My Meatball Sliders with Whipped Ricotta are the perfect lightened up recipe to feed a crowd! Savory, juicy meatballs are tossed in marinara sauce and served up on slider rolls with a dollop of fluffy, whipped ricotta cheese. Serve these tasty meatball sliders at your next party and watch them disappear!
If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe to serve on Super Bowl Sunday, then these Italian meatball sliders are for you! Whether you're a football fan or not, who doesn't love good party food like a hearty meatball sandwich?
Some of my other favorite game day dishes are my Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip, Ultimate Rotisserie Chicken Quesadillas, and Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings.
My Meatball Sliders with Whipped Ricotta are the perfect lightened up entertaining recipe. They're a nutritious take on the classic meatball sub, a traditionally indulgent party food that's easy to overeat. I decided to make a healthier version of the dish by making sliders. It's instant portion control!
I also use lean (93%) ground beef in my meatballs. Plus, I bake them in the oven instead of frying them, which shaves off plenty of calories and fat.
These sliders are fun, delicious, and easy to make. It's one of my favorite recipes for the holidays or anytime you're entertaining. They're also perfect for a fun weeknight dinner. The whole family will love them!
I season the meatballs with onions, garlic, and parmesan cheese and toss them with marinara sauce. Then I serve them up on soft Hawaiian rolls with a dollop of creamy, whipped ricotta cheese. They're so good!
So the next time you're looking for a fun and easy recipe to feed a crowd, make these tasty meatball sliders!
Why You'll Love This Dish
- These meatballs sliders are sooooo tasty!
- A simple recipe that's easy to make.
- Lightened up party food- I use lean ground beef and bake the meatballs rather than frying. Plus, sliders are instant portion control!
- Feeds a crowd- this recipe is perfect for entertaining
- Make-ahead- all the components can be made ahead of time and assembled at party time
Whipped Ricotta
Ricotta cheese, when blended in a food processor with a little olive oil, whips up to a light and fluffy, cloud-like consistency. It's delicious as a dip seasoned with some fresh herbs and served with crusty bread.
This deliciously creamy topping is also perfect on top of the savory meatballs. Although traditional meatball subs and sliders use mozzarella or provolone cheese, a dollop of creamy whipped ricotta is my cheese of choice!
Although whipped ricotta seems like something that's really fancy, it's actually quite easy to make. If you've never tried it, you must- it's so good!
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions (see recipe card below for full ingredient list).
- Ground beef- I use 93% lean ground beef; you can substitute ground turkey to make turkey meatballs
- Onion- Because lean beef doesn't have as much fat as traditional ground beef, I have a trick to keep the meatballs moist. I add grated onion to the meat- it adds moisture and flavor.
- Garlic- can substitute garlic powder
- Breadcrumbs- I use dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Ricotta cheese- instead of traditional mozzarella or provolone cheese, I top my meatball sliders with fluffy, whipped ricotta cheese; use whole milk ricotta so that it whips up nicely.
- Slider rolls- I like to use King's Hawaiian sweet rolls or savory butter rolls for these sliders. You can use any slider roll, including potato buns or your favorite dinner rolls.
How To Make Meatball Sliders Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Whip the ricotta, olive oil and salt in a mini food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.
- Step 2- Mix the ground beef, egg, onion, garlic, milk, parsley, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Step 3- Form the mixture into 12 meatballs and place them on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. You can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up if you like.
- Step 4- Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F as checked with a meat thermometer. Toss meatballs with your favorite sauce (I use Rao's marinara sauce). Then, to assemble the sliders, place meatballs on the bottom buns and spoon a little marinara sauce on top. Top each meatballs with a dollop of whipped ricotta and add the top buns. Devour!
Chef's Tips:
- Use whole milk ricotta for this dish so that it whips up to a nice fluffy consistency. You can use reduced fat ricotta but it won't be as creamy.
- I like to make my own homemade meatballs for these sliders but you can absolutely use store-bought frozen meatballs if you're short on time.
