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Pesto Chicken Sliders are a quick and easy weeknight meal that takes less than 30 minutes to make. Shredded chicken gets sandwiched between rolls along with pesto and melted mozzarella. Save even more time by using a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken!
Longing for more slider recipes? Try my Philly Cheesesteak Sliders or Chicken Parmesan Sliders next!
Why I Love This Recipe
Sliders are a super fun way to serve sandwiches at your party, for game day or just for a simple dinner.
- Pull Apart Sliders – Making chicken sliders with sheets of rolls gives them an extra fun presentation while helping to keep everything together as they bake.
- Cooked Chicken – I love that this recipe uses shredded chicken so you can use leftovers or just pick up a rotisserie chicken – one less thing to cook!
- Pesto and Melted Cheese – The combination of nutty pesto and melty cheese is a favorite for good reason!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This is a great recipe to use up leftover chicken along with some other easy-to-find ingredients.
- Slider Buns – Such as King’s Hawaiian Buttery Rolls (see note below). You’ll want to leave the buns attached in the sheet and slice the sheet horizontally to form two pieces.
- Cooked and Shredded Chicken – This is a great use for leftover chicken or use rotisserie chicken and just shred it up.
- Pesto Sauce – You can buy pesto at the store to keep it simple, but if you want a nut-free version then you can make your own nut-free pesto.
- Sliced Mozzarella Cheese – You can swap in another sliced cheese like provolone.
- Mayonnaise – Light or full fat mayo can be used!
- Salted Butter – The butter will be melted and brushed on top of the sliders before baking to give them that golden brown top. If you’re watching your sodium, feel free to use unsalted butter.
- Spices – Dried Basil and Garlic Powder are mixed with the melted butter, then brushed on top of the rolls for extra flavor.
Slider Buns – You can use any kind of mini buns that you like. For this recipe, I like the King’s Hawaiian Butter Rolls. They have that same fluffy texture, but aren’t as sweet. You could also use regular slider buns if your store carries them, or the sweet Hawaiian rolls.
How To Make Pesto Chicken Sliders
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
These mini sandwiches don’t get much easier to make and are ready in under 30 minutes!
Prep – Preheat the oven and slice the sliders into two sheets. I like to use a serrated knife to do this.
Assemble Sliders – Place the bottom half of the slider buns in a baking dish and spread with the pesto on the bottom and top with an even layer of shredded chicken, and mozzarella. Spread mayo on the top half of the buns and place the top buns over the bottom half.
Brush with Butter – Melt the butter in a bowl and mix in the spices. Brush over the top of the sliders. You could also sprinkle on some sesame seeds or poppy seeds if you want.
Bake – Cover the sliders with foil and bake for about 10 minutes then remove the foil and bake until the tops are browned and cheese is melted.
Slice and Serve!
Serving Suggestions and Variations
- Other Slider Ideas – You can use this same technique to make so many other fun slider recipes! Some other favorites that we love are these Ham and Cheese Sliders, Pizza Sliders, and BBQ Chicken Sliders.
- Serving Ideas – These are such a versatile recipe so you can serve them with your favorite sides! We love to pair them with Baked Potato Wedges or a veggie like roasted broccoli.
- Toppings – Try melted garlic butter, or sprinkle with poppy seeds or Parmesan cheese.
Storage
While the sliders are best eaten fresh, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Microwave individual cold portions for 15-20 seconds until warmed through. You can also reheat in the oven in a baking dish, covered with foil, until warmed through.
Freezing is not recommended due to the mayonnaise.
Expert Tips
- Chicken – Besides using a rotisserie chicken or leftovers, there are a variety of methods to cook chicken breasts for the filling: Poached Chicken, Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken, Instant Pot Shredded Chicken. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Cover with Foil – Covering the sliders with foil for the first half of baking helps prevent the tops from getting too brown and burnt.
- To Double this Recipe – Place two packages of rolls side by side in a 9×13” baking dish. Increase butter amount to 6 tablespoons, and add an additional pinch of the herbs and seasoning to the butter.
- Make Ahead – You can assemble the sliders a day ahead of time, just don’t brush with the melted butter until right before baking. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours and let sit out at room temperature while the oven preheats.
- Shredded vs Sliced Cheese – I like to use sliced cheese because it melts well and is easy to just lay over the chicken. If you use pre-shredded cheese from the bag, be aware that it doesn’t melt quite as well as slices due to the anti-caking agent that is added to shredded cheese.
More Slider Recipes
Pesto Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 Slider buns sliced in half horizontally through the middle (like King’s Hawaiian Rolls)
- 2 cups Cooked shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup Pesto sauce
- 8 slices Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Place the bottom half of the slider buns in a 2 qt baking dish. Evenly spread the pesto sauce on the bottom buns. Spread the mayo on the top half of the buns.
- Place the pulled chicken evenly on the bottom buns and top with mozzarella slices. Place on the top buns.
- Melt the butter in a small bowl. Add in the basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Brush this melted butter mixture on top of the rolls.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 10 minutes, uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the tops are browned and the cheese is melted. If the tops are getting too brown, re-cover loosely with the foil. Slice and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Thank you for all the great slider recipes I love them
You are so welcome Wendy! Thanks for stopping by.
Very good & very easy
Thank you Beverly!