Chicken Enchilada Sliders are the perfect party food you never knew, you always needed! Saucy shredded chicken and plenty of cheese all piled onto slider buns and baked to gooey, melty perfection- what's not to love?
Although I don't watch much football, I do have a soft spot for football food! These sliders make the perfect game day food and, since they'll be gobbled up in minutes, I decided to use a couple shortcuts to keep the recipe extra easy!
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Ingredients
Slider buns: You can use regular slider buns or Hawaiian ones. I've used both for this recipe and they're both delicious!
Onion and jalapeño: To add extra flavor and a bit of a kick!
Enchilada sauce: Canned enchilada sauce is fast and easy. I like using red enchilada sauce for this recipe, but you can use green if you prefer.
Chicken: Using a rotisserie chicken from the store is one of my favorite shortcuts for recipes like these. You could also use leftover chicken if you have it!
Cheese: I like to use a mix of cheeses like cheddar and monterey jack. You can also grab a bag of Mexican blend shredded cheese, but the anti caking agents in the cheese prevent it from melting as well. If possible, grate the cheese by hand!
Garlic and butter: One of my favorite hacks for sliders- garlic butter! Just add butter and minced garlic to a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to melt the butter and soften the garlic. Then brush onto the tops of the slider buns.
Cotija cheese: After the butter, sprinkle a bit of cotija cheese on the slider buns before baking. It creates this crispy, cheesy crust on top that's so flavorful!
Cilantro: A bit of chopped cilantro for garnish.
How to make Chicken Enchilada Sliders
Make the chicken: Cook the onion and jalapeño until softened, then add the enchilada sauce. Add the chicken and toss to coat, letting the flavors combine.
Assemble the sliders: Cut the slider buns in half longways so that you have a "sheet" of slider bottoms and a sheet of slider tops. Layer half of the cheese, followed by the chicken and the remaining cheese. Place the top buns back on then brush with garlic butter and sprinkle with cotija cheese.
Bake the sliders: Loosely tent with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. This ensures the tops don't burn before the sliders are done baking.
To Serve: Carefully remove the sliders to a serving platter and sprinkle chopped cilantro and more cotija cheese on top. You can cut them into individual sliders, or leave them as pull-apart sliders.
Tips and tricks
Taste and adjust. Canned enchilada sauce can vary in flavor quite a bit. Make sure to taste the chicken mixture and see if it needs anything- more salt? garlic powder? a pinch of cayenne?
Customize to your liking. Feel free to customize to your preferences. You could add more jalapeños, use spicy enchilada sauce or use green onion instead of cilantro for garnish.
Grate your own cheese. I know that bag of pre-shredded cheese is tempting, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't buy it from time to time, but grating your own cheese will give you the best melt! You can use a regular box grater or one of these rotary graters!
Recipe FAQ
Chicken enchilada sliders can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat these sliders, place them in an oven safe dish and bake at 350 until just warmed through.
I like using mild red enchilada sauce, but you could try using different spice levels or even green enchilada sauce!
These sliders are a great choice for game day or any gathering for that matter! Serve with chips and dip, salsa, guacamole or any other tex-mex favorites.
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This recipe was originally published September 25, 2019 and updated August 27, 2024.
Chicken Enchilada Sliders
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ Yellow onion diced
- 1 Jalapeño minced
- 1 10 Ounce can red enchilada sauce
- 3 Cups cooked shredded chicken such as rotisserie chicken
- 2 Cups Mexican shredded cheeses such as cheddar, monterey jack and chihuahua
- 1 12 Count package slider rolls cut in half horizontally
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 Cloves garlic minced
- Cotija cheese
- Cilantro chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion and jalapeño. Cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the enchilada sauce and lower the heat. Let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and toss to combine.
- Using a bread knife, slice the slider buns in half so that you end up with two "sheets", a top half and a bottom half.
- Put the bottom half of the slider buns in a baking dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the buns and then spread the chicken mixture on top followed by the remaining cheese. Place the top half of the buns back on top.
- Add the butter and garlic to a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, until butter is melted and garlic has softened. Brush the tops of the buns with the garlic butter and sprinkle with cotija cheese.
- Loosely tent the baking dish with foil and bake covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and more cotija cheese. Serve hot!
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