Published: Mar 1, 2015 · Last Updated: Feb 7, 2023 by Dr. Sonali Ruder · This post may contain affiliate links · 55 Comments

Meatball Sliders with Whipped Ricotta

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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!

Row of meatball sliders with whipped ricotta

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

Steps for making meatball sliders with whipped ricotta

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.

Close up a meatball slider with whipped ricotta

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