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Turkey sliders combine gooey cheese, cranberry sauce, and honey mustard butter sauce on soft Hawaiian rolls for an easy appetizer that’s perfect for game day, holiday parties, or any gathering! These are great for reinventing leftover turkey, or you can use rotisserie chicken.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy snack or appetizer that feeds a crowd and is always a hit, look no further.
This easy turkey sliders recipe starts with sweet Hawaiian slider rolls. Then we add cheese, turkey (get your favorite sliced turkey at the deli, or use leftovers if you have them on hand), and cranberry sauce. But the real magic is in the butter sauce!
We use a honey mustard butter sauce with a touch of Dijon and a little bit of honey. This flavor combination pairs really well with turkey, and makes these sliders completely irresistible.
And no worries if cranberry sauce isn’t your thing. You can easily swap it out for something else, such as thinly sliced apple, marinara sauce, or pesto (only use 1/2 cup if you go with pesto).
The best part is, you can make these ahead of time, and they reheat well. They’re perfect for a Thanksgiving appetizer, Christmas party, New Year’s Eve get together, game day event, or any gathering where you need a really good appetizer to nibble on.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Traditional flavors, updated. It’s a classic flavor combination (turkey + Swiss cheese), but it’s kicked up with a twist. Cranberry sauce adds sweet/tart fruity flavor, and honey mustard butter sauce takes these mini sandwiches over the top.
- Make ahead. You can make these turkey sliders on Hawaiian rolls the day before if you want! Full instructions are in the Notes in the recipe card below.
- Give leftovers a fresh face. This recipe is a great way to reinvent leftovers into a completely different meal. You can use leftover turkey (or rotisserie chicken), cranberry sauce, and you can even add stuffing!
Easy Turkey Sliders Recipe with Cranberry Sauce and Swiss Cheese
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Honey Mustard Butter Sauce Ingredients
- Salted butter – this is the base of our butter sauce; if you don’t have salted butter, use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt
- Dijon mustard – adds the mustard flavor to our honey mustard butter sauce
- Honey – for a touch of sweetness to round out the mustard
- Worcestershire sauce – for savory depth of flavor
- Dried minced onion – bumps up the savory factor
- Poppy seeds – if you like poppy seeds buns or poppy seed bagels, don’t skip this ingredient
Baked Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Sauce Ingredients
- King’s Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls – these have a slightly sweet flavor, chewy texture, and they’re absolutely delicious; however, any type of slider rolls will work
- Swiss cheese – this cheese is a classic pairing with turkey, but you can use any type of cheese you like
- Thinly sliced deli turkey breast – or use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. If you’re going with deli turkey, you can use your favorite; my favorite is Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Honey Coat Turkey Breast
- Cranberry sauce – homemade cranberry sauce or store-bought cranberry sauce is fine; this adds a delicious sweet flavor to contrast the savory components
Step by Step Instructions
Stir together all ingredients for the honey mustard butter sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Put the entire tray of rolls onto a cutting board and horizontally slice through them. You should be able to pick up the top of the rolls as a unit.
- Line a small baking tray with foil. Place the bottom half of the rolls on the prepared baking tray.
- Layer on 6 slices of cheese.
- And then the turkey.
- Dollop on the cranberry sauce.
- Top with the remaining 6 slices of cheese.
- Place the top half of the rolls on top.
- Spoon on the butter sauce.
- Cover the rolls with foil and bake for 25 minutes, removing the foil during the last 5 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover turkey sliders covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
These little sandwiches reheat well in the oven or air fryer at 350F. Cover them with foil to prevent over-browning. In the oven it takes about 10 to 12 minutes, and in the air fryer it takes about 5 to 6 minutes.
Variations on This Turkey Sliders Recipe
- Instead of Swiss cheese, use any type of cheese you like.
- I love using thinly sliced deli turkey because it’s easily available all year, but you can also use leftover turkey or leftover chicken.
- If cranberry sauce isn’t your thing, leave it out! Instead you can add 1 thinly sliced apple, 3/4 cup marinara sauce, or 1/2 cup pesto.
Turkey Sliders Recipe FAQs
What Cheese Goes Best with Turkey?
