Name: Chicken Enchilada Sliders
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast; Homemade enchilada sauce (see below); 1 package (12) Kings Hawaiian Rolls, halved; 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup butter, melted; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 cup dried parsley; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons flour; 4 tablespoons chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Jump to Recipe

Chicken sliders with homemade enchilada sauce make a perfect game day appetizer or quick weeknight dinner! These chicken sliders can be prepped ahead of time with slow cooked chicken and making homemade enchilada sauce ahead of time. These chicken enchilada sliders are buttery and tangy!

Pull apart Chicken Sliders with Homemade Enchilada Sauce are an easy party appetizer for any get together. They come together quickly (with make ahead steps for an even easier recipe) and feed a crowd easily!

These chicken sliders are perfect for a few scenarios:

1) If you have left over or a rotisserie chicken that needs to be repurposed
3) If you need an easy weeknight meal
4) If you need a quick appetizer for any get together

These chicken enchilada sliders are incredibly easy to make and don't take long at all right beforehand. But, if needed, there are a few ways to speed up the process even more.

Table of Contents

Steps to Prep Ahead

If you need to prep ahead or make these quickly, here are a few things you can do:

Use a grocery store rotisserie chicken for the sliders
Slow cook the chicken overnight the day before you need them
Use store bought enchilada sauce
Make your homemade enchilada sauce the day before

The only thing I wouldn't recommend doing is assembling your sliders before you're ready to cook them, as the bread might get soggy from the sauce.

This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links support A Joyfully Mad Kitchen at no additional cost to you. I receive a commission if you choose to make a purchase through these links.

How to Slow Cook Chicken for Sliders

Prepare a slow cooker with spray or liner.
Place around a pound or so of chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
Season with 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon cumin.
Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. (If cooking longer than this, add about ¼ cup of water to the slow cooker so that it doesn't burn.)
Remove from slow cooker and shred with forks.
Toss with slider sauce.

How to Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce

You certainly could use store bought enchilada sauce for these sliders, but I think the magic of these chicken sliders comes from the homemade enchilada sauce, which is incredibly easy to make.

To make your own homemade enchilada sauce:

Warm 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a sauce pan on medium heat.
Add two tablespoons flour to pan and whisk to combine flour with oil.
Add 4 tablespoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon salt and continue whisking. The mixture will become dry crumbles.
Gradually add in stock (2 cups total), whisking to combine liquid and spices. Bring liquid to a boil.
Reduce to low heat and simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens and pulls away from the pan (see photo above).

For a spicier enchilada sauce, use dark chili powder or add cayenne powder or ground red pepper.

Once your enchilada sauce is ready, toss it over chicken breast to coat.

Assemble Chicken Sliders with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Start with a 9x9 baking pan. Line with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
Cut through Hawaiian rolls to split them in half, then place bottoms in the pan.
Spoon shredded chicken with enchilada sauce onto buns.
Add shredded cheese and tops of buns.
Mix together melted butter, salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Use a basting brush to brush mixture generously over buns.

What else can you serve with these Chicken Enchilada Sliders?

For a party, try pairing it with a handful of other appetizers, like Goat Cheese Meatballs, Beef Tostadas, Cowboy Caviar Dip, or Creamy Enchilada Bruschetta.

For dinner, serve Chicken Enchilada Sliders with Traditional Mexican Rice, chips and Five Minute Blender Salsa. Top it off with a Prickly Pear Margarita or margarita cupcakes!