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About This Recipe
If you love the bold flavors of classic enchiladas but want something fun, bite-sized, and easy to make, you have to try these Chicken Enchilada Sliders! Made with shredded chicken, zesty enchilada sauce, and melty cheese, all tucked into soft Hawaiian rolls, these sliders are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Just like my Cheeseburger Sliders, these sliders are great for feeding a crowd! Make them for a game day party, easy dinner, or a party appetizer. I promise the whole family will love these!
Plus, they’re so easy to throw together since they use cooked chicken, canned enchilada sauce and sweet Hawaiian rolls! Top them with your favorite enchilada toppings like sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, or even this tasty cottage cheese queso!
Why You’ll Love These Easy Chicken Enchilada Sliders
- Packed with flavor! A perfect blend of shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, melted cheese, fresh cilantro for that classic Mexican taste in every bite.
- Easier than enchiladas! Skip the hard work of rolling individual enchiladas and make 12 easy enchilada chicken sliders sliders in no time!
- Perfect party food! Whip them up for game day parties, birthday parties, cookouts or even busy weeknights!
- Packed with protein! Each slider has over 19 grams of protein!
- Customizable! Add your favorite toppings, swap for ground beef, mix up the cheese, the options are endless!
- Hawaiian sweet rolls – I love using Hawaiian sweet rolls for this recipe. I think the sweetness of the rolls goes perfectly with the savory flavor of the burger. However, you can use any type of small dinner roll you prefer here!
- Olive oil: Use olive oil or your favorite cooking oil to saute the garlic and onions.
- Onion & garlic: Since we’re using cooking chicken the fragrant garlic and onions brings lots of extra flavor!
- Chicken: Any cooked chicken! Use my basic shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, leftover chicken, etc.
- Enchilada sauce: I used mild red enchilada sauce for these! If you like spice, you can use spicy enchilada sauce or try green enchilada sauce for a fun twist!
- Cheese: I used a mix of monterey jack and cheddar cheese for the sliders and cotija cheese (you can also use parmesan) on top for garnish. You can use any type of mexican blend cheese or cheese you like!
- Butter: The melted butter helps the cotija (or parmesan) cheese stick on top makes the rolls get nice and brown! I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in my recipes but if you want to use salted butter just reduce or omit the additional salt.
- Cilantro: Top these sliders with some fresh cilantro for the ultimate Mexican feel!
- Ground beef: Swap the cooked chicken with lean ground beef like in my Cheeseburger Sliders recipe.
- Toppings: Top with jalapeno, sour cream, more enchilada sauce, salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, queso, etc.
- Cotija cheese: If you can’t find cotija cheese you can use grated parmesan or feta.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan or casserole dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Slice Hawaiian rolls in half (cut in half down the middle first to make this easier). Place bottom half of the rolls on the sheet pan.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until onions have softened.
3. Add the chicken and enchilada sauce. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, or to taste. Increase to medium-high heat and continue stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Remove from heat.
4. Sprinkle half the Monterey jack and cheddar cheese over the bottom rolls.
5. Top with the chicken mixture then sprinkle with remaining cheese.
6. Add the top layer of rolls and brush the top of the rolls with melted butter.
7. Sprinkle with a little cotija cheese. Lightly cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and rolls are toasty to your liking.
8. Garnish with cilantro and cotija cheese if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To reheat sliders: microwave each slider uncovered 15-20 seconds or just until the beef is heated through and cheese is melted.
Helpful Tips
- Cheese layer: Adding a layer of cheese on the bottom helps prevent the bottom buns from absorbing too much of the liquid from the enchilada chicken mixture from the chicken and getting soggy.
- Cook enchilada sauce down: Make sure to let your chicken and enchilada sauce cook long enough that the chicken absorbs the enchilada sauce well. This will help prevent the buns from getting soggy.
- Bake covered, then uncovered for golden buns: Cover with a piece of tinfoil for the first 10 minutes to trap moisture then uncover and baked for another 3-5 minutes so the top buns get nice and toasty!
Can I make these sliders ahead of time?
Yes, you can make these sliders ahead of time. To prepare ahead of time, follow recipe instructions through step 5. Then cover and refrigerated until ready to bake. Remove from fridge, brush with butter, sprinkle with cotija cheese and bake as directed. If baking from chilled, add an extra 2-3 minutes or until hot and the cheese is melted.
What kind of chicken should I use for this chicken slider recipe?
Any type of chicken works for the chicken enchilada filling! Use my basic shredded chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, etc. I love the handpulled rotisserie breast chicken from Costco or the shredded rotisserie seasoned chicken from Target!
Can I use a different roll besides King’s Hawaiian rolls?
Yes, you can use any type of small dinner roll here that you prefer. King’s Hawaiian rolls are a classic for sliders but any type of slider rolls here will work.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Chicken Enchilada Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 hawaiian sweet rolls
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 1 small onion (180g) diced small
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups/16 oz. cooked shredded chicken
- 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (112g)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (112g)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (28g) melted
- Cotija cheese or grated parmesan, to garnish
- Fresh cilantro finely chopped to garnish
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Slice Hawaiian rolls in half (cut in half down the middle first to make this easier). Place bottom rolls on the sheet pan.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until onions have softened.
- Add the chicken and enchilada sauce. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, or to taste. Increase to medium-high heat and continue stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle half the Monterey jack and cheddar cheese over the bottom rolls, top with the chicken mixture then sprinkle with remaining cheese and add the top layer of rolls. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with a little cotija cheese.
- Lightly cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and rolls are toasty to your liking.
- Garnish with cilantro and cotija cheese if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
