BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

5 from 4 votes

These savory BBQ pulled pork sliders are the best game day food! Make them for an irresistible Super Bowl party snack.

Servings sliders

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1

Ingredients

1 cup caramelized onions about 1 small onion
12 rolls King's Hawaiian Rolls
4 to 5 slices cheddar cheese
1 pound pulled pork
½ cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons garlic aioli

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First, caramelize the onions in a large frying pan. Heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until melted, then add the sliced onion to the pan and stir to coat. Cook until the onions become translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Then, add the salt and sugar to help start the caramelization process.
Once the onions begin to look dry, add about a quarter cup of water to the pan. Cook until the water has evaporated and the onions are dry again, stirring occasionally but not too frequently. Continue this process, cooking the onions over medium-low heat and adding some water to the pan whenever they look like they might start burning, until the onions are brown and smell sweet - this will take about 30 to 45 minutes.
When the onions are almost done cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, so they stay attached but the tops are separated from the bottoms. Place both halves cut side up on a large baking sheet.
Lay the cheese over the top half of the rolls in a single layer. Bake until the cheese is melted and the rolls are lightly toasted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
When the onions are done cooking, add the pulled pork to the frying pan (leave the onions in the pan!). Cook over medium-low heat until the pork is warmed through and lightly crisped, about 5 minutes. Then, remove from heat and stir in the barbecue sauce.
Next, spread the garlic aioli over the bottom half of the toasted rolls. Top with the pulled pork and onion mixture, then close the sliders and serve hot.

Notes

Pulled pork: We recommend using our slow cooker pulled pork recipe for these sliders! It's so easy and cooks overnight, so it's basically zero work. Prepare it the night before, or a few days in advance.

Caramelizing the onions: We recommend making the caramelized onions fresh for this recipe, since all the flavor left behind in the pan gets mixed into the pork (so delicious!). But if you need to save some time on the day of the big game, you can always make the caramelized onions ahead of time and just reheat them in the frying pan before adding in the pork.

For tips on how to make the perfect caramelized onions, check out our blog post here.

Serving suggestions: These savory game day sliders go great with any of your favorite football snacks! Serve them with chips & dip, fries, tater tots, onion rings, wings, or buffalo chicken dip. For more ideas, check out our blog post above!

We recommend planning about 3 to 4 sliders per person if they're the main dish, or 2 to 3 per person as part of a larger appetizer spread.

Storing & reheating leftovers: If you happen to have any leftover sliders after the big game, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds to enjoy again!

Author: Nicole and Alex

Calories: 121kcal

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barbecue, bbq sauce, cheddar cheese, game day, garlic aioli, hawaiian rolls, party appetizer, party snack, pulled pork, super bowl, yellow onion

Nutrition