Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders are the perfect party food or quick and easy dinner! With just 6 ingredients and one pan you can get all the flavor of traditional jalapeño poppers in an extra snackable, and delicious sandwich form.
This post is sponsored by Challenge. All recipes, tips, and opinions are cooked up right here at Easy Family Recipes.
One of my all time favorite appetizers has always been jalapeño poppers. They are the perfect combination of a little tangy, a touch spicy, with extra creamy cheese to bring it all together. I have used this amazing flavor combo in everything from a Jalapeno Popper Chicken Bake, to a Jalapeño Popper Breakfast Casserole and both have been VERY popular with readers.
Today, we may have just found the pinnacle of jalapeño popper recipes! These Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders are the perfect combo of sweet and salty, creamy and spicy, and bite sized, yet filling.
You can serve them as singles and they are perfect for an appetizer, pot luck, or tailgating party snack. Or when you serve 2-3 they are hearty and filling enough for dinner.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Best flavor – these have so much flavor between the jalapeno popper flavor, the sweet Hawaiian rolls and the savory Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt Butter Snack Spread, the flavor of this recipe is just off the charts!
- Versitile – Serve it as an appetizer. Make it for dinner. Bring it to a pot luck or neighborhood BBQ. Pull out a tray of these for watching football. There isn’t many occasions that these sliders aren’t immediately a HUGE hit!
- Quick and Easy – With just 6 ingredients and one pan, you are on your way to delicious super fast with this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders recipe.
- Scalable – The recipe as written makes 12 sliders which is perfect for a family of 4 or a small party. If you need to feed a crowd, just double the recipe to make 24 sliders easy!
Recipe Notes
This Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders recipe is as simple as promised! Just a 6 ingredients and these are ready in less than 30 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls – These are great because not only are they the perfect slider size, but they are super soft, and the sweetness of the roll is perfect to compliment the heat of the jalapeno.
- Softened cream cheese– Make sure to use softened cream cheese. This helps the jalapeños to mix in easily and gives it that ultra creamy texture of a jalapeno popper.
- Pickled jalapeno peppers– I use the jarred variety and drain them. If you can find diced, then it will save you a step, but if not just run a knife through them to make a nice bite sized dice.
- Shredded chicken– Rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken works great here, but if you don’t have any on hand, I recommend making this baked chicken and shredding it up.
- Cheddar cheese– I use sharp to get as much cheesy flavor in every bite as I can, but you can use mild, medium, or even a colby jack cheese or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Challenge Butter Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt Snack Spread– This stuff is like MAGIC! It brings the delicious flavor of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and combines it with deliciously creamy Challenge spreadable butter. It makes the perfect one step topping to give the sliders an extra punch of flavor. Find retailers that sell the spread here or substitute melted Challenge Butter with a sprinkle of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt in a pinch.
Challenge is my go-to brand for butter since the flavor is always consistently delicious. For over 100 years they have been churning their butter from the freshest cream from their family-owned dairies. Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Spicy Jalapeno Popper Sliders– To up the heat in the jalapeno popper sliders you have a couple of great options. First make sure to use spicy pickled jalapenos. If you want a bit more of a kick, add 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce into the cream cheese mixture.
- Vegetarian Jalapeno Popper Sliders– To make this a vegetarian recipe, simply omit the shredded chicken from the slider recipe.
- Jalapeno Popper Sausage Sliders– Cook 8 ounces of ground pork sausage until browned. Use this to layer onto the cream cheese mixture in place of the chicken.
- Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sliders with Bacon– Cook 4 ounces of bacon until crispy (I like to use this oven bacon method). Crumble the bacon and layer on top of the shredded chicken in the sliders.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders.
- Cream cheese– Mix the cream cheese and jalapeños together to make a creamy spread. Cover the bottom of the rolls in the cream cheese jalapeno mixture.
