15-Minute Easy Jalapeno Chicken Sliders

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!

This post contains amazon affiliate links which means that if you purchase something after clicking one of those links, I will receive a small commission.

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.

1. Spread the rolls with some mayo and mustard mixture
2. Cover with pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped chicken, mozzarella (or any other melty cheese)
3. Brush with melted butter with garlic and parsley
4. 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!

Print Pin

Jalapeno Chicken Sliders

Jalapeno Chicken Sliders are an ultimate lunch, dinner, or party treat! Easy and quick to make with leftover chicken. Cheesy, salty, spicy, delicious | Imagelicious

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword sandwiches, sliders

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 sliders

Calories 197kcal

Author Julia

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

As mentioned in the post, I've made these with both duck and chicken. I prefer chicken. I used boiled chicken thighs for these but you could use chicken breast or legs.

 

I made these with mozzarella and I also made them with spicy pepper jack cheese to make them even spicier. I like both versions.

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 58mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Tried this recipe?Leave me a comment with a star rating!
Mention or tag @Imagelicious