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Home ≫ Air Fryer

Air Fryer Sliders with Caramelized Onions

By Nikole Berg Oct 19, 2024 · Updated: Jan 29, 2025

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You'll love these Air Fryer Sliders for a quick dinner or game day snack! These mini burgers are topped with cheese, caramelized onions, and a quick homemade burger sauce. Ready in about 30 minutes and sure to become a family favorite.

A cheeseburger slder on a plate.

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Looking for a family dinner or fun meal everyone will love? Try these easy air fryer sliders. This tasty recipe is simple to make and we take it to the next level with a homemade burger sauce and caramelized onions. Everything is made from simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator so you can get these delicious sliders made right away.

Maybe you're in need of the perfect party food for a get together. These air fryer sliders will not disappoint. They are versatile just like any burger is, so you can serve them with any type of cheese or toppings you and your friends like. Why not make a cheeseburger sliders snack bar with different homemade sauces, toppings, and a huge platter of French fries? Sounds like a real crowd pleaser to me!

Love sliders? Try these Ground Turkey Siders next!

​Ingredients

This is an overview of the recipe. Scroll to the bottom of the post for exact amounts and printable recipe card.

Ground beef - 80/20 (ground chuck) is the best choice for making juicy burgers. Lean ground beef and/or ground turkey can be subbed just be sure to adjust cooking time. Leaner meats will cook faster.

Worcestershire sauce - steak sauce can be used instead. 

Dijon mustard - or a mustard you have on hand like yellow mustard.

Onion powder and garlic powder

Salt and black pepper

Cheese - I used cheese slices, but if shredded cheese is what you have on hand, that will work too. But since the burgers are so small, I find that slices work best. I make them with American cheese, Velveeta, provolone, cheddar, Swiss cheese; whatever I'm in the mood for!

Slider buns - choose your favorite kind. Soft Hawaiian rolls also work really well and taste delicious.

​Nonstick cooking spray

Burger sauce - this is a homemade sauce made with mayo, ketchup, seasonings, and spicy pickles. It's a variation of my Big Mac copycat burger sauce.

​Caramelized onions - I used yellow onions, but red onions are really good too.

Butter and olive oil - for cooking the onions.

Ingredients to make the recipe.

Directions

1) Preheat the air fryer.

2) While the air fryer heats: Cut onions into thin slices, crosswise. Heat a large skillet with butter and olive oil. When the butter foams, add the sliced onions and toss to coat. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. These will be cooking while you prep the sauce and the patties.

3) Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic powder, and chopped pickles in a small bowl. Set aside.

4) Mix ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine.

5) Form meat mixture into 8 meatballs that are the same size and weight (about 2 oz each). Press them out with your palms to form small patties.

6) Spray the preheated air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Place patties in the basket. It's okay if they are touching, just not overlapping. I can get all 8 patties in my air fryer, but this will depend on the size of your air fryer. Cook in batches if necessary.

7) Air fry patties at 380 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes depending on desired doneness. I recommend cooking burgers well done with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F when tested with an instant read meat thermometer.

​8) Top the patties with a slice of cheese that's been cut in half and folded over. Air fry for another minute to melt the cheese.

9) Remove sliders to a plate and toast buns in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes, if desired.

10) Place patties on the bottom bun then top with caramelized onions and burger sauce. Add the top bun and serve.

Cooking onions.
Caramelized onions cooked in a skillet.
Meatballs formed from ground meat.
Raw slider patties in air fryer basket.
Cooked slider patties in basket.
Patties in air fryer basket with melted cheese.
Sliders on buns with caramelized onions.
Burger sauce on sliders.

Tips

Cook patties in a single layer. It's okay if the edges are touching, though.

Use a meat thermometer to get your cheese sliders perfectly cooked. 

Use a kitchen scale to get patties the same weight.

Ground chuck will render a good amount of grease in the bottom of the basket. Be sure to discard grease in the trash, not the sink drain. 

How to store your air fryer sliders

Store cheeseburger patties, sauce, onions, and buns separately. For best results use a separate airtight container for each item and leave in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Slider rolls or buns can be kept at room temperature.

Reheat in the microwave at reduced power to keep the meat from drying out.

More delicious sauce recipes 

  • Southern Tartar Sauce
  • Avocado Ranch
  • Homemade BBQ sauce made with Ketchup
  • Creamy Cajun Sauce

​Side dishes to serve with air fryer sliders

  • Baked Mac and Cheese
  • Zoe's Greek Potato Salad Copycat
  • Baked Parmesan Potato Bites
  • Instant Pot Mexican Beans

More air fryer recipes

  • Air Fryer Fish Sticks
  • Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Chicken
  • Air Fryer Anytizers Chicken Fries
  • Air Fryer Hot Dogs
A slider with burger sauce and caramelized onion on a cutting board.

If you make these Air Fryer Sliders, I'd love to know how they turned out! Let me know in the comments!

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Air fryer slider on a plate with burger sauce dripping over the patty.

Air Fryer Sliders

Recipe by Nikole Berg
These mini burgers are easy to make for a quick dinner or game day snack.
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 795 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the caramelized onions:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1.5 cups thinly sliced onion cut crosswise
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the burger sauce:

  • ⅓ cup mayo
  • 2-3 tablespoon ketchup French dressing
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ⅓ cup spicy pickles, chopped dill or sweet

For the sliders:

  • 1 lb ground chuck, 80/20 or preference
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or preference
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 slices American cheese halved
  • 8 slider rolls, buns Hawaiian rolls
US Customary - Metric

Instructions
 

For the caramelized onions:

  • Cut onions into thin slices, crosswise. Heat a large skillet with butter and olive oil. When the butter foams, add the sliced onions and toss to coat. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. These will be cooking while you prep the sauce and the patties.

For the burger sauce:

  • Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic powder, and chopped pickles in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the sliders:

  • Preheat the air fryer.
  • Mix ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine.
  • Form meat mixture into 8 meatballs that are the same size and weight. Press them out with your palms to form small patties.
  • Spray the preheated air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Place patties in the basket. It's okay if they are touching, just not overlapping. Cook in batches if necessary.
  • Air fry patties at 380 degrees F for 5 to 7 minutes depending on desired doneness. I recommend cooking burgers well done with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
  • ​Top the patties with a slice of cheese that's been cut in half and folded over. Air fry for another minute to melt the cheese.
  • Remove sliders to a plate and toast buns in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes, if desired.
  • Place patties on the bottom bun then top with caramelized onions and burger sauce. Add the top bun and serve.

Notes

  • Cook patties in a single layer. It's okay if the edges are touching, though.
  • Use a meat thermometer to get your cheese sliders perfectly cooked. 
  • Ground chuck will render a good amount of grease in the bottom of the basket. Be sure to discard grease in the trash, not the sink drain. 

Nutrition

Calories: 795kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 30gFat: 55gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1116mgPotassium: 510mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 469IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 320mgIron: 5mg
Keyword burgers, cheeseburgers, game day snacks
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About Nikole Berg

Nikole is the creator and photographer behind The Travel Palate, a food and travel blog featuring quick and flavorful recipes and getaway guides. Nikole hopes to inspire your inner foodie whether you're in the kitchen or traveling on your next adventure.

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Welcome! I'm Nikole, the blogger, photographer, and recipe developer dedicated to bringing you recipes that maximize flavor with minimal effort.

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