Pull-apart sliders in the air fryer are mini cheeseburgers baked tightly side by side in a dish, so the brioche buns only just manage to stay joined together. At the table, you pull one slider free at a time, and a juicy beef patty and melted cheddar are hiding under the butter-brushed top. It is American fast food in finger-food format, and the dish is usually empty long before it has had time to go cold.
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The recipe makes 8 sliders and takes 27 minutes in total. Each slider gets its own little patty, which is cooked first, and toppings such as pickled cucumber, ketchup, mustard and shallot go in after baking. That way, the buns turn golden and fluffy instead of soggy.
Table of Contents
Why I love pull-apart sliders in the air fryer
I am very fond of dishes you can put in the middle of the table and let people help themselves, and sliders are hard to beat in that respect. They suit a Friday night, a football match and a children’s birthday equally well. Because all eight are baked in the same dish, they reach the table hot at the same time.
The air fryer handles both steps. First it cooks the patties at high heat, and afterwards it bakes the assembled sliders at a lower temperature, so the cheese melts without the brioche getting too dark. You do not have to turn on the oven or stand over a sizzling pan.
Why the patties are cooked before the sliders are assembled
In many pull-apart recipes, the minced meat is laid in one big slab across the buns. Here, each slider instead gets its own patty of about 50 g, and that has several advantages. The patties get a good crust on both sides, you can measure the internal temperature before they are assembled, and you can pat the fat off before the meat meets the bread. That means the baking in the dish is only about melting the cheese and giving the buns some colour.
My kitchen test of pull-apart sliders
I tested the sliders in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where heating elements at both the top and the bottom of the basket give the patties an even crust. I cooked them at 200 °C for 6 minutes and turned them after 3 minutes, and the meat thermometer showed 75 °C in the centre when I inserted it horizontally from the side. Minced beef has to be cooked through, so I do not compromise on that number.
Then I turned the temperature down to 160 °C and baked the assembled sliders in an ovenproof dish of about 20 x 20 cm for 6 minutes. The cheese had melted, the tops were golden, and the buns stuck together just enough that they needed a little tug. With 15 minutes of preparation and 12 minutes in the air fryer, the dish was on the table after 27 minutes.
Assemble the sliders while the patties are still warm. That way, the cheddar melts faster, and the brioche does not have time to get too dark before the cheese is soft.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is soggy bases. They happen when the fat from the patties soaks down into the bread, so pat the patties dry with kitchen roll before you assemble the sliders. The second mistake is patties that end up smaller than the buns. Minced beef shrinks during cooking, which is why the patties should be shaped flat and about 7 cm in diameter, so slightly wider than the buns, which are about 6 cm. The third mistake is tops that get too dark. Brioche browns quickly in the air fryer, so stick to 160 °C during baking, and keep an eye on the tops during the last few minutes.
How to serve pull-apart sliders
Put the dish in the middle of the table together with the toppings, so everyone can pull a slider free and fill it themselves. This goes well with:
- French fries, preferably with extra ketchup for dipping
- Coleslaw, which adds acidity and crunch to the soft bread
- Corn on the cob with butter and a sprinkle of salt
- A mild burger sauce stirred together from mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard
Storage and reheating
Sliders taste best freshly baked, but leftovers without toppings can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 160 °C for 5-6 minutes, until they are heated through and the cheese is soft again. You can also freeze them without toppings for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating, and only add the toppings once the sliders are hot.
Pull-apart sliders are one of those dishes where people reach for the dish before it has even hit the table. Stick to the two steps, the patties first and then the assembled sliders, and save the toppings for last. That gives you eight mini cheeseburgers with juicy meat, melted cheese and golden, fluffy buns.
FAQ
Use an ovenproof dish of about 20 x 20 cm that can sit flat in the basket. The dish keeps the buns close together, so they can be pulled apart afterwards. If your air fryer is smaller, you can divide the sliders between two smaller dishes and bake in two batches.
The patties are done when they have an internal temperature of 75 °C. Insert the meat thermometer horizontally into the side of a patty, so the tip sits in the middle of the meat. In the recipe, they are cooked at 200 °C for 6 minutes and turned after 3 minutes.
Recipe
Pull-Apart Sliders in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Oven-safe dish - approx. 20 x 20 cm
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Brush
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Meat thermometer
- 1 Paper towel
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 400 g minced beef (8-12% fat)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
- 8 pcs small brioche buns (Mini burger buns, about 6 cm in diameter)
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
Butter for brushing
- 25 g butter
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
How to make it
Preparation
- Divide 400 g minced beef into 8 equal portions of about 50 g each, and shape them into flat patties about 7 cm in diameter. They should be slightly wider than the buns, because they shrink during cooking.
- Season the patties on both sides with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper.
- Slice 8 pcs small brioche buns in half horizontally if they are not already cut through, and halve 4 slices cheddar cheese so you have 8 pieces of cheese.
- Finely chop 1 pcs shallot, and set it aside with the other toppings.
- Melt 25 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and stir in 0.5 tsp garlic powder.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the patties in the basket in a single layer with a little space between them, and cook them at 200 °C for 6 minutes. Turn them after 3 minutes. They are done when they are cooked through and have an internal temperature of 75 °C.
- Remove the patties and pat them dry with a piece of kitchen roll, so excess fat does not make the buns soggy. Turn the air fryer down to 160 °C.
- Brush the base of an ovenproof dish, about 20 x 20 cm, that fits in the basket with a little of the garlic butter, and place the 8 bun bases close together, side by side, in the dish.
- Place a patty and a piece of cheddar, folded once, on each bun base while the patties are still warm, and put the tops on.
- Brush the tops with the rest of the garlic butter.
- Place the dish in the basket and bake the sliders at 160 °C for 6 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the buns are golden and lightly joined together.
Serving
- Lift the dish out of the basket, pull the sliders apart, and lift the top off each slider. Fill them with 16 slices pickled cucumber, 4 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp mustard and the chopped shallot.
- Put the tops back on, and serve the sliders straight away while the cheese is still soft.
Our notes for the recipe
Shape the patties slightly wider than the buns, and pat them dry with kitchen roll before you assemble the sliders, so the bases do not go soft. Assemble them while the patties are still warm, and the cheese will melt faster during baking. Check the internal temperature by inserting the thermometer horizontally into the side of a patty. Brioche browns quickly in the air fryer, so keep an eye on the tops during the last few minutes. Variation:
Place a piece of crispy fried bacon under the cheese, or swap the cheddar for slices of gouda or emmental. You can also sprinkle sesame seeds over the butter-brushed tops before baking, or stir together a mild burger sauce of mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. Serving:
You can also place the dish in the middle of the table together with the toppings, so everyone can pull a slider free and fill it themselves. French fries, coleslaw or corn on the cob go well with them. Portion size:
The recipe makes 8 sliders, which is 2 per serving. If your air fryer is smaller, or the dish does not fit in the basket, you can divide the sliders between two smaller dishes and make the recipe in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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