- Shredded Chicken– Layer the shredded chicken over the cream cheese mixture. I like to pat the chicken down into the cream cheese mixture to both better incorporate the flavor, and also to help the slider hold its shape well.
- Cheddar Cheese– For the last layer, cheddar cheese makes the perfect compliment to the sliders. Some traditional jalapeno poppers only use cream cheese, or cheddar cheese, but I found that using both in the sliders gives you the best combination of ultra creamy and lots of cheesy flavor.
- Butter and Season– To top it all off with a burst of flavor by brushing the tops of the rolls with Challenge Butter’s Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt Snack Spread. This spreadable seasoned butter not only adds the perfect pop of flavor, but it helps the rolls develop the perfect golden brown color. I like to slice between the rolls to make sure the butter can drip down between each sandwich for the most flavor.
If you have ever had Lawry’s Seasoned Salt you know the delicious flavor I am talking about, and if not, you are in for a treat because the seasoned salt combined with rich butter is just pure perfection.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Mix the cream cheese in advance – You can combine the cream cheese and jalapeños up to 4-5 days in advance. Just refrigerate until ready to use then soften on the counter, or microwave for a few seconds to get the spread back to the perfect texture to spread on the rolls when you are ready.
- Assemble ahead – You can assemble the sliders with the cream cheese, chicken and cheese layer up to 48 hours in advance and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Once you are ready to cook them, brush the top with the butter spread, then bake as directed.
- Bake on Demand – These Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders are best when served immediately out of the oven. If you are eating dinner than can be easy, but if you are serving as an appetizer or at a party, you may want to bake them in batches to have them hot as people are ready to eat them. You can cut between the sliders and cook as many or few at a time as you need.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sliders recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To freeze before cooking
- Prepare the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders through step 4.
- Package in a airtight container and freeze.
- Once ready to cook, thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
- Brush the tops of the rolls with the butter spread.
- Bake as directed.
What to Serve with Jalapeño Popper Sliders
Since this protein based dinner has the delicious flavors of Jalapeño Poppers, it will pair well with many of your favorite southwestern side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Crock Pot Black Beans– These hit it out of the ball park every time
- Cilantro Lime Rice– Tastes like your favorite restaurant!
- Mexican Street Corn Casserole– An all time top rated recipe
- Chips- Try potato chips, or tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole
- Mexican Roasted Vegetables– This quick recipes
Appetizer Pairings
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa
- Chicken Fajita Dip– creamy and dippable!
- Jalapeno Ranch – Perfect for pairing with veggies or chips to dip
- Cheesy Refried Bean Dip– One word- YUM!
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sliders Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Recipe FAQ’s
What side dishes go with sliders?
Sliders go well with a variety of side dishes such as chips, french fries, rice, beans, corn, or roasted vegetables.
How long do you cook Jalapeno Popper Sliders?
The sliders are cooked to heat them through and melt the cheese. Usually, 20-25 minutes is long enough for them to be done.
What is a Jalapeno Popper?
Jalapeno poppers are an appetizer where a jalapeno popper is stuffed with cheese, breaded and fried.
More EASY Appetizer Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night! My Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches w Ground Beef are just one of many delicious recipe ideas!
You can check out all of my easy appetizer recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup pickled jalapeno peppers, diced
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons Challenge Butter Lawry's Seasoned Salt Snack Spread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Combine the cream cheese and diced jalapenos in a medium bowl and mix until the jalapenos are evenly distributed.
- Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally and place the bottom in a baking dish. Spread the cream cheese pepper mixture over the bottom of the rolls. Add the shredded chicken and slightly press down into the cream cheese mixture. Top with shredded cheddar and place the roll tops on.
- Use a serrated knife to cut between each sandwich.
- Melt two tablespoons of Challenge and Lawry's® Seasoned Salt Butter Snack Spread. Brush the melted spread over the top of the rolls and brush any extra in between the rolls.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown. Serve immediately.
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