Jalapeno Chicken Sliders are an ultimate lunch, dinner, or party treat! Easy and quick to make with leftover chicken. Cheesy, salty, spicy, delicious – great for potlucks and picnics!
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This post was originally published on May 29, 2017 but is now updated with more information and instructions.
A few years ago my dad celebrated his 60th birthday. There was a big party at a Russian restaurant with tons of food. For those who have never been to Russian restaurants – it’s a very unique experience with more food than anyone could ever eat, usually 5-6 courses, and tables covered in dozens of stacked plates and bowls.
There were different kinds of smoked fish, dozens of different pickles, Russian salads (such as the most traditional Russian Potato Salad and Russian Beet Salad with Prunes and Pecans), fish, chicken, kebabs, stews, carpaccio, tuna tartar, duck. With more people drinking and dancing rather than eating I knew there would be a lot of leftovers, so I asked the kitchen stuff to get me a few containers of food to go before I left.
At home I found out that there was a big box of duck confit legs. Ordinary I love duck (I even have my own recipe for Braised Duck Breasts with Apples and Onions) but this particular version was a bit too salty for my taste to eat on their own. So, I decided to make sliders with the duck meat.
Those delicious jalapeno sliders turned out so good that I knew I had a winner. And since duck is not something I cook at home often I made them with chicken too. Jalapeno Chicken Sliders turned out even better than the duck version!
Don’t be intimidated by the sliders, they are actually really quick and easy to make. If you have some leftover chicken then Jalapeno Chicken Sliders are a total mom-recipe: only 5 minutes to assemble and 10 minutes to bake.
They are great for busy weeknight meals or for entertaining and they would go absolutely perfect with Michelada beer cocktail for a fun and delicious picnic.
Ingredients to make Jalapeno Chicken Sliders
- Leftover chicken (use rotisserie chicken, bbq chicken, or even chicken from making soup)
- Slider rolls
- Mozzarella cheese (or any other melty cheese that you like)
- Mayo (store-bought or Homemade Eggless Mayonnaise)
- Dijon mustard
- Pickled jalapeno peppers
- Butter
- Garlic powder
- Parsley
What kind of rolls to use for Chicken Sliders
I only recently discovered slider rolls. They are usually sold in slabs of 12 rolls. The great thing about using the slabs of bread like this is that assembly of the sliders is really easy.
Because the bread is actually in a big rectangle shape, you get to overlap the cheese, meats, and all the fillings without worrying that anything will fall out.
There are a few different kinds of rolls you can usually buy:
- Regular dinner rolls
- Potato Rolls
- Hawaiian Rolls (you can try my version of Vegan Instant Pot No Knead Hawaiian Rolls)
- Brioche Rolls
There might be more but those are the only ones I’ve seen sold in those slider slabs. I prefer to use Brioche rolls or Hawaiian rolls as I love the slight sweetness and eggy airiness of the bread. I find that it works great with savoury fillings.
How to make Jalapeño Chicken Sliders
So, how do you make these Jalapeno Chicken Sliders? Easy! You need only a few ingredients that you most likely already have on hand.
First, you need the sliders. I used both hawaiian rolls and brioche rolls while testing the recipe. You want the kind that has 12 rolls all stuck together. You could technically use buns that are separate but it’s just easier to assemble the Jalapeno Chicken Sliders when they are in one big piece.
Then you need chicken – use leftover chicken meat from roast chicken, or from chicken soup; you could use store-bought rotisserie chicken or any other kind you like.
- Spread the rolls with some mayo and mustard mixture
- Cover with pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped chicken, mozzarella (or any other melty cheese)
- Brush with melted butter with garlic and parsley
- Bake
Easy-peasy!
After only 15 minutes you get warm Jalapeno Chicken Sliders with melty cheese and spicy peppers in every bite. The tops of the sliders are deliciously buttery with a slight garlicky taste. Sprinkle a little bit more parsley and enjoy with your favourite drink on a patio!
Variations for different sliders
- Spicy Hawaiian Sliders (ham and pineapple – yum!)
