Julie Clark
Updated:
Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders
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Hawaiian pulled pork sliders are a delicious sweet & spicy twist on classic pulled pork. It’s a great way to use up leftover pulled pork.
I’m 100% in love with Hawaiian roll sliders. If I’m bringing food to a party or meeting, my mind immediately starts thinking of what version I want to make. BBQ chicken, reuben, pizza sliders, breakfast sliders, ham and cheese sliders…and now I’ve added Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders to the mix.
This bbq pork sliders recipe has such a great combination of flavors: barbecue sauce, pineapple, buttery Hawaiian slider buns, pepper jack cheese and a buttery sauce with a hint of soy sauce, garlic and ginger.
Thanks to the Ohio Pork Council for sponsoring this post and allowing us to share this pork sliders recipe.
Why you’ll love these pulled pork sliders:
- A great way to use up leftover pulled pork.
- Delicious sweet & tangy flavor with bbq sauce and pineapple.
- Butter sauce brushed on top that adds savory flavor to every bite.
- Pull apart baked sandwiches are great for parties and potlucks.
Love pineapple Hawaiian flavors? Try our Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Thighs.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork {Or Use Leftovers}
This baked slider recipe is great for leftover shredded pork. If the pulled pork already has bbq sauce on it, that’s ok. Just don’t add any extra. Or maybe you have Kalua pork, which would be delicious on these sandwiches.
If you need to cook pulled pork, use our recipe for a sweet & tangy slow cooker Hawaiian pulled pork recipe. You can use a bone-in or boneless pork shoulder or pork roast.
Simply put the pork roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle the seasonings on top. The pour the pineapple juice around the pork, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until you can shred the pork with two forks. Discard any liquid and use the pulled pork for the sliders below.
How to Make Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, seeds, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Whisk well.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pulled pork and barbecue sauce. Mix well. You can skip this step if it already has bbq sauce on it.
- Use a large serrated knife to slice the rolls in half, separating the top buns from the bottom buns. Place the bottom of the rolls onto the prepared baking pan.
- Brush a few tablespoons of the butter mixture onto the bottom of the rolls.
- Layer the pulled pork over the rolls.Place the pineapple tidbits over the top of the pork. Top with sliced pepper jack cheese.
- Place the tops of the rolls onto the sandwiches. Brush the remaining butter mixture evenly over the rolls.
- Cover the rolls loosely with foil. Bake in the preheated oven (350ºF) until the rolls are lightly browned and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 3-5 minutes to brown the tops. Top with cabbage slaw and more fresh pineapple if you’d like!
How can you keep sliders warm?
These baked sliders are best served warm and fresh from the oven. So how do you keep them warm if you’re preparing them for a party?
The easiest way is to keep the sandwiches covered with foil in a warm oven (170 degrees Fahrenheit) until serving. Pull them out right before guests go through the buffet line. Keep the sandwiches covered with foil even when they are sitting on the countertop.
Another option is to cut the sandwiches, wrap them individually in foil and place them in a slow cooker on the warm setting. This will keep them perfectly warm and you can travel easily with them this way as well.
Can you freeze sliders?
You can easily make the pork sandwiches in advance as a freezer meal.
- Make them to the point of baking, then wrap them well in foil and place them in a freezer bag.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. I like to allow the sandwiches to at least partially defrost so they don’t have to be in the oven as long. Removing them from the freezer and placing them in the fridge the day before baking works great.
- You can bake the sandwiches straight from the freezer…just add extra time to the baking time to make sure they are cooked all the way through.
What to Serve with Sliders
Bring the family together with these Hawaiian pulled pork sliders as the main dish. They are great served with:
Have pork leftovers? Learn how to freeze pulled pork. And also try our Dr Pepper pulled pork!
Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders
Hawaiian pulled pork sliders are a delicious sweet & spicy twist on classic pulled pork. It's a great way to use up leftover pulled pork.
Servings 12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 4-5 pounds pork butt or shoulder
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 12 ounces pineapple juice
For the butter sauce:
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
For the sandwiches:
- 3 cups pulled pork
- ⅔ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup pineapple tidbits drained
- 12 Hawaiian dinner rolls
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
Optional toppings:
- shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- french fried onions or red onion
Instructions
- If you have leftover pulled pork in the fridge, you can skip slow cooking the pork and jump right to making the sliders.
To prepare the pulled pork:
- Place pork in slow cooker. ***Place the pork in fatty side up to let the fat flavor drip into the meat.*** 4-5 pounds pork butt or shoulder
- Cover pork with all dry ingredients. Pour the pineapple juice around the pork. ½ tablespoon salt, ½ tablespoon black pepper, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, ½ tablespoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 12 ounces pineapple juice
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the pork is shreddable. Shred the pork and then make the sliders.
Make the sliders:
- Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, seeds, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Whisk well. ½ cup salted butter, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon ginger
- In a medium bowl, combine the pulled pork and barbecue sauce. Mix well. You can skip this step if it already has bbq sauce on it. 3 cups pulled pork, ⅔ cup barbecue sauce
- Use a large serrated knife to slice the rolls in half, separating the tops from the bottoms. Place the bottom of the rolls onto the prepared baking pan.
- Brush a few tablespoons of the butter mixture onto the bottom of the rolls.
- Layer the pulled pork over the rolls. Sprinkle the pineapple tidbits over the pork. Top with sliced pepper jack cheese. Place the tops of the rolls onto the sandwiches. ½ cup pineapple tidbits, 12 Hawaiian dinner rolls, 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- Brush the remaining butter mixture evenly over the rolls. Cover the rolls loosely with foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the rolls are lightly browned and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 3-5 minutes to brown.
- Slice into individual slider sandwiches through the pork and cheese layers to serve. Top with coleslaw, cabbage or french fried onions, if desired.
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 sandwiches, with 1 serving being 1 sandwich. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg
for brushing the butter mixture on the bottom part of the roll, which bottom- the side you will then layer with the pork, or the actual bottom of the roll? Sorry, my coffee has not hit this morning 😂
Do they get soggy if you leave them out?
Love this recipe and so easy to make. It was a huge hit for the Super Bowl party!
You keep mentioning BBQ sauce, but don’t say what kind to use and bbq sauce differs widly.