There are quite a few different types of cheese that pair well with turkey. Here are a few ideas:
- Swiss or Emmental
- Provolone
- Havarti
- Monterey Jack
- Cheddar
- Gouda
We use Swiss cheese in this turkey sliders recipe, but you can swap it out for any type of cheese that you like paired with turkey.
How Do You Keep Sliders From Getting Soggy?
There are two tricks to avoid soggy sliders:
- Don’t use too much butter sauce, and
- Bake them uncovered for the last 5 minutes.
This recipe uses 6 tablespoons of butter, which is perfect for this amount of sliders. Any more than that, and you run the risk of soggy sliders.
And we remove the foil during the last 5 minutes of cooking time, which not only helps brown the tops, but it also helps crisp up the sliders.
How Can I Make Sliders From Leftovers?
Thanksgiving leftovers are perfect for sliders. You can use leftover turkey (or rotisserie chicken) instead of turkey from the deli. You can also use leftover cranberry sauce.
If you want to make turkey sliders with stuffing, it’s easy to do! You will need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of stuffing; spread it around on the bread before adding the first layer of cheese.
Can You Make Sliders Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can assemble these sliders the day before you want to serve them, just don’t top with the butter sauce.
Cover them well, and then the next day when you want to serve them, let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Top with the butter sauce, cover with foil, and bake as directed.
How Many Sliders per Person is the Serving Size?
If you’re serving them as appetizers, two sliders is a good serving size per person.
What Do You Serve with Turkey Sliders?
You can either serve turkey sliders along with side dishes to make it a full meal, or serve them with more appetizers as a party spread.
To make turkey sliders a full meal, serve them with:
- Blue Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad – a copycat recipe from Outback Steakhouse that’s even better than the original
- Creamy Brussels Sprouts Salad – minimal ingredients, but full of flavor and texture
- Lentil Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette – an incredibly delicious blend of flavors
- Sweet and Smoky Baked Sweet Potato Fries – made crunchy in the oven!
To serve sliders as part of an appetizer spread, serve them with:
- Beer Batter Onion Rings – the best onion rings of your life
- Baked Jalapeno Poppers – super cheesy and delicious (and also keto!)
- Quick and Easy Grilled Peppers – they’re also great in the oven
- Three Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms – always one of the first things to disappear off an appetizer table
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Turkey Sliders Recipe
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Ingredients
Honey Mustard Butter Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Sauce:
- 12 ounce package King’s Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls with 12 slider rolls
- 12 slices Swiss cheese 1 ounce each for a total of 12 ounces
- 12 ounces thinly sliced deli turkey breast my favorite is Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Honey Coat Turkey Breast
- 3/4 cup cranberry sauce
Instructions
For the Honey Mustard Butter Sauce:
- Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
For the Sliders:
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a small baking tray with foil.
- Put the entire tray of rolls onto a cutting board and horizontally slice through them. You should be able to pick up the top of the rolls as a unit.
- Place the bottom half of the rolls on the prepared baking tray. Layer on 6 slices of cheese, and then the turkey. Dollop on the cranberry sauce. Top with the remaining 6 slices of cheese. Place the top half of the rolls on top. Spoon on the butter sauce.
- Cover the rolls with foil and bake for 25 minutes, removing the foil during the last 5 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 12 sliders; each serving is 2 sliders, for a total of 6 servings.
- Make Ahead: You can assemble these sliders the day before you want to serve them, just don’t top with the butter sauce. Cover them well, and then the next day when you want to serve them, let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Top with the butter sauce, cover with foil, and bake as directed.
- Storage and Reheating: Store leftover turkey sliders covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. These reheat well in the oven or air fryer at 350F. Cover them with foil to prevent over-browning. In the oven it takes about 10 to 12 minutes, and in the air fryer it takes about 5 to 6 minutes.
- What Can I Use Instead of Deli Turkey? I love using thinly sliced deli turkey because it’s easily available all year, but you can also use leftover turkey or leftover chicken. Rotisserie chicken also works well!
- What If I Don’t Like Cranberry Sauce? If cranberry sauce isn’t your thing, leave it out! Instead you can add 1 thinly sliced apple, 3/4 cup marinara sauce, or 1/2 cup pesto.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on December 26, 2022. I updated it with more information on December 14, 2023.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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