Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders are simple to make and great for a quick weeknight meal or for tailgating season. Hawaiian sweet rolls are topped with chicken tenders, tomato sauce, shredded cheese and topped with the buns along with spices. The sliders are baked until warm and the cheese is melting. Your family will love these!
EASY CHICKEN PARMESAN SLIDERS
I love an easy slider recipe, especially for tailgating or those busy weeknight meals.
Today’s Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders are so easy to make, using crispy chicken tenders as the protein.
You can use store-bought chicken tenders or try my Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
My kids love these chicken parm sliders and ask for them often. They make a great family dinner. It is also a great use for any leftover pasta sauce you might have on hand. These sliders are also a great make-ahead meal that you can prepare ahead of time and bake when you are ready to eat them.
Chicken Parmesan Sliders are great for a tailgating spread alongside Instant Pot Turkey Chili, Antipasto Skewers and this Easy Mango Coleslaw.
If you like slider recipes you also have to try my Taco Beef Sliders, Roast Beef Sliders, Chicken Sliders, Chicken Enchilada Sliders or Falafel Sliders.
Why You Will Love This Chicken Slider Recipe:
- Easy to make: There’s not much cooking required in this recipe, just some heating up, then layering the ingredients together before baking the rolls in a hot oven until the chicken strips are hot and the cheese is melted.
- Versatile: This recipe can be easily adapted to suit your own tastes, or to use up ingredients you already have in your stores at home. For example, swap the chicken nuggets and make chicken parmesan sliders with shredded chicken instead.
- Great party food: This recipe can be easily doubled if you are feeding a larger group of diners making it perfect for parties, pot luck dinners, or for game day snacks.
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Rolls – to make 12 sliders, use a 12 pack of dinner rolls such as King’s Hawaiian brand. I find these hold up the best and are great for the small slider size.
- Butter – I’ve used unsalted butter as a base for the garlic butter. You could also use olive oil for a healthier option.
- Flavoring – I use both fresh minced garlic, parsley flakes, salt and black pepper to season and flavor the garlic butter. You can spice it up however you like!
- Chicken – I use a 12 pack of chicken nuggets, allowing 1 nugget for each slider. Try using my Easy Healthy Baked Chicken Tender recipe.
- Sauce – to make the sauce I combine both tomato sauce and tomato paste. You can also add in some Italian seasoning or crushed red pepper for flavor.
- Cheese – I top the chicken and sauce with shredded mozzarella cheese.
How to Make This Recipe:
Step 1. Prepare the bread rolls: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a sheet pan or 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. On a cutting board, use a serrated knife to slice the entire slab of dinner rolls in half.
Place the bottom half of the hawaiian sweet rolls on your parchment lined pan and set the top half aside.
Step 2. Make the garlic butter: In a small microwaveable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until completely melted.
Add the garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
Use a pastry brush to brush half of the garlic butter mixture over the bottom half of the dinner rolls and reserve the remaining mixture.
Step 3. Add the chicken: Place one chicken nugget on each section of the brushed dinner rolls.
Step 4. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the pasta sauce, tomato paste and the Italian seasoning.
Spoon a rounded tablespoon of sauce over each chicken nugget.
Step 5. Finish layering the sliders: Generously sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauced nuggets.
Place the tops of the buns back on top of the sliders.
Then brush the remaining garlic butter mixture over the tops of the rolls.
Step 6. Bake and serve the sliders: Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the tops of the sliders are golden brown.
Cut into 12 servings, garnish with fresh basil and fresh parsley then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Modifications
- Rolls: I like the sweetness of Hawaiian rolls for this recipe, but you can use a different flavor of dinner rolls or a package of slider buns if you prefer a more savory taste.
- Cheese: Mix up the cheese if you want. You can use an Italian style shredded cheese blend, or replace ¼ cup of the mozzarella with shredded Parmesan. You could also use Swiss cheese, cheddar or pepper jack.
- Herbs: I’ve flavored the butter with fresh garlic and parsley flakes, but you could also use dried basil, thyme or Italian seasoning.
- Sauce: I like a thick, rich sauce on these, which is why I included the tomato paste. If you prefer a lighter flavor/texture, you can reduce the amount of tomato paste by half, or skip it altogether.
- Spices: Add some spice into the sauce with red pepper flakes, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or smoked paprika. In place of the minced garlic you could use garlic powder.
Recipe FAQ
If you find that the tops of your parmesan chicken sliders are getting too dark or too crispy, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking until the sliders are heated throughout.
For ease I’ve opted for chicken nuggets, allowing 1 per slider. However, you could make these chicken parmesan sliders with rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken from the weekend’s roast dinner. Try my Easy Baked Homemade Chicken Tenders or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
Store leftover slider in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat the sliders place them back into a hot oven to warm through, or heat up in your microwave.
What to Serve with Chicken Parmesan Sliders:
These sliders are versatile, you can serve them with a few sides for an easy meal, serve as an easy appetizer, games day snack, or take along to your next potluck dish.
- Potatoes go great with sliders, try my Loaded Smashed Potatoes, Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or Lemon Cilantro Potatoes.
- I always serve a big salad for dinner, and some of my favorites include this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, or my Lemon Arugula Salad. Or for something a little different try my Easy Bacon Baked Beans or my Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables.
Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like:
Try one of these delicious chicken recipes!
- Greek Marinated Chicken Kabobs
- Lebanese Chicken Kabobs
- Chicken Souvlaki
- Greek Marinated Chicken with Tzatziki
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Tenders
Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 pack of dinner rolls, such as King's Hawaiian brand
- 1/2 stick butter, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 chicken nuggets
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a half baking sheet or 9×13 rectangular cake pan with parchment paper.
- On a cutting board, use a serrated knife to slice the entire slab of dinner rolls in half.
- Place the bottom half of the rolls on your parchment lined pan and set the top half aside.
- In a small microwaveable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until completely melted.
- Add the garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
- Use a pastry brush to brush half of the garlic butter mixture over the bottom half of the dinner rolls and reserve the remaining mixture.
- Place one chicken nugget on each section of the brushed dinner rolls.
- In another bowl, mix together the pasta sauce and tomato paste.
- Spoon a rounded tablespoon of sauce over each chicken nugget.
- Generously sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauced nuggets.
- Place the top half of the slab of rolls overtop, then brush the remaining garlic butter mixture over the tops of the rolls.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the tops of the sliders are golden brown.
- Cut into 12 servings, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I like the sweetness of Hawaiian rolls for this recipe, but you can use a different flavor of dinner rolls or a package of slider buns if you prefer a more savory taste.
- If you prefer, you can use an Italian style shredded cheese blend, or replace ¼ cup of the mozzarella with shredded Parmesan.
- If you find that the tops of your sliders are getting too dark or too crispy, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking until the sliders are heated throughout.
Storage Instructions:
- Leftovers – Store leftover slider in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating – To reheat the sliders place them back into a hot oven to warm through, or heat up in your microwave.
