These chicken salad sliders are made with toasted Hawaiian rolls, melted cheese, and cool creamy chicken salad with grapes, celery, and walnuts. The rolls are baked before the filling goes in, so they stay warm and lightly golden while the chicken salad stays fresh.
These are a good fit for summer lunches, showers, game days, and casual parties because they’re easy to serve and still feel a little more special than regular chicken salad sandwiches. Make the chicken salad ahead, then toast and assemble the rolls just before serving. For a hot slider option, try my Instant Pot meatball sliders.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Use cooked chicken that is diced small enough to fit neatly inside the rolls. Chicken breast works well, but rotisserie chicken is a good shortcut.
- Cut the grapes into small pieces so they do not slide out when you bite into the sliders. Halve small grapes and quarter large ones.
- Swiss cheese gives the sliders a mild, creamy flavor. Gruyere is nuttier and a little richer. Both melt well and help protect the bottom rolls.
- Walnuts add crunch, but they can be left out or replaced with pecans.
How to Keep Chicken Salad Sliders From Getting Soggy
The best way to keep chicken salad sliders from getting soggy is to toast the rolls before adding the filling. In this recipe, the bottom rolls are baked with Swiss or Gruyere until the cheese melts, which creates a thin layer between the bread and the chicken salad.
Assemble the sliders after the rolls come out of the oven, not before. The chicken salad should stay cool and creamy, and the rolls should be warm but not steaming hot. If the rolls are too hot, wait 1 to 2 minutes before adding the filling.
Also make sure the grapes, celery, and onion are not wet when they go into the chicken salad. Extra moisture in the filling will soften the rolls faster.
Make-Ahead and Serving Notes
The chicken salad can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir it before assembling so the dressing is evenly distributed.
For the best texture, toast the rolls and assemble the sliders right before serving. Once filled, they are meant to be eaten right away. If you need to prep ahead, slice the rolls, shred the cheese, melt the butter, and make the chicken salad in advance, then bake and assemble just before serving.
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Chicken Salad Sliders
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Serrated knife
- Small mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup full fat sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme plus more for topping
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups cooked boneless skinless chicken breast about 10 ounces (280 g), diced
- ⅓ cup finely diced celery
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- ½ cup seedless red or green grapes halved or quartered
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 12 sweet Hawaiian rolls kept connected
- 1 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the chicken, celery, walnuts, grapes, and red onion to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture. Stir until evenly coated.
- Keep the rolls connected, and slice them in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place both halves on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the top half cut side down. Place the bottom half cut side up.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the bottom half of the rolls. Brush the melted butter over the top half of the rolls.
- Sprinkle a little extra dried thyme over the buttered rolls. Bake for 6 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven. Spoon the chicken salad evenly over the melted cheese.
- Place the top half of the rolls over the chicken salad. Slice into 12 sliders and serve immediately.
Notes
- The chicken salad can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- Assemble the sliders just before serving so the rolls stay soft but not soggy.
- The cheese acts as a barrier between the warm rolls and the chicken salad.
- For small grapes, halve them. For large grapes, quarter them so the sliders are easier to eat.
- Pecans can be used instead of walnuts, or the nuts can be omitted.
- Do not bake the sliders after adding the chicken salad. The filling is meant to stay cool and creamy.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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