Chicken Pesto Sliders Recipe
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Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Makes a fantastic lunch you can throw together with a few ingredients.
- These cheesy garlic pesto chicken sliders are perfect for a holiday party, game days, and simple snacking.
- Only 140 calories per slider.
- Comes with a homemade flavorful pesto you can add to anything!
No simple sandwich here!
Say goodbye to your boring lunchtime sandwiches because this slider recipe is the last one you will ever need. Even better, these mini sandwiches are so easy to make. Deli chicken, a super easy homemade pesto sauce, and slices of mozzarella cheese are all stuffed into slider rolls and baked in the oven. The end result are beautifully baked rolls, filled with flavor, that you can bring to the next party or simply enjoy as an easy lunch.
Can you make this ahead of time?
I suggest making these sliders when you’re ready to serve them because they are amazing hot and gooey right out of the oven. If bringing to a party, assemble at home, and then toss into the oven before you serve. That being said, my kids take these for school lunches and love them, so rest assured, they will be a hit whether hot or cold.
Can you make this recipe gluten and dairy-free?
Yes, very easily. To make this Chicken Pesto Sliders recipe gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free rolls. Cut them into 12 equal squares. To make this dairy-free, omit cheese entirely or use a dairy free option like Violife Smoked Provolone.
Can I use chicken breast vs. deli chicken?
Absolutely! While this chicken pesto sliders recipe calls for deli chicken you can swap with cooked chicken breast, shredded chicken breast or even rotisserie chicken.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for Chicken Pesto Sliders.
Savory Butter Rolls: this recipe uses a 12 pack of King’s Hawaiian Savory Butter Rolls. If you cannot find these you can swap for brioche buns, buttery rolls or any slider buns.
Deli Meat: for this recipe I am using deli chicken, linked here: Dietz & Watson Southern Fried Chicken Breast. You can also use cooked or grilled chicken breast, shredded chicken or even rotisserie chicken.
Mozzarella Cheese: this recipe uses Lucerne Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella cheese slices. You can swap with your favorite flavored cheese or dairy free alternative.
Pesto: by using my Oil Free Pesto you have zero fat added to this recipe. No oil, no nuts and no fat added. Just simple ingredients giving you a bold and flavorful pesto. You can use your favorite pesto but I strongly suggest you try my pesto without oil.
How to make these Chicken Pesto sliders:
Step 1
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan or sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2
Slice your rolls through the center so you have a top and bottom leaving all 12 connected.
Step 3
Top the bottom rolls evenly with sliced chicken and cheese. Lay four slices of chicken down first, then top with the next 4 slices. Lay out 3 slices of cheese towards the top half (viewing the rolls connected by 4) and 3 slice along the bottom so they evenly overlap.
Step 4
In a food processor or single smoothie blender: add basil, spinach, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and blend until fully combined.
Step 5
Brush the tops of the sliders with a spoonful of pesto. Pour the remaining pesto on top of the mozzarella cheese. Place the tops on the rolls. Option: sprinkle with dried minced onion, sesame seeds or everything but the bagel seasoning.
Step 6
Place the rolls in the baking dish and CUT all 12 into individual rolls. Do this so that it’s easy to pull apart since the meat overlaps and will need to be cut.
Step 7
Loosely cover the rolls with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and let bake for an additional 5 minutes to crisp the rolls some.
Step 8
Remove from the oven when the cheese has fully melted and serve. Enjoy your delicious chicken pesto sliders.
What to serve with these sliders
Serve with toppings like sweet and spicy pickles, shredded iceberg lettuce and thinly sliced red onion. This Chicken Pesto Sliders Recipe is the perfect appetizer or easy weeknight meal.
If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of our other easy sliders!
Chicken Pesto Sliders
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Ingredients
- 12 pack Savory Buttery Rolls (King's Hawaiian)
- 8 slices Deli Chicken (Dietz & Watson Southern Fried)
- 6 slices Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1/4 lemon juiced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 inch (or dish large enough to fit all rolls) baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Slices Buttery Rolls through the center so you have a top and bottom leaving all 12 connected.
- Top the bottom rolls evenly with sliced chicken and cheese. Lay four slices of chicken down first and top with the next 4 slices. Lay out 3 slices of cheese towards the top half (viewing the rolls connected by 4) and 3 slice along the bottom so they evenly overlap.
- In a food processor or single smoothie blender add basil. spinach, garlic, lemon juice, salt and and pepper and blend until fully combined.
- Brush the tops of the tops of the sliders with some of the fresh pesto. Pour the remaining pesto on top of the mozzarella cheese. Place the tops on the rolls. Option: sprinkle with dried minced onion, sesame seeds or everything but the bagel seasoning.
- Place the rolls in the baking dish and CUT all 12 into individual rolls. Do this so that it's easy to pull apart since the meat overlaps and will need to be cut.
- Loosely cover the rolls with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and let bake for an additional 5 minutes to crisp the rolls some.
- Remove from the oven when the cheese has fully melted and serve. Enjoy your delicious chicken pesto sliders.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
Maybe a dumb question, but is the nutrition info for 1 slider? (Aka, how many sliders in a serving)?
Making this tomorrow for our NYE get together and super excited about it!
Yes, one slider per serving. Makes 12. Enjoy!!
I love these sliders and they have become my go-to for busy nights when we need a quick meal between kids practices. They are quick, taste great, and taste good the next day.
These look so yummy!!! Can I freeze these for later?
After making these can I freeze them for later????
I have not tried freezing them but I imagine they’d be soggy when defrosting. If you try it, please let me know how it worked.
I love this recipe!
For the lemon juice, it just says “ 1/4 lemon juice” – is it supposed to be “1/4 cup”?
Thanks!
No, 1/4 of a lemon, juiced. Thanks!
Trying these tonight! just curious though, about how many grams/ounces of mozzarella should we use? I could not find part skim slices either prepackaged or from my deli. So I’m working with shredded.
1 slice is 21 grams so use 126 grams shredded.
These were so simple and delicious!! Thank you!
Yay, thank you!!