Pesto Chicken Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
These pull apart chicken pesto sliders feature juicy chicken and lots of melted cheese! Always a big hit at a party, pesto and chicken sliders are great served as an appetizer or an easy family dinner.
I recently hosted a New Years Eve party, and after thinking a lot about the food, I eventually decided to serve a whole host of different types of sliders as the main attraction!
In the process I came up with this recipe—it was a big hit! I hope you and your family love it too.
Chicken Pesto Slider Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to get started on these delicious sliders:
Chicken – we’ll use 1 pound of raw chicken breasts to make a batch of pesto chicken to fill the sliders. BUT, if have leftover chicken, you can absolutely use that instead. More tips on that later.
Chicken broth – this will go in the crockpot with the chicken to make it extra juicy.
Pesto – I used Trader Joe’s Genova Pesto, but you can use whatever you have on hand. You’ll just want to make sure you check the salt level of your pesto before adding more.
Lemon – a few slices cooked with the chicken gives it just a little extra flavor and acidity!
Mozzarella – the perfect melting cheese. We’ll use a bunch of mozzarella on the sliders.
Parmesan – a little parmesan will complement the flavors of the pesto and add even more cheesiness!
Butter – we’ll brush the tops of the sliders with a garlic herb butter before baking. You’ll need 3 tbsp.
Garlic powder – goes in the garlic butter.
Fresh parsley and basil – also goes in the garlic butter. You can sub dried herbs if you prefer.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Sliders
Take these steps to make your own chicken pesto sliders for a delicious appetizer or family dinner:
Step 1: Make the Chicken
I start by making a batch of my pesto chicken, which is made in the crockpot with pesto, chicken broth, and lemon.
Step 2: Do Prep Work
While the chicken is cooking, you can prep the rest of the slider ingredients! Shred the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Mince the herbs. Stir together the garlic butter sauce.
Then, use a sharp bread knife to cut the hawaiian rolls in half (without breaking them apart). Honestly, this is trickier than it looks. Your first try, you might have some uneven pieces—that’s ok! It still happens to me sometimes too. They will still taste great!
Place the bottom half in a baking pan – you can use a 9″ by 13″ glass pan, a baking sheet, or a foil pan like I’m using here.
Step 3: Assemble the Sliders
Once the chicken is done, it is time to assemble! Start with half the mozzarella cheese on the bottom half of the rolls.
Layer on the chicken, then brush on more pesto. Top with the parmesan, then the rest of the mozzarella.
Step 4: Bake!
Place the top half of the rolls on top of all the layers you just made. Brush them with the garlic herb butter. Then, cover the pan with foil and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes—or until the cheese is completely melted.
Once melted, remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to let the tops of the rolls crisp up.
And there you have it—amazing chicken pesto sliders!
Recipes Tips & Notes:
- If you want to use leftover chicken (rather than making pesto chicken from scratch) you can that with a few small changes! Take the leftover chicken and shred it (if not already shredded). Then, mix it with 3 oz of pesto and a squeeze of lemon. Omit the chicken broth. Then, continue to assemble the sliders according to the directions.
- Make sure to check the salt level of your pesto before adding any extra. The pesto I used was not very salty, so I added 1 tsp extra to the chicken. However, I’ve tasted pestos that are VERY salty. If that is the case, add salt at the end of making the pesto chicken (whether from scratch or not). Then you can taste and add more to your liking.
Make Ahead Option
If you need to prepare for a party or large gathering, making these rolls ahead is a great option!
All you have to do is assemble the rolls with the chicken, pesto, and cheese. Make the butter mixture but reserve for later (don’t brush it on right away). Cover with foil and store in the fridge until ready to cook!
When ready, re-melt the butter and brush over the rolls. You may need to add a little extra cook time if coming straight from the fridge.
I made these ahead the morning of a party, and they turned out good that night! I just wouldn’t recommend storing them for too long in the fridge because the juiciness of the chicken can make the rolls soggy.
Pesto Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
For the Pesto Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts (8-9 oz each)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt*
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 oz pesto
- 2 thin lemon slices
For the Sliders:
- 12 count package Hawaiian Rolls
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 oz pesto
- 3 tbsp cup butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 tbsp minced fresh basil
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts into the crockpot and season with salt and pepper.
- Add chicken broth, pesto, and 2 thin lemon slices to the crockpot.
- Cover and cook for 2 hours on low, or until the chicken registers 165 degrees.
- Shred chicken with 2 forks or your desired method.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 9u0022 by 13u0022 pan or foil pan.
- Open the package of rolls and carefully slice the whole thing in half. Add the bottom half to the pan.
- Add half the mozzarella to the bottom of the rolls. Add shredded chicken after that (you can layer it on thick or save a little for leftovers—I found I had enough chicken to make a few more sliders the next day!)
- Brush the remaining 2 oz of pesto over the chicken.
- Add the parmesan cheese, then the rest of the mozzarella.
- Put the other half of the rolls back on top.
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, fresh parsley and fresh basil. Brush over the rolls.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or so, until the tops of the rolls are lightly crisp and golden.
Video
Notes
- I used Trader Joes Genova Pesto. You can use any pesto you’d like, but look out for salt content. The pesto I used isn’t super salty. If yours is, you may not want to put a full teaspoon in at the beginning.
- Make ahead option: make and assemble the rolls with all the chicken, pesto, and cheese. Make the butter mixture but reserve for later. Cover with foil and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours or until ready to cook (it is best not to wait more than a day or the juiciness of the chicken can make the rolls soggy). When ready, re-melt the butter and brush over the rolls. You may need to add a little extra cook time if coming straight from the fridge.
- If you want to use leftover chicken (rather than making pesto chicken from scratch) you can that with a few small changes! Take the leftover chicken and shred it (if not already shredded). Then, mix it with 3 oz of pesto and a squeeze of lemon. Omit the chicken broth. Then, continue to assemble the sliders according to the directions.
