Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders are my homemade answer to that drive-thru craving I get way too often. Juicy seasoned beef and melted cheddar piled onto soft toasted Hawaiian rolls, finished with that tangy, creamy Big Mac sauce that ties everything together. Every single bite is saucy, cheesy, and impossible to put down.

Three Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders stacked on a grey plate, featuring toasted sesame seed buns, melted cheese, and seasoned ground beef. A head of romaine lettuce and a speckled bowl with a spoon are visible in the background on a wooden surface. — Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders. Photo Credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

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I make these whenever I need a quick dinner that the whole family will actually get excited about. They come together so fast in the air fryer and are perfect for game day spreads, get-togethers, and weeknight dinners when the drive-thru craving hits hard. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheat in the air fryer to keep the rolls from getting soggy.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.

An ingredient spread for Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders featuring twelve Hawaiian rolls, raw ground beef, cheddar cheese, and fresh lettuce. Bowls of white onion, pickles, mayonnaise, and various seasonings are arranged on a pink speckled surface. — Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders Ingredients. Photo Credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

How to Make Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders with Step-By-Step Instructions

Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.

Here’s how I make this air-fried homemade Big Mac sliders recipe, and I promise the process is simpler than the ingredient list makes it look.

Cook the Beef and Onion

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and sauté until soft, then add ground beef and cook until fully browned.

Season with salt and pepper, then drain excess grease once cooked, and set it aside while you prep everything else. I like using a cast-iron skillet here because it gives the beef great color and cooks evenly.

Toast the Rolls

Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, keeping both halves connected as one slab, and place them in a baking dish that fits your air fryer. Brush the cut sides with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with garlic powder.

Place them cut-side up in the air fryer and air-fry at 350°F (180°C) for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned or toasted. Remove and set aside. A silicone pastry brush makes buttering the rolls quick and mess-free.

Make the Big Mac Sauce

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, grated onion, mustard, white vinegar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt until smooth and all the sauce ingredients are fully combined.

Set it aside. You can make the sauce ahead and refrigerate it, and the great flavors only get better as it sits.

Layer the Bottom Half

Spread the Big Mac sauce generously on both the top and bottom halves of the toasted rolls. On the bottom half, lay down cheddar cheese slices to create the first cheese layer.

Slider bun spread generously with homemade Big Mac sauce, arranged in a blue and white speckled rectangular baking dish, viewed from above. — Spread Big Mac sauce on both the top and bottom halves of the toasted rolls.

Build the Filling

Spoon the cooked ground beef mixture in an even layer over the cheese layer. Add the remaining 4 slices of cheddar on top of the beef, then layer on the shredded lettuce. Place the top half of the rolls over the filling and brush the tops with olive oil.

Browned ground beef with diced onions spread over slider bun bottoms in a rectangular baking dish for Big Mac sliders. — Spoon the cooked ground beef over the cheese in an even layer.

Sliced cheese layered over cooked ground beef on slider buns in a rectangular baking dish for Air Fryer Big Mac sliders. — Top with cheddar slices and shredded lettuce.

Air Fry Until Golden

Carefully transfer the assembled slider slab into the air fryer basket on a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the top buns are golden brown.

Twelve Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders with toasted sesame seed buns in a blue speckled baking dish, resting on a wooden board next to a black air fryer. — Air-fry at 350°F (180°C) for 5–7 minutes until cheese melts and buns turn golden.

Check halfway through for even cooking. Once done, slice along the seams to separate into individual sliders and serve warm with extra sauce on the side if you’d like. A serrated bread knife makes slicing through the connected rolls clean and easy.

Serve and enjoy!

If you’re bringing them to potlucks, game day parties, or any gathering where you’re bringing food to share, keep the slab intact and unsliced until you arrive, since the connected rolls hold the filling together much better during transport.

Wrap the whole dish tightly in foil to keep the heat in, then slide it into an insulated carrier to maintain the temperature. Pack extra sauces in sealed mason jars to prevent leaking.

Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders

Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders are my go-to whenever I want something crowd-pleasing that comes together fast and tastes better than the drive-thru. Seasoned ground beef, double layers of cheddar, shredded lettuce, and a creamy homemade Big Mac sauce all packed into toasted Hawaiian rolls and air fried until perfectly golden. These sliders are the kind of thing you set out and they're gone before you can grab a second one. I make them for game day, Super Bowl parties, and weeknight dinners because everyone loves them.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders

Servings:

Calories: 331kcal

Author: Mandy Applegate

Ingredients

For the Sliders:

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing
½ cup white onion finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
12 Hawaiian rolls kept connected
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon garlic powder
8 slices cheddar cheese
Fresh lettuce shredded

For the Big Mac Sauce:

½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon grated onion
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion until soft. Add ground beef and cook until fully browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
1 pound ground beef, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup white onion, Salt and pepper
Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, keeping the top and bottom halves connected, and place them in a baking dish that fits your air fryer. Brush the cut sides with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place cut-side up in the air fryer and air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 2–3 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove and set aside.
12 Hawaiian rolls, 2 tablespoons melted butter, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, pickle relish, onion, mustard, white vinegar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt until smooth. Set aside.
½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, 1 tablespoon grated onion, 2 tablespoons mustard, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Spread Big Mac sauce on both the top and bottom halves of the rolls. On the bottom half, place 4 slices of cheddar cheese.
8 slices cheddar cheese, Fresh lettuce
Spoon the cooked beef mixture evenly on top of the cheese. Layer with the remaining 4 slices of cheese and shredded lettuce. Place the top half of the rolls over the filling. Brush the tops with olive oil.
Carefully place the assembled sliders into the air fryer basket (on parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup). Air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 5–7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown. (Check halfway to ensure even cooking.) Slice along the seams to make individual sliders.
Serve warm with extra sauce on the side if desired.

Notes

Here are a few tips I’ve picked up from making these sliders more than once.

Keep the rolls connected: Don’t separate the Hawaiian rolls before slicing. Keeping them as one slab makes layering, air frying, and slicing into individual portions much cleaner and easier.

Toast the rolls before filling: Air-frying buttered rolls before adding the filling gives them a lightly crisp base that holds up to the sauce and beef without getting soggy.

Layer the cheese on both sides: Placing cheese slices below the beef and on top creates that double-cheese melt you want in every bite, and helps hold the filling together.

Check halfway through air frying: At the 3 to 4 minute mark, check on the sliders to make sure the tops are browning evenly. Every air fryer runs a little differently, so adjust by a minute or two as needed.

Add lettuce after cooking: Shredded lettuce goes on before the top bun but after the hot filling layers, so it stays crisp and fresh instead of wilting from the heat.

Store properly: Assembled sliders keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and are best reheated in the air fryer. The Big Mac sauce also tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge, so you can make it an hour ahead while the beef is cooking or prep it the night before.

Nutrition

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How to Store Leftovers

Leftover Big Mac sliders keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or wrapping the dish tightly with plastic wrap.

To reheat, pop them in the air fryer at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes, and the rolls will crisp right back up. You can also reheat them in the oven or microwave.

I don’t recommend freezing them because the lettuce and mayo in the sauce won’t hold up in the freezer, so I only serve fully assembled sliders fresh or within a few days, whenever possible, for best results.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders

These air fryer slider buns are filling on their own, but they pair great with classic sides that match the classic burger vibes. Crispy air fryer fries, sweet potato fries, or a simple coleslaw are natural fits.

Onion rings, dill pickle slices on the side, or a simple green salad all work really well too, and if you want to keep things lighter, some cut veggies with dipping sauce balance out the richness of the beef and cheese really nicely.

Extra Big Mac sauce doubles as a dipping sauce for fries or veggies, and honestly, that alone is reason enough to always make a double batch.

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About the Author

A woman with long brown hair is smiling and standing with her arms crossed. She is wearing a sleeveless, black and white diamond-patterned dress.

Hey there! I’m Mandy

Mandy Applegate is a home cook, food blogger, and writer who believes the best meals are the ones shared with the people you love.

She’s all about easy recipes that taste amazing, the kind that make ordinary days feel a little more special and remind you why cooking at home matters.

She has been published on NBC, the Daily News, the Boston Herald, and the Chicago Sun-Times, amongst many others.

Air Fryer Big Mac Sliders

Ingredients You’ll Need