The Easiest Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe in the Air Fryer

Ham and cheese sliders in the air fryer are a delicious, inexpensive, and quick air fryer meal that takes less than 30 minutes to make. This recipe can feed anywhere from 4 to 12 (depending on how hungry everyone is) and costs less than a dollar per slider!

You will love this buttery sweet ham and cheese slider recipe with poppy seed glaze because it is a crowd favorite and so easy to make. Keep reading to learn how to make this quick ham and cheese slider recipe in the air fryer!

3 Ingredient Ham and Cheese Sliders

This ham and cheese slider recipe is awesome because you only need 3 ingredients! Of course, this recipe tastes fantastic with a poppy seed glaze, but it is optional. Stay tuned for the poppy seed glaze recipe instructions.

Ingredients

• 12 Mini Sweet Rolls
• 1/2-1 pound of ham
• 8 slices of Swiss cheese

Ingredient Notes

Hawaiian sweet rolls work for this ham and cheese slider recipe, but you can use any pack of mini rolls. A pack of 12 buttery sweet rolls fit perfectly in my 5.8qt Cosori air fryer and in my Cosori Dual Blaze air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer, use a smaller grouping of rolls.

Adjust the amount of ham depending on how meaty you like your sliders. I used about 3/4 pound of sliced deli ham. You can also switch out the ham with your favorite meat, such as turkey, chicken, or roast beef.

Switch out the cheese with your favorite kind of cheese. Cheddar cheese, provolone, Colby jack cheese, etc. all will taste great on a slider sandwich.

Simple Poppy Seed Glaze Ingredients

This recipe tastes amazing with this simple and sweet poppy seed glaze. You only need a handful of ingredients to make this ham and cheese slider glaze.

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon  salt
• pinch black pepper

Note: If you want to enjoy ham and cheese sliders without poppy seeds, either omit the poppy seeds from the glaze mixture (it will still be tasty!). Or omit this glaze mixture altogether and just brush 1 stick of butter onto your sliders.

Recipe instructions

Before cooking your sandwiches in the air fryer, melt the butter in the microwave. Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

How do I make air fryer sliders?

This recipe is so incredibly easy to make in the air fryer. Follow these quick steps to make amazing and delicious slider sandwiches in your air fryer!

Step 1. Oil the air fryer basket

Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil, such as avocado oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil. I like to fill one of these oils in my reusable oil sprayer.

If you don’t have an oil sprayer, brush oil on the air fryer basket or use a piece of parchment paper. You want to make sure you do this so that the buns don’t stick to the bottom of the basket.

Important Note: Do not use an oil sprayer like Pam. This aerosol oil sprayers contain propellants and other chemicals that will ruin the nonstick coating of your air fryer basket.

Step 2. Cut the rolls in half

Take the entire package of rolls, do not break them apart separately, and cut the in half so that you have one big bottom half of rolls and one large top half of rolls.

Step 3. Layer the sandwiches

Place the bottom half of the rolls in the air fryer basket. Then, create your sandwich. Add

1. half of the cheese
2. the deli ham
3. the other half of the cheese
4. then the top half of the sandwiches

Step 4. Add the glaze

Brush the poppy seed glaze onto the tops of the slider sandwiches. Poor any excess glaze in between the nooks and crannies of the sandwich until it is completely covered.

How long should sliders go in the air fryer?

Slider sandwiches cook deliciously in the air fryer! Close the air fryer basket and cook the sliders for 12-15 minutes at 330 degrees Fahrenheit or 165 degrees Celsius.

Important Note: Because all air fryer make and models are different, cooking time may vary for your air fryer. Adjust the time as needed and pull out the sandwiches when they are melted and browned to your liking.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep sliders from getting soggy?

I’ve found that this recipe is so delicious in the air fryer because the hot air perfectly roast the bread, melts the cheese, and bakes the glaze into the slider sandwiches. This means that when you make sliders in the air fryer, they won’t get soggy.

However, if you are getting soggy sandwiches, try cooking the sandwiches at a higher temperature, such as 350 or 360 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 or 180 degrees Celsius. Reduce the cooking time so that the sliders don’t burn.

How long should sliders go in the oven?

If you would like to make a larger batch in your oven, prepare the recipe as written and cover the sliders with foil and cook the sliders in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius.

Then remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.

Can I make ham and cheese sliders without poppy seeds?

You can make this slider recipe without poppy seeds. There are two ways you can do this.

1. Omit the poppy seeds from the glaze mixture, because it will still be tasty!
2. Or omit the poppy seed glaze recipe altogether and just brush 1 stick of butter onto your sliders.

Note: If you want to cut back on the carbs, you can spritz your sliders with a little oil instead. I like to use my reusable oil sprayer with some avocado oil.

Do I have to use Hawaiian Rolls for slider sandwiches?

Hawaiian sweet rolls work great for this ham and cheese slider recipe, but you can use any pack of mini rolls.

In fact, save money by not buying name brand sweet rolls and get delicious off brand buttery rolls instead. This will work because the poppy seed glaze really makes up for the non-Hawaiian sweet rolls.

A pack of 12 sweet rolls fit perfectly in my 5.8qt Cosori air fryer and in my Cosori Dual Blaze air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer, use a smaller grouping of rolls.

Final Thoughts

Ham and cheese sliders in the air fryer are such a quick and delicious air fryer meal. Did you know that this meal costs only 69 cents per slider? Now that is what I call a steal!

This recipe is great if you are trying to save a few bucks because it is a cheap and easy meal for 4. And depending on how much the people you are serving like to eat, you may even be able to serve more.

Share with us in the comments below what you enjoyed about this recipe! 

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• Vegetarian Bean and Veggie Quesadilla
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Quick air fryer facts

• Air Fryer 101
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• FREE Download → Air Fryer Tips & Temps
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• Watch Fabulessly Frugal YouTube Channel for Air Fryer Recipes

Get more tasty recipes in the Yummy Air Fryer Recipe Cookbook.

Poppy Seed Ham & Cheese Sliders in the Air Fryer

This simple, inexpensive, and delicious ham and cheese slider recipe is roasted perfectly in the air fryer. Check out these quick tips for making the best ham and cheese sliders!

4.58 / 5 ( 7 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Serves: 6

Adjust Servings: 6

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 1 pack Sweet Rolls 1 pack of 12 mini sweet roll sliders
• 3/4-1 pound honey ham sliced
• 8 slices swiss cheese or favorite cheese of your choice
• ½ cup butter unsalted (or salted and omit the salt)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
• 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

• Lightly spray the air fryer basket with a little cooking oil such as avocado oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil. I like to use oil in my reusable oil sprayer. If you don't have an oil sprayer (don't use PAM), brush oil onto the air fryer basket or use a piece of parchment paper.
• Take the sweet rolls and cut them in half. Make sure to not break them apart.
• Place the bottom layer into the air fryer basket. If your air fryer basket is smaller than my 5.8qt Cosori air fryer, then break apart the rolls until they fit in your air fryer basket.
• Add a layer of half of the cheese to the bottom half of the sweet rolls.
• Add a layer of of the ham, then add the rest of the cheese. Then top the sandwiches with the top half of the sweet rolls.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and melt in the microwave. Add the brown sugar, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
• With a baster brush, brush the tops of the rolls with the butter and seasoning mixture glaze. Pour any excess glaze in-between the nooks and crannies of the rolls.
• Air fry for 12-15 minutes at 330 °F, or until cheese is melted and tops are browned to your liking.

Recipe Notes

See recipe post for frequently asked questions about this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 37g | Sodium: 1157mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g

Recipe Adapted From: Lil Luna