- Ham and Swiss (classic combo)
- Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella (for a vegetarian twist)
- Smoked Chicken and Havarti (I love smoked chicken)
And for another Thanksgiving-style variation, check out my new cookbook, The Ultimate One-Pan Oven Cookbook, it has another delicious slider recipe!
Jalapeno Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 hawaiian rolls (or brioche rolls, or potato rolls, or dinner rolls)
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno peppers (about 40 g)
- 1.5 cups cooked chopped chicken meat (200 g - I used 3 boiled and seasoned chicken thighs)
- 6 slices mozzarella (or your favourite melty cheese)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- If the rolls are in one piece then slice them horizontally in half so that you could make sandwiches.
- Place the bottom part of the rolls in an oven proof pan.
- In a small bowl mix mayo and mustard. Spread the mayo-mustard mixture onto the bottom part of the rolls.
- Sprinkle chopped jalapenos evenly.
- Cover with finely chopped chicken.
- Place mozzarella slices on top of the chicken and cover with the tops of the rolls.
- In a small bowl mix melted butter, garlic powder, and chopped parsley. Brush the mixture over the tops of the rolls.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the Jalapeno Chicken Sliders are heated through and the cheese is melted.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Robbie - Yorkshire Caterer says
My mouth is watering, these sound amazing. I love the idea of using pepper jack cheese for extra spice. I’m personally not a huge fan of jalapeños so this is a perfect substitution for me. Thanks for sharing
Julia says
You could use any of your favourite hot peppers or omit them all together. The beauty of this recipe is that you can tailor it to your preferences!
Mickie Gross says
OMG…I used rotisserie chicken & King’s Hawaiian rolls for this…fresh jalapenos frizzled in bacon renderings w/onion & garlic. It was BEYOND fantastic! Thank you for being my inspiration Julia!
Julia says
Wow, jalapeños with bacon, onion and garlic sound absolutely amazing!!! Love this! And thanks for the kind words. I like these sliders with brioche buns also as they are a bit sweeter just like Hawaiian rolls
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
Oh my gosh, these are RIGHT up my alley! My family would be so happy if I pulled these out for lunch! Yum!
Molly Kumar says
OMG, these look Perfect for a summer party snack or a quick weeknight dinner. I love sliders and do have a party coming over soon. I’d totally add it to the menu of ‘must try recipes’.
Daniela Anderson says
I prefer chicken too, l must have been about 4 or 5 years old when l last had duck. I remember not liking it at all, so mum gave up making me to eat it. I first saw your rolls on foodgawker and thought they looked so good. They must taste amazingly well!
Julia says
Apparently my foodgawker emails have been going to junk mailbox. I was wondering why I wasn’t getting any notifications. Thanks for letting me know that you saw the picture there!!
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says
Sliders are always a big hit around here. My oldest absolutely loves food with some heat so these would be right up his alley.
Dene' V. Alexander says
These look delicious. I’m glad you tried them out on the duck first, but this chicken is truly a winner.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
What a great idea! This would be great for a picnic or large gathering. You could certainly feed a large group and with a minimum amount of effort. This is giving me some great ideas for Independence Day celebration. Thank you!!
Tabitha @ Tabitha Talks Food says
This looks delicious and I just pinned it!
Christine - Jar Of Lemons says
Gosh, these have me drooling over here! My husband would really love these, too. Hope to make them very soon!
Pam says
I always seem to have leftover chicken on hand. This recipe sounds like a really easy and tasty way to use it up.
Karly says
How delicious are these!? Perfect for a fun family dinner or big outdoor bbqs. Can’t wait to try!
Julia says
They totally work for outdoor bbqs – they can be pre-assembled and then they just need a few minutes to heat up and I am almost positive that they could be heated on a BBQ in a pan
Veena Azmanov says
Oh wow.. this is so cool. I love making such quick and easy stuff to eat for snack or dinner.. I toasted a large stuffed challah today. Crazy how simple yet wonderful these are. Yum.
Julia says
Oh, stuffed Challah sounds delicious! I love challah! What did you stuff it with?