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Easy Chicken Sliders are a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey or shredded chicken. Shredded chicken, cheese, red onion, dijon mustard and spices are sandwiched between slider buns and heated. These are the perfect dinner, lunch or even a snack for football game day.
I am excited to share these Easy Chicken Sliders today with you guys! These are the perfect game-day finger food or perfect party food using shredded chicken or even leftover Thanksgiving turkey. This really is an easy recipe and they make the perfect snacking sandwich.
This Thanksgiving we will be making this Herb Butter Roasted Turkey and I plan to make these sliders the next day with the leftovers. I also like to make this Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or this Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken during the week and I will use the leftovers for these shredded chicken sliders. One thing I especially love about these sliders is how versatile they are. There are many modifications you can make which you will find in the ingredient section.
When I am looking for a weeknight dinner I love making recipes using shredded chicken so my go-tos are these Chicken Sliders or these Chicken Enchilada Sliders. These baked chicken tenders are another simple, handheld meal kids love. We also really like these easy Taco Sliders which use ground beef or these Easy Buffalo Chicken Sliders.
Why We Love Easy Chicken Sliders
If you need something for game-day, a party or a quick weeknight meal, this is for you! Here is why we love this recipe:
• Easy Prep: These are an easy meal to prepare. It only takes a few simple steps and you can have these on your table.
• Kid-Friendly: I find that kids really like these sliders. They are small and handheld. They make a great appetizer or meal!
• Quick Shortcut: You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store and quickly shred it to make this an even easier recipe. Or try making my Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken.
Recipe Ingredients
These simple pantry staples are all you need. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and printable instructions.
- Shredded Chicken or Turkey: Today’s recipe is the perfect way to use rotisserie chicken. It is also great for this Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken for using your leftover Herb Roasted Turkey.
- Cheese: The shredded cheese on these chicken sliders helps to add flavor. I used shredded mozzarella but you could use any variety including pepper jack or sharp cheddar.
- Red Onion: The sliced red onion is a nice addition but if you don’t like onion it isn’t necessary. You can also use sweet onion in its place. I suggest slicing it thin to help the sandwich stay together better. You also can sauté the onion or caramelize onions to create soft onion that would stick to the cheese better if you want.
- Mustard Sauce: The flavor of these chicken sliders is a combination of butter and mustard. If you aren’t a fan of mustard you could try a dressing like ranch or blue cheese or just the butter.
- Buns: For the buns you will want to use some sort of package of slider buns, preferably something like a Hawaiian style roll. Once you have the rolls you will want to slice the rolls in half in order to layer the ingredients inside.
Recipe Variations
- Spice: Add some spice to these sliders with hot sauce, buffalo sauce, more crushed red pepper or cayenne red pepper.
- BBQ: You can add your favorite bbq sauce to make these bbq chicken sliders. It is so easy and a great way to add flavor to these sandwiches.
- Cheese: There are a variety of cheese options you can use from cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, to mozzarella cheese, to pepper jack, to Parmesan cheese.
- Vegetables: I like adding vegetables to these sliders. Try green onions, roasted red peppers, spinach, lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, banana peppers or pepperoncinis or cherry tomatoes.
How Do You Make These Pulled Chicken Sliders?
Step 1: Prepare Rolls: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line a 9” x 13” casserole dish or baking sheet. Cut the sandwich roll sheet in half through the middle and lay the bottom half of the sandwiches in the casserole dish.
Step 2: Layer Chicken: Layer on the shredded chicken onto the buns.
Step 3: Add Cheese: Add the shredded cheese in an even layer.
Step 4: Add Onions: And the sliced red onions on top of the bottom layer of the buns.
Step 5: Create Spice Blend: In a small bowl combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and stir well.
Cover the sandwich fillings with the top of the sandwich buns.
Step 6: Create Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter and dijon mustard over medium-high heat, whisking to emulsify the butter mixture together. Pour the melted butter over the top of the rolls using a pastry brush to ensure even coating.
Sprinkle the paprika spice mixture over the buns.
Step 7: Bake: Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until butter is fully absorbed and the sweet Hawaiian rolls are golden brown. Uncover and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the top of the buns are lightly browned {watch to make sure they don’t burn}.
Slice into individual sliders and serve immediately. Store the leftovers in an airtight container.
Storage Tips
While I think these are best eaten when you make them you can store them for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat you can heat in the oven or the air fryer.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! These are an easy make-ahead meal. Assemble the sliders (chicken, cheese, and onions on the buns) and then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Sprinkle the spices and add the butter sauce and then bake when ready.
There are a lot of cheese options when making these sliders. Some good ones are cheddar, provolone, mozzarella or pepper jack cheese.
To keep your sliders buns from getting soggy you can start by making sure to drain any excess liquid from the chicken. Then you also can lightly toast the buns in the oven or a skillet to create a better barrier on the side of the buns. This helps keep the buns from getting soggy.
Other Chicken Recipes
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Easy Chicken Sliders
Video
Ingredients
- 1 sheet sandwich rolls {I like to use Hawaiian sweet rolls, sliced in half}
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken {or you can use leftover shredded turkey}
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese {or cheese of your choice}
- 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
- 1/3 cup butter, or more as desired
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper {optional for spice}
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line a 9” x 13” casserole dish. Cut the sandwich roll sheet in half through the middle and lay the bottom half of the sandwiches in the casserole dish.
- Layer on the shredded chicken, shredded cheese, and sliced red onions on top of the bottom layer of the buns. In a small bowl combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and stir well. Cover the sandwich fillings with the top of the sandwich sheet.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and dijon mustard over medium-high heat, whisking to emulsify together.
- Pour the butter over the sandwiches, using a pastry brush to ensure even coating. Sprinkle the paprika spice mixture over the buns.
- Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until butter is fully absorbed. Uncover and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the top of the buns are lightly browned {watch to make sure they don’t burn}. Slice into individual sliders and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were a big hit! I used less butter and subbed Costco dinner rolls as I find Hawaiian rolls too sweet. Our church group of mixed ages enjoyed them, many people mentioning appreciating the touch of red onions.
So glad!!
Everyone loved these !!!
So glad! Thanks for letting me know!
Going to be making these delicious sliders for my Super Bowl party on Sunday. Can’t wait!
Hope you like them Jill! 🙂
These are great! So easy to make also!
Thank you! They are so easy to make.