When it comes to sliders, I have a few favorites. I make turkey and cheese sliders with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, and breakfast sliders when I need to feed my hungry friends during our Airbnb getaway trips. But if I had to pick a favorite, it’d be these oven-baked chicken sliders served on buttery, sweet Hawaiian rolls. The cheesy pull-apart chicken sliders are perfect for a picnic or any potluck when you need to make something that will make everyone happy.
How to Make Chicken Sliders
Rotisserie chicken—my chicken of choice here—is always juicy and flavorful, so you don’t have to do too much to make it even more delicious. You can also use leftover chicken from your roast chicken dinner or fried chicken feast. I prefer to remove the chicken skin when making these sliders, but if you end up using leftover fried chicken, I imagine adding fried chicken skin crumbs into the mixture would be delicious!
Once you shred the chicken, you’ll mix it with mayonnaise and sour cream to create a slightly tangy base. Then, stir in lots of freshly chopped scallions to brighten things up and add a subtle onion flavor. Finishing with a dash of Dijon mustard balances everything so that it isn’t too heavy.
At this point, you could call this chicken dip and serve it with crackers, but this recipe takes it up a notch by sliding it between Hawaiian rolls, which are generously brushed with garlic butter for extra flavor. The decadent chicken mixture gets spread in between the rolls, showered with shredded mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese, and baked until each slider is warm and the cheese and chicken mixture is wonderfully melty.
Tips for Making the Best Chicken Sliders
- Add different seasonings to your chicken mixture. You can crumble crispy bacon into your chicken mixture, or add a dollop of gochujang to make it spicy. You may even want to add finely minced pickles for more tangy bites!
- Season your Hawaiian rolls. For this recipe, I make a quick garlic butter to season the rolls and add extra sprinkles of sesame seeds on top for crunch. But you can add more cheese on top of the rolls to make them extra cheesy, or sprinkle some shredded Parmesan or garlic powder for more flavor.
Chicken Sliders
Makes 12 sliders
Ingredients- 1 (12-ounce) package Hawaiian sweet rolls, such as King’s
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup shredded)
- 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup shredded)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pound boneless, skinless cooked chicken
- 4 medium scallions
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, preferably toasted
Directions
1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350 F. Without separating the rolls, cut 1 package Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the rolls cut-side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. Grate 4 ounces cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup each). Place both cheeses in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Mince 1 garlic clove.
3. Shred 1 pound cooked chicken into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups). Thinly slice 4 medium scallions (about 1 cup). Place the chicken, scallions, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
4. Arrange half of the cheese mixture onto the bottom half of the rolls in an even layer. Transfer the chicken mixture over the cheese and spread into an even layer. Top with the remaining cheese mixture.
5. Place 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and the garlic in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, melt the butter on the stovetop.) Brush half of the garlic butter on the cut side of the top half of the rolls. Place the top half of the rolls over the sliders cut side down. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining garlic butter.
6. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
7. Bake until the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until the rolls are lightly browned and toasted, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cut with the serrated knife to separate the sliders into individual sandwiches before serving.
Recipe note: Leftover sliders can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.
By James ParkJames Park is a video producer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to [email protected].
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