Taco Sliders (original) (raw)
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These easy Taco Sliders are a fun twist on taco night that’s ready in just 30 minutes! Top buttery slider rolls with taco seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, and your favorite taco toppings.
Want more sliders? Try my Baked Club Sliders and Pesto Chicken Sliders next!
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Why I Love This Taco Sliders Recipe
- 30 Minutes Only – These are super quick and easy to make!
- Fun and Family Friendly – There is something about small sliders that is so fun to eat!
- Make Ahead Friendly – To save time, you can make the taco meat in advance (or use leftovers)!
Ingredients
- Slider Buns – I used Pepperidge Farms. King’s Hawaiian buns are great for most sliders (like these Ham and Cheese Sliders), but are a bit too sweet for this recipe. I recommend using a white bread recipe, or even a yeasted dinner roll. If you can only find King’s Hawaiian, use their buttery version as it’s slightly less sweet.
- Taco Meat – You can use any Tex-Mex-seasoned ground beef, turkey, or chicken. The next time you make ground beef tacos, make a double batch of taco meat and freeze half for sliders!
- Shredded Colby Jack Cheese – Any good melting, freshly shredded cheese can be substituted. Cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella make good substitutions.
- Melted Butter – This will be mixed with the spices and then brushed on top of the buns.
- Spices (garlic powder, onion powder, and salt)
- Fresh Chopped Cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, you can omit or use fresh chopped parsley.
- For Serving – Sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa or pico de gallo, guacamole, or any other favorite taco toppings.
How To Make Taco Sliders
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Make Taco Meat – Using the provided recipe, cook the ground beef with the seasonings. You could also use your own favorite recipe or leftovers.
Prep Slider Buns – Get the oven preheating and spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the slider buns in half horizontally so you have two sheets. Add the bottom sheet to the baking pan and bake for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
Assemble Sliders – Layer half of the cheese, the taco meat, and the rest of the cheese.
Brush Buns – Mix together melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Add the top sheet of buns, then brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter mixture.
Bake – Cover the pan with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-7 more minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Serve – Top with chopped cilantro and slice between the buns to serve with toppings of your choice, like sour cream, Guacamole and Pico de Gallo.
Serving Suggestions
- Set up a ‘Topping Bar’ – I like to serve these with the toppings on the side so that everyone can choose the way they like to make their slider. A variety of toppings can be added such as jalapeno slices, avocado, guacamole, pico, olives or roasted corn. Anything that goes well on tacos, will work on these sliders!
- Side Dish Pairings – If you’re serving these as part of a main meal, pair them with other Mexican-inspired sides like Mexican Rice, Mexican Black Beans, or Street Corn Salad.
- Serve as an Appetizer – If you’re serving these as an appetizer, add some tortilla chips (store-bought or homemade Air Fryer Tortilla Chips) and homemade guacamole and Restaurant Style Salsa. Or, create a Mexican-themed appetizer spread with my Chicken Flautas or Nachos Supreme.
Storage
These are best when eaten soon after being made. They can become soggier after being stored, especially if they have any toppings on them.
Storage – However, if you have leftovers, you can store them tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, with toppings stored separately.
To Reheat – Place in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also microwave individual servings for 10 seconds.
Expert Tips
- Cover with Foil – It’s important to cover with foil for the first half or so of the bake time so that the tops of the buns don’t get too dark before the cheese is melted and gooey.
- Toast the Bottom Half First – Toasting the bottom half of the sliders may seem like an extra step, but it really helps keep the sliders from getting soft and soggy. Don’t skip it!
- Homemade Taco Seasoning vs Store Bought – In a pinch, the store bought packets are a good shortcut, but I really prefer to make taco seasoning from scratch using simple, pantry spices. The store bought packets tend to be far saltier and higher in sodium and preservatives than if you mix it up yourself.
- Make it Spicy – To add a kick, you can add about ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the taco meat. Another great option is to add thinly sliced jalapenos to the slider layers.
More Slider Recipes
- Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
- BBQ Chicken Sliders
- Turkey Sliders
- Pizza Sliders
- Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Recipe
Taco Meat
- 1 pound Ground beef 90/10 is recommended
- 1/2 cup Finely diced onion
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
- 2/3 cup Beef broth or water
- 2 tablespoons Taco seasoning
Sliders
- 12 Slider buns Savory, not sweet
- 2 cups Freshly shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 5 tablespoons Butter melted
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
For serving
- Sour cream
- Shredded lettuce
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Or any of your other favorite taco toppings
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Taco Meat
- Add ground beef, diced onion and minced garlic to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break up beef with a spatula and stir often until no longer pink; 5-7 minutes. Drain grease or soak up with paper towels and discard.
- To the cooked beef mixture, stir in tomato paste, beef broth or water, and all taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thickened and reduced; about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
Sliders
While the meat is cooking, preheat oven to 375℉. Lightly spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick spray.
Slice the slider buns in half horizontally, and place the bottom buns in the prepared 9”x13” pan. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the buns start to get lightly browned and crunchy. This step is important to keep the bottom buns from getting soggy.
Layer half of the shredded cheese onto the buns, then the taco meat (use a slotted spoon and let sauce drip off), then the remaining shredded cheese. Place the top buns on.
In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Brush onto the tops of the buns.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the foil touch the tops of the sliders; use toothpicks if necessary.
Remove foil and bake for 5-7 more minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Top with chopped cilantro, slice sandwiches apart at the seams and serve immediately with toppings of your choice.
These sliders are best when eaten soon after being made. They can become soggier after being stored, especially if they have any extra toppings on them.
Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, with toppings stored separately.
To reheat: Place in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also microwave individual servings for 10 seconds.
Nutritional information is approximate and does not include optional toppings.
Serving: 2SlidersCalories: 611kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 30gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 697mgPotassium: 382mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 934IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 374mgIron: 4mg
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.