Cut the buns in half horizontally. Place the buns on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up. Spread a thin layer of softened butter on the cut side of the buns.
- Broil for 3-4 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven (leaving the broiler on), then lay 8 slices of American cheese on the bottom half of the buns.
- Spoon the meat onto the bottom half of the slider buns. Top the meat with the remaining slices of cheese.
- Place the bottom half of the buns with the meat and cheese under the broiler until the cheese has melted (about 2 minutes).
- To the top halves of the buns, spread the Big Mac Sauce out all the way to the edges. Place 2 dill pickle rounds on each bun, then sprinkle the onions evenly over the tops. (The sauce will help it stick, which makes it easier to flip.)
- Once the cheese has melted, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Spread the shredded lettuce over the melted cheese. Flip the top half of the buns onto the lettuce.
Make the Big Mac Sauce:
Make the Burger Meat:
Prepare the Buns:
Assemble the Sliders:
Optional:
- If you want the Big Mac look, lightly brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. (The butter helps the sesame seeds stick.)
- Slice the Big Mac sliders into individual servings, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/12Amount Per Serving: Calories: 477Total Fat: 37.5gCarbohydrates: 5.1gFiber: 0.5gSugar: 2.8gProtein: 29.1g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
The next time you’re looking for a delicious pull apart slider recipe, try making these delicious Big Mac sliders.
