Pizza Sliders

Why You’ll Love These

Delicious: These tasty pizza sliders are so tasty, pairing up sweet rolls with Italian sausage, cheese, pepperoni, oregano, and a garlic and onion topping.
Easy to make: There’s no need for the fun theatrics you might see in an Italian pizzeria, such as tossing dough in the air! The Hawaiian rolls make things easier, and this is a beginner-friendly recipe idea.
Feed a crowd: You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a large group or for a party.
Customizable: The great thing about pizza sliders is you can make them however you want, using your favorite pizza toppings. Whatever you like to order on your pizza would also be tasty on these!

Easy Pizza Sliders Recipe Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Hawaiian rolls: Offering a sweet flavor and a fluffy, soft texture, Hawaiian rolls are great for making pizza sliders. Of course, if you find them too sweet, you can use any kind of buns or rolls you want.
Pizza sauce: Any tomato-based sauce is good here, perhaps a basic tomato sauce or one with basil and garlic, or even a spicy sauce if you want some heat.
Italian sausage: Use sweet or spicy sausage, as you prefer.
Cheese: The combination of parmesan, provolone and mozzarella cheese adds plenty of cheesy appeal to the sliders. Feel free to use others if you prefer.
Pepperoni: One of the most popular pizza toppings. Not a pepperoni fan? You can leave it off. Or sub turkey pepperoni.
Oregano: Dried oregano is a classic pizza seasoning. It pairs nicely with the basic in the topping.
Butter: This is for the topping. Unsalted butter is best if you have it, as some of the other ingredients, like the pepperoni, are quite salty.
Garlic powder and onion powder: These add flavor to the topping. Feel free to adjust the amounts to your taste.

How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Sliders

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Cook the sausage: Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, in a skillet, and drain off the grease.
Add the sauce and cheese: Stir in the pizza sauce and parmesan cheese.
Assemble the sliders: Cut the rolls in half horizontally and arrange the bottom halves in a cooking spray greased baking dish. Top with the provolone cheese and the sauce mixture. Add the pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and oregano on top and then add the roll tops.
Make the topping: Mix the melted butter with the basil, garlic powder and onion powder. Brush the butter mixture over the rolls.
Cook the pizza sliders: Cover the baking sheet with foil and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven.
The finishing touches: Discard the foil, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the pizza sliders and cook for 5 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, you can sub any kind of gluten-free rolls.
Different toppings: Feel free to add whatever pizza topping you like – mushroom slices, corn kernels, spinach, tuna, bacon, ham, and olives are just some ideas to consider when you make pizza sliders.
Different seasonings: You might like to use Italian seasoning in place of the oregano or add some red pepper flakes for a spicy touch. You can also use marinara sauce or any kind of pizza sauce you prefer.

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers:  If you’re making a selection of tasty snacks, you might also want to offer smoked brats in beer or potstickers.
Side dishes: Smoked asparagus, creamy corn or green goddess salad would be a nice pairing.

How to Store Pizza Sliders

Store:  Keep these refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: They will freeze for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them individually so I can just thaw what I need.
Thaw: The best way to thaw these is overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: It’s best to reheat pizza sliders wrapped in foil in the oven so they don’t dry out or burn.

Top Tips

Use block mozzarella: I like to shred my own mozzarella cheese from a block instead of using the ready-shredded cheese from the store. It just melts better.
Get creative: Whichever toppings you love on pizza are sure to be great in these tasty pizza sliders, so don’t be afraid to experiment!
Party Perfect: You can prep these ahead of time and also double or triple the recipe for a party, game day or family gathering.
Be Generous: Don’t go light on the butter on top as it is what gives them the beautiful golden color.
Let them cool: Don’t serve immediately because they get really hot! Let the pizza sliders rest for a few minutes and then you can use a knife or pizza wheel to cut along the roll seams and separate them.