- I like to use a box grater or microplane zester/grater to grate onion into the meatball mix. It keeps the meat moist and adds flavor. Plus, you won’t have chunks of onion in the meatballs. If you don’t have a grater, you can chop the onion finely or substitute ½ teaspoon onion powder.
- You can make air fryer meatballs instead of baking them in the oven. Cook the meatballs in a preheated air fryer at 360F for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
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Recipe
Meatball Sliders with Whipped Ricotta
Equipment
Ingredients
Whipped Ricotta:
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Meatballs:
- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- ½ small onion, grated or finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Other:
- 1 cup jarred marinara sauce (I like Rao's marinara sauce)
- 12 soft slider rolls (preferably whole wheat), toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- To make the whipped ricotta, blend the ricotta cheese, olive oil, and a pinch of salt together in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.
- To make the meatballs, mix the ground beef, egg, onion, garlic, milk, parsley, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs and place them on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F, about 18-20 minutes.
- Heat the marinara sauce in a large bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove until warmed through. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and stir to combine.
- To assemble the sliders, place a meatball on each roll bottom and spoon a little marinara sauce on top. Top each meatball with a dollop of whipped ricotta and add the roll tops. Devour!
Notes
- Use whole milk ricotta for this dish so that it whips up to a nice fluffy consistency. You can use reduced fat ricotta but it won't be as creamy.
- I like to make my own homemade meatballs for these sliders but you can absolutely use store-bought frozen meatballs if you're short on time.
- I like to use a box grater or microplane zester/grater to grate onion into the meatball mix. It keeps the meat moist and adds flavor. Plus, you won’t have chunks of onion in the meatballs. If you don’t have a grater, you can chop the onion finely or substitute ½ teaspoon onion powder.
- You can make air fryer meatballs instead of baking them in the oven. Cook the meatballs in a preheated air fryer at 360F for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
Deborah says
I am making this recipe for the second time because it is so very delicious. The meatballs are melt-in-your-mouth moist and the seasonings are spot on. I made this recipe both times "as is" and without any modifications. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Amee Livingston says
Sonali, thank you so much for the shout-out! Your sliders were really, really amazing! I loved all of the flavors and the whipped ricotta was a great addition. You were all winners in my book! 🙂
sonaliruder says
Thanks Amee! I really appreciated the opportunity and I had a blast competing with such talented cooks!
Caroline Kaufman says
I am completely in love with this slider recipe. I kind of want to throw a party now just so I can make these!!
sonaliruder says
Haha, that's great! I'll be there! Thanks Caroline 🙂
Kathy says
These certainly look amazing. I love the whole slider size of a burger. They aren't nearly as messy as a huge burger.
sonaliruder says
Sliders rock- instant portion control! Thanks for stopping by Kathy 🙂
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
Mmmm!!!!!!! I haven't had ground red meat in sooooooo long and now I am completely craving it!!!! MUST FIND AND DESTROY BURGER - stat!
sonaliruder says
Burgers be warned, GiGi is on the loose!!!
Evolve With Mary says
That whipped ricotta just blew my mind. My boyfriend is Italian and I think he will love this recipe, who doesn't enjoy meatball sliders?
sonaliruder says
Seriously, who doesn't love a meatball slider? Thanks so much for stopping by Mary, I really appreciate the comment 🙂
Min Kwon says
Love the idea of topping meatballs with whipped ricotta! yum! I normally use tenderloin or ribeye, but I def should venture out and try diff cuts
sonaliruder says
The whipped ricotta is really yummy Min, you should definitely give it a try! Thanks for stopping by my friend, have a wonderful week 🙂
Kathy @ Olives and Garlic says
Sonali I just made a batch of homemade ricotta on Sunday and this recipe would be a great way to use some of it. Lovely!
sonaliruder says
Homemade ricotta...yum!! Such perfect timing, sounds like it was meant to be! Thanks Kathy, enjoy!