Table of Contents
- Why I Love This Chicken Meatball Sliders Recipe
- Chicken Meatball Sliders Ingredients
- How to Make Cranberry Chicken Meatball Sliders
- Pro Tips for Success
- Variations and Substitutions
- Serving and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Appetizer Recipes
- Watch How to Make This Recipe
- Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
- Cranberry Chicken Meatball Sliders Recipe
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These irresistible Chicken Meatball Sliders are the ultimate flavor-packed holiday appetizer. Homemade meatballs paired with tangy Dijon mustard, sweet cranberry sauce, and melted cheddar cheese sit on soft, sweet rolls. A buttery honey glaze melts over the golden tops, adding a warm, festive finish to these comforting sandwiches.
Why I Love This Chicken Meatball Sliders Recipe
What I love most about these cranberry chicken meatball sliders is how they capture the magic of holiday comfort food in every bite. The sweet-tart cranberry sauce pairs perfectly with tender chicken meatballs to create a festive yet fresh slider. Nestled in sweet, soft rolls, they’re ideal for holiday gatherings, bringing together seasonal flavors in the most satisfying way.
The simple ingredients are what make these sliders special. Beyond the cranberry and meatball, a drizzle of melted honey butter adds an irresistible touch. And Dijon mustard and cheddar cheese bring even more complexity and layers. These handhelds capture everything I love about holiday comfort food in a single bite!
Chicken Meatball Sliders Ingredients
The ingredients for these sliders are pretty simple and easy to find at any grocery store, and they even include everyone’s favorite sweet dinner roll!
- Ground chicken is the base for the meatball in this dish, a light meat that can absorb flavor.
- Panko breadcrumbs give texture and form to the meatballs, mixed with the meat to form variation in texture.
- Mascarpone cheese provides a creaminess with moisture, richening the flavor in the meatballs.
- Italian seasoning gives some herbal flavors that mix well into the meatballs.
- Garlic powder imparts a garlic flavor that cooks well into the meatballs.
- Kosher salt helps to season the meatballs, giving a
- Butter forms a topping for the sandwiches that melts into the bread, boosting the flavor and imparting further flavor.
- Whole-grain mustard mixes with the butter to bring texture and flavor to the bread tops.
- Honey sweetens the butter mixture, balancing out some of the tartness in the dish.
- Worcestershire sauce brings a depth of flavor to balance the dish’s other flavors.
- Sweet rolls allow this to become a sandwich, bringing sweetness to the dish and forming more powerful sandwiches.
- Dijon mustard is an underlying layer that brings moisture and flavoring to the dish.
- Cranberry sauce adds a tartness to balance out some of the sweetness while providing a holiday element. I love to use my recipe for cranberry marmalade because it has large pieces of cranberry.
- Cheddar cheese provides a melty layer of mild flavor, complementing the flavors of the sandwich well.
How to Make Cranberry Chicken Meatball Sliders
There are five steps to making these delicious cranberry chicken meatball sliders:
- Prepare the meatballs
- Bake the meatballs
- Assemble the sliders
- Prepare the butter
- Bakr the sandwiches
Step 1: Prepare the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, mascarpone cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Stir until well combined and no pockets of ingredients remain.
Step 2: Bake the meatballs. Scoop the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, making 15 meatballs. Flatten them slightly into small disks. Place in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the meatballs become brown and reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Step 3: Assemble the sliders. Cut the buns in half, placing the lower half in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. If necessary, use additional rolls from another package to fill out the rest of the dish. Typically, 15 will fit into the dish. Brush on a layer of Dijon mustard and then cranberry sauce. Place baked meatballs on each sandwich, then top with the shredded cheddar cheese. Place the other half of the rolls on top.
Step 4: Prepare the butter. Add butter, whole-grain mustard, honey, and Worcestershire sauce to a small saucepan. Place over low heat to melt together. When heated, brush over the tops of the sandwiches.
Step 5: Bake the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches in the preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool before cutting and serving.
Pro Tips for Success
- Ensure the chicken meatballs are well-mixed. This will make sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the meatballs and that they cook well.
- Flatten the meatballs slightly before they cook. This allows them to sit on the sandwich better and create a better-forming slider. If you dip your fingers in water before patting them down, the meat will not stick to your fingers.
- Cut the buns all at once while they are still formed together. This creates two even layers that can easily be placed into the pan, making assembly more straightforward.
Variations and Substitutions
There are a couple of ways this dish can be altered based on ingredient preference or availability:
- Turkey meatballs are a great alternative for this recipe. Ground turkey will work in place of ground chicken. Both are great light meat options to form a meatball.
- Ricotta cheese will work in place of Mascarpone. Mascarpone is lighter and incorporates slightly better than ricotta, but both work well in the meatball.
- Add finely diced jalapeños to the meatball ingredients to form jalapeño chicken meatballs, adding spice. Add a sweet pepper if no heat is desired.
- To add a final fresh element, garnish the sandwiches with chopped herbs such as sage, fresh parsley, or a sprinkle of green onions.
- Swap out the cranberry sauce for cranberry jam, which will have a slightly different texture but will still be great.
- Add a small amount of brown sugar to the butter mixture to add sweetness to the dish.
Serving and Storage
To serve: Cut the sandwiches in the dish and pull them apart, using a spatula or serving spoon if necessary. These sliders work great as a side dish, or even as a main dish, but I prefer them as an appetizer served alongside the following appetizers:
- Cocktail meatballs with cranberry sauce
- Puff pastry sausage bites
- Baked spinach artichoke dip
- Cranberry cheese log
To store: Place the sandwiches in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator. They will last for 5 to 7 days, but the longer they sit, the softer the sweet rolls will become. The sandwiches can be reheated in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any cranberry sauce will work, but I always love to use one that is homemade as it will often have the best, most controllable flavor. If you have leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays, use it! You can also use cranberry jam instead of sauce if desired.
Yes, these sandwiches can be assembled in advance and then baked when it is time to serve. Just note that the longer the Dijon mustard and melted butter are on the surface of the rolls, the softer they will get, so it would be best to spread the melted butter on top right before placing it in the oven to heat.
If enjoying as leftovers, simply place the sliders in the microwave or heat them in the oven at a low temperature. The rolls will become slightly softer as the mustard and butter sit on the surface.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
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Cranberry Chicken Meatball Sliders
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
For the sandwiches
- 15 1 oz sweet rolls (such as King's Hawaiian)
- ¾ cup cranberry sauce (homemade or canned)
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 6 oz cheddar cheese shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, mascarpone, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined.1 lb ground chicken, ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- On a parchment-lined baking sheet, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the meat mixture into 15 equal meatballs. Dip two fingers in water and slightly press down on each meatball to form a thick patty shape. Bake in the preheated 375°F oven until they are browned with an internal temperature of 165°F, 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set the meatballs aside.
- Make the sandwiches. Slice the sweet roll buns in half. This can be done with them still attached to each other, or they can be pulled apart and individually sliced. Place the bottom portion of the buns in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Brush with the Dijon mustard, and then add the cranberry sauce.15 1 oz sweet rolls (such as King's Hawaiian), 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard, ¾ cup cranberry sauce (homemade or canned)
- Place a baked meatball on each bun and finish by sprinkling the cheese evenly on top. Place the top of the buns on to create sandwiches.6 oz cheddar cheese
- Prepare the butter. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, whole-grain mustard, honey, and Worcestershire sauce. Melt and stir over low heat, 2-3 minutes. Remove and drizzle or brush evenly over the prepared sandwiches. Allow the butter to soak in for 10 minutes.6 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Bake in the preheated 375°F oven until the cheese is melted and the top of the buns are golden, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
