These easy chicken sliders are loaded with shredded rotisserie chicken and melty provolone on sweet Hawaiian rolls, then baked under a buttery Dijon and poppy seed topping until they're warm and gooey. They're ready in 30 minutes, so they work just as well for game day as they do for a busy weeknight dinner!
I make these any time I need something the whole family will eat, and the pan never comes back with leftovers. Serve them with coleslaw or potato salad for dinner, or set them out with dips and wings when you're feeding a crowd.
Quick Look
- Total time: 30 minutes (10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven)
- Key ingredients: Rotisserie chicken, King's Hawaiian rolls, provolone, and a Dijon butter sauce with poppy seeds
- Flavor: Savory and cheesy, with a little sweetness from the rolls and a tangy kick from the mustard
- Method: Layered in a 9x13 baking dish and baked covered, then uncovered
- Serve with: Coleslaw, potato salad, or as part of an appetizer spread
- Make-ahead: Assemble a few hours early and bake when you're ready
If you love classic ham and cheese sliders, these are the chicken version! The buttery mustard and poppy seed glaze is what makes them. It soaks into the tops of the rolls while they bake and gives every bite a savory, tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweet bread. There's no chicken to cook and no filling to mix, either. A store-bought rotisserie chicken does the hard work for you.
If you make these, please leave a star rating and a comment below. It helps other readers find the recipe, and I love hearing how they turned out for you!
Why this Recipe Works
- Rotisserie chicken does the cooking for you. It's already seasoned and juicy, so the oven only has to warm everything through and melt the cheese.
- The Dijon butter sauce seasons every bite. Brushed over the tops, it soaks into the rolls as they bake. The mustard and garlic powder bring a savory tang that balances the sweet bread.
- Foil first, then uncovered. Covering the dish traps steam so the cheese melts and the rolls turn soft and buttery. Pulling the foil for the last few minutes lets the tops turn golden without burning.
- One slab of rolls, cut once. Slicing the whole sheet of rolls in half keeps them connected, so you layer everything in one go and cut the sliders apart after baking.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - One rotisserie chicken gives you about 4 cups of shredded chicken, which is exactly what you need. Use both the white and dark meat for the juiciest sliders, and leave the skin behind. Homemade shredded chicken works too, and my Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are great in this recipe!
- Hawaiian rolls - I use King's Hawaiian rolls, and any variety works. I went with the wheat version for these. Their soft texture and mild sweetness are just right with the savory filling. If you can't find Hawaiian rolls, soft dinner rolls will work.
- Provolone - Provolone is mild and melts smoothly over the chicken. Swiss cheese is a great swap if you want a little nuttier flavor.
- Dijon mustard - Dijon gives the butter sauce its tangy bite. It's more assertive than yellow mustard, and that's what you want against the sweet rolls.
- Poppy seeds - They're the signature topping on classic party sliders and add a little crunch. Leave them out if you don't have any on hand.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
These sliders are easy to change up. Here are a few ideas to try:
- Creamy chicken sliders. Stir a little mayo, sour cream, and sliced green onions into the chicken for a creamier filling.
- BBQ chicken sliders. Toss the chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce, use cheddar in place of the provolone, and pile on some coleslaw after baking.
- Buffalo chicken sliders. Mix the chicken with buffalo sauce and use pepper jack. Serve them with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
- Spicy chicken sliders. Spread the bottom buns with a mix of mayo and sriracha, use pepper jack, and add a few pickle chips.
- Swap the cheese. Pepper jack, cheddar, and mozzarella all melt well.
- Change up the topping. Swap the poppy seeds for sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
How to Make Chicken Sliders
- Make the butter sauce. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Whisk the melted butter, Dijon, garlic powder, and poppy seeds until the mustard is fully blended, so you don't end up with plain streaks of mustard on top.
- Slice the rolls. Keep the rolls connected and cut through the whole slab horizontally with a long serrated knife. Lift the top half off in one piece and set the bottom half in the dish.
- Layer the chicken and cheese. Spread the chicken all the way to the edges so the corner sliders get as much filling as the middle ones. Overlap the provolone slices to cover the chicken completely, then set the top half of the rolls back on.
- Brush on the sauce. Brush the butter sauce over every roll and down into the edges. The poppy seeds settle fast, so give the sauce a stir as you go.
- Bake covered, then uncovered. Bake under foil for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5 more. They're ready when the cheese is melted at the edges and the tops are golden brown.
- Slice and serve. Cut along the lines between the rolls with the same serrated knife and serve them right away while the cheese is still melty!
Expert Tips
- I've made these with both rotisserie chicken and my homemade Instant Pot chicken breasts, and both work great. Rotisserie is my go-to on busy nights.
- Shred the chicken while it's still warm. It pulls apart much easier than cold chicken. Shred it into small, even pieces so the sliders hold together when you cut them.
- Check the middle slider if your chicken was cold. Chicken straight from the fridge takes longer to heat through. Make sure the middle sliders are heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Use a pastry brush for the sauce. It spreads the butter evenly and gets into the edges better than spooning it over the top.
What to Serve with Chicken Sliders
For dinner, I like a cool, creamy side next to these warm sliders. They're also great tucked into the kiddo's lunch box the next day! For a party, set them out with spinach artichoke dip, lemon pepper chicken wings, and BBQ chicken nachos.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can assemble these sliders 2 to 3 hours ahead. Cover the dish and refrigerate it, then take it out about 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed, adding 5 extra minutes to the covered bake time.
I don't recommend baking them all the way ahead of time. They're at their best straight from the oven, when the rolls are soft and the cheese is gooey.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover sliders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a 300°F oven or in the microwave until warmed through. The oven does a better job of keeping the rolls from turning chewy.
Frequently Asked Questions
For dinner, plan on 2 sliders per person, so this recipe feeds 6. As part of an appetizer spread with other dishes, 1 or 2 per person is usually plenty.
Yes! Double all of the ingredients and use two packages of rolls and two 9x13 baking dishes. You can easily triple it the same way.
Extra moisture from the chicken is usually the cause. Leave behind any juices from the bottom of the rotisserie chicken container, and keep make-ahead time to a few hours so the rolls don't soak up moisture in the fridge.
More Appetizer Recipes
📖 Recipe
Easy Shredded Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
For the butter sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
For the sliders
- 12 Hawaiian slider rolls, such as King's Hawaiian
- 4 cups shredded chicken, from about 1 rotisserie chicken
- 6 slices provolone cheese, or Swiss
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray or grease it with butter.
- Mix the melted butter, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and poppy seeds in a small bowl.
- Keeping the rolls connected, slice them in half horizontally. Place the bottom half in the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the shredded chicken evenly over the rolls, then layer the cheese slices on top.
- Add the top half of the rolls, then brush the butter mixture over the tops.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden.
- Cut into individual sliders and serve immediately.
Notes
- Chicken: One rotisserie chicken gives you about 4 cups of shredded chicken. Homemade shredded chicken breasts also work.
- Rolls: Any variety of King's Hawaiian rolls works. Soft dinner rolls are a fine substitute.
- Foil: Don't skip covering the dish for the first 15 minutes. It melts the cheese and softens the rolls without burning the tops.
- Cold chicken: If your chicken comes straight from the fridge, check that the center sliders are heated all the way through and that the cheese has melted.
- Make-ahead: Assemble up to 2 to 3 hours ahead and refrigerate. Take the dish out 30 minutes before baking and add 5 minutes to the covered bake time.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven or the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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