Grilled meatball sliders are such a fun twist on traditional grilling fare. Tender grilled meatballs are cooked on skewers then piled on slider rolls with onions, peppers, and melty provolone cheese. You are going to love serving these Philly-style meatball sliders at your next BBQ.
Our family loves to cook dinner on the grill in the summer, and beef is the big favorite. Who doesn't love a good burger or nice juicy steak seared on the BBQ?
We like to entertain, so I am always coming up with recipes that are easy to make but perfect for company. Instead of just throwing some burgers on the grill, I decided to be a little more creative.
Meatball sliders are smothered with onions, peppers and provolone cheese. They are the perfect twist on the famous Philadelphia cheesesteak.
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef – I prefer a lean ground beef of 85% or higher. A lower fat content means less flareups when grilling.
- Bread Crumbs – Italian seasoned bread crumbs are my favorite but you can use plain bread crumbs. Feel free to add a bit of Italian seasoning if you do.
- Seasonings – Dried parsley, salt and ground black pepper are used.
- Ketchup – I mix ketchup into my meatballs. It adds moisture and great flavor.
- Egg – Egg acts as a binder and will help the meatballs to hold their shape while they cook.
- Peppers and Onions – I use a combination of thinly sliced red and green bell pepper and sweet yellow onion to make a tasty topping for these meatball sliders.
- Olive Oil – Or your favorite light-colored, neutral-falvored oil.
- Provolone Cheese – Provolone cheese comes with and without smoke flavor added. Both are delicious so use whichever you prefer.
- Slider Buns – I love to use the sweet Hawaiian rolls but regular slider rolls are also available.
How To Make Grilled Meatballs
- Prepare the meatballs. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, half of the salt, the parsley, black pepper, ketchup and egg. Mix until combined and form into 8 meatballs and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare the equipment. Preheat gas grill to medium high heat.
- Prepare the veggies. Thinly slice pepper and onions and toss with the olive oil and remaining salt and place in a grill pan or aluminum foil pan. Place the pan on the grill and cook covered for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and starting to brown.
- Grill the meatballs. Thread the meatballs onto wooden skewers and place on hot grill. Cook covered for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning every few minutes and cook until meatballs are brown and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Assemble the meatball sliders. Remove meatballs from skewers and place into the pan with the onions and peppers. Top each meatball with ½ slice of Provolone cheese and allow it to melt. Slice rolls in half and place some onions and peppers on each slider roll half; top with meatballs and more onions and peppers. Top with remaining rolls. Serve with ketchup if desired.
Have you ever grilled meatballs? If not, you need to give it a try. You can use a fancy meatball grill basket, but I prefer to put the meatballs on a skewer. They cooked perfectly, and I had the onions and peppers cooking at the same time right in an aluminum pan on the grill. It makes for an effortless clean-up, making me happy.
How to Serve Meatball Sliders
I liked these sliders served straight up on a plain roll. The juice from the onions and peppers gave it a great flavor, so I didn't think it needed any extra sauce. But feel free to serve with ketchup or any other condiment you wish. My family likes to spread some homemade Big Mac sauce on them.
Meatball Party Prep
If you have a big crowd, you could make the meatballs in advance and freeze them until you are ready to use them. It is best to roll them, freeze them on a cookie sheet and place them in a freezer bag. You can pull them out of the freezer, defrost and grill them whenever you have a craving for meatball sliders. The onions and peppers are also easy to make in advance. They can quickly be heated right before assembling.
My family loved this recipe, and there was one canine that lurked in the background the whole time I was putting together the sliders. Poor doggie didn't get any. Maybe next time.
What To Serve With Meatball Sliders
- Honey Lime Berry Fruit Salad with Mint
- Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto
- Grilled Apricots with Cinnamon, Ricotta and Honey
- Foil Pack Grilled Red Potatoes from Budget Delicious
- Cold Cucumber Soup from Fit Meal Ideas
If you like this Grilled Meatball Slider, please leave a 5-star rating.
RECIPE
Philly Style Grilled Meatball Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 pound 85% lean ground Beef
- ½ cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt divided
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 1 medium red pepper cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 1 medium green pepper cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 slices Provolone cheese
- 8 slider or Hawaiian rolls
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, bread crumbs, ¾ teaspoon salt (reserve the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt), parsley, black pepper, ketchup and egg. Mix until combined and form into 8 meatballs. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat gas grill to medium high heat.
- Toss together the red and green peppers along with the onions and the olive oil in a grill pan or aluminum foil pan. Sprinkle with the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Place the pan on the grill and cook covered for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and starting to brown.
- While veggies are cooking, place 2 to 3 meatballs on wooden or metal skewers and place on hot grill. Cook covered for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning every few minutes and cook until meatballs are brown and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Remove meatballs from skewers and top each meatball with ½ slice Provolone cheese. Let the cheese melt while meatballs are sitting in with the onions and peppers.
- Slice rolls in half and place some onions and peppers on each slider roll half; top with meatballs and more onions and peppers. Top with remaining rolls. Serve with ketchup if desired.
Nutrition
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Sues
Love this idea! I would eat so many of these....
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
Great looking sliders, my husband would go crazy over these!