Chicken Pesto Sliders
These Chicken Pesto Sliders are herby, cheesy, garlicky, so simple and SO good! They’re perfect for gameday eats or to pair with some veggies for a family-friendly quick weeknight meal.
If you like sliders and you like pesto, you’ll love these pesto chicken sliders! They’re so delicious and satisfying, but also crazy simple to make!
And to (quite literally) top it off, there’s a quickly garlic herb butter that gets spread on top of the sliders before baking, and man, it just takes it to the next level!
Pair with a salad, like my nectarine caprese salad, for an easy weeknight dinner. Or have them join your gameday spread, along with other fan-favorites, like this healthy buffalo chicken dip.
Why this Chicken Pesto Sliders Recipe is SO Good!
- To start – they’re crazy delicious!
- These sliders need less than 10 ingredients.
- They’re simple to make, with most of the time just hands-off cook time in the oven.
- These sliders pack a lot of flavor, with two cheeses, pesto, and a quick garlic herb butter.
- They’re versatile in that they can be used as appetizers, after school snacks, or part of a balanced dinner.
- Family-friendly!
Ingredients Needed
For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
- Buns: use a 12-pack of slider buns. I prefer the savory/butter style as opposed to the sweet/ Hawaiian buns for these savory chicken pesto sliders.
- Chicken: use any pre-cook shredded chicken – rotisserie works great!
- Pesto: you can use your favorite store bought or homemade pesto (I used my lemon pesto, which was delicious here!)
- Cheese: both shredded mozzarella and sliced provolone are used for max cheesiness (hello cheese pulls!)
- Garlic Herb Butter: super simple – all you need is butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic.
Step-by-Step Directions
For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
- Without breaking the individual buns apart, slice them in half.
- Place the bottom half of the buns in a lightly greased baking dish.
- Layer on the shredded chicken, then pesto, then cheeses, and top buns.
- Add Italian seasoning and garlic to the melted butter, then spoon over the top of the buns.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- When done, slice into individual sliders and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- To help cut the sliders without breaking them apart into individual buns, use a serrated knife, and gently place one hand on top of the buns to help keep them in place and guide the cutting.
- Use what you’ve got, but as a general PSA, cheese tends to melt better when you shred a block of cheese, versus buying pre-shredded cheese coated with anti-caking agents.
- After the first 10 minutes of baking, cover the baking pan with foil to prevent the sliders from getting too browned and crispy.
- The sliders are done when the cheese is melted.
- Let the hot sliders sit in the pan at least 5 minutes, so they’re more cool to the touch for cutting.
- Use a serrated knife when cutting into individual sliders.
- And when it comes to the garlic in your quickie garlic herb butter – always measure garlic with your heart. 😉
Substitutions & Variations
- Feel free to use your preferred types of cheeses – you can even sub all mozzarella or all provolone. Just make sure it’s a good melting cheese.
- To make these dairy-free, make sure you use a melting dairy-free cheese that you enjoy. And ensure your pesto and buns are dairy-free, as well.
- You can substitute other proteins, like ground turkey or shredded pork.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
Did you know that you can freeze sliders? Yes! Make the sliders up until adding the butter topping, and don’t cook. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then freeze up to three months. When ready to eat, thaw, add on the butter topping, then bake as instructed.
Once baked, these sliders can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Supplies You’ll Need
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More Pesto Recipes You’ll Love
- Nut-Free Pesto
- Pesto Chicken Wrap
- Pasta al Pesto with Blistered Tomatoes
- Pesto Crusted Salmon
- Lemon Pesto
- Pesto Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
- Nectarine Caprese Salad
- Pesto Fried Rice
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Chicken Pesto Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 savory butter roll slider rolls
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- ½ cup pesto
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F and lightly grease a 9×13" baking pan (or any baking dish that accomodates the size of the slider buns).
- Carefully slice the slider buns in half and place the bottom half into the prepared pan.12 savory butter roll slider rolls
- Layer the bottom buns with shredded chicken, then pesto, then shredded mozzarella, then provolone. Top with the top half of the buns and set aside.2 cups cooked chicken, 1/2 cup pesto, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 4 slices provolone cheese
- In a separate small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Carefully brush this garlic butter on top of the buns.1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Bake for 10 minutes covered with foil, then bake another 10-15 minutes uncovered. (If they're getting too brown, but the foil back over the sliders.) The sliders are done when the cheese has melted.
- Slice along the bun lines with a serrated knife. Serve warm and enjoy.
