These Chicken Parm Sliders are a perfect game day appetizer finger food! Sweet Hawaiian rolls are stuffed with shredded chicken mixed with marinara, cheese, and an herb butter on top.
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Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Chicken Parm Sliders take all the flavors you love from traditional Chicken Parmesan and condense them into a bite-sized snack.
The combination of chicken, tangy marinara sauce, and gooey melted cheese will satisfy your cravings and leave you wanting more.
I cannot even begin to tell you how big of a hit these were!
I made them for game day when we were with friends watching football and they were just raved about.
Why is it called Chicken Parm if it’s made with mozzarella?
In Italy, foods are very often named after the city or region that it was created in.
For example, Bolognese is named after the city of Bologna.
So it is most likely that Chicken Parmigiana was named after the city of Parma.
What does parmigiana mean in Italian? It translated to “of Parma” or “in the style of Parma.”
Ingredients Needed
Here is what you need to make these amazing game day sliders!
- Cooked Chicken (shredded preferred, or chopped)
- Marinara Sauce
- Provolone Cheese – optional but a great addition of flavor!
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Slider Buns (like Hawaiian sweet rolls, or preferred) – Choose mini brioche, Hawaiian, or potato rolls to provide a tender and slightly sweet base for your sliders.
- Butter
- Dried Parsley
- Garlic Powder
This is a perfect opportunity to use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken! Anything with an Italian or neutral flavor profile will work.
Chicken Parmesan Sliders with Chicken Nuggets
A fun twist to this recipe is using chicken nuggets instead of shredded chicken!
You can leave the nuggets whole if desired, or chop them up. Sauce can be tossed with the chicken, or used as a layer with the cheeses.
Keep in mind the nuggets will be a little soggy no matter what you do with them since they are trapped in the middle of layers of sauce and cheese goodness!
Instruction Overview
How to Make Chicken Parmesan Sliders:
Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half. You can leave the entire batch attached and cut once through all of them.
Set aside the top half of the rolls.
Mix the cooked chicken with marinara sauce.
Place the bottom half of the rolls into a baking dish. Lay the sliced provolone across the bottom of the rolls.
Add about half of the mozzarella cheese across the provolone.
Then scoop the marinara chicken across the provolone.
Top off the chicken with a layer of the mozzarella cheese.
Place the roll tops back on.
Melt the butter and add the rest of the topping ingredients.
Pour the butter over the top of the rolls.
Cover the rolls with tin foil and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking about 5 minutes longer to toast the tops as desired. Since everything is already cooked, we are aiming for heating it through and melting all the cheeses.
Remove from the oven, cut, and serve!
You can serve these delectable sliders as a main dish, appetizer, or even as party finger food. They are perfect for game nights, potlucks, or family gatherings.
For a complete meal, pair your Chicken Parm Sliders with a side salad or some crispy fries.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even add some fresh basil leaves or a drizzle of balsamic glaze for an extra burst of flavor.
Modifications and Substitutions
You can use any leftover or Italian/plain flavored chicken for this recipe. Chicken nuggets or other breaded chicken is also great! But the breading is likely to get soggy when exposed to the sauce.
If using a breaded chicken, I recommend putting the provolone slices between it and a layer of sauce to help prevent this.
Kim’s Tips
These are messy! So be sure to have lots of napkins handy.
I love serving some additional marinara on the side to dunk into.
You can bake these on a baking sheet as well, but a few things to note:
- The bottom of the rolls will crisp up so be careful how long you cook them.
- The cheeses and butter will fall out and away from the rolls since there are no edges against the bread to hold everything together.
FAQs
What’s the difference between chicken Parmesan and chicken parmigiana?
They are the same thing!
Why isn’t chicken parm called chicken mozzarella?
Because it is named after the city of Parma, and not the cheese. (Although Parma is also where Parmesan originates from!)
What goes well with chicken sliders?
These would be great served with French fries, salad, or an Italian seasoned vegetable like broccoli or green beans.
How many sliders per person for a party?
This will vary with how much other food is served, but assume 1-2 sliders per person.
Consider how filling other options are, how many other options there are, and the guests you are serving.
Chicken Parm Sliders Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 inch Baking Dish
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 pack sweet Hawaiian rolls (pack of dozen small rolls)
- 3 ½ cups shredded chicken cooked (approximately 1 pound cooked, or 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
- 1 ½ cups simple marinara sauce plus more for serving if desired
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup butter (1 stick, 8 Tablespoons)
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken and marinara sauce. Set aside.3 ½ cups shredded chicken, 1 ½ cups simple marinara sauce
- Slice your slider buns in half lengthwise (this is easiest when leaving them all stuck together).1 pack sweet Hawaiian rolls
- Lay the bottom half of the rolls in the baking dish.
- Layer the provolone slices across the roll bottoms.6 slices provolone cheese
- Sprinkle half of the mozzarella across the provolone.2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Spread the chicken mixture across the mozzarella.
- Top the chicken with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Place the top half of the buns on top of the sliders in the dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, dried parsley, Parmesan, and salt.½ cup butter, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour the butter mixture over the top of the sliders.
- Cover the dish with foil.
- Bake the sliders for about 10 minutes, until the cheese around the edges is melting.
- Remove the foil and cook an additional 3-5 minutes as desired to brown the top of the rolls.
- Serve warm with additional marinara sauce.
