Chicken Apple Sliders
Brighten up your week with these chicken apple sliders. They are juicy, tender, and loaded with flavor. Topped with caramelized onions, tart green apple and melty cheddar cheese, this chicken sliders recipe is the perfect way to kickoff spring. Perfect for brunch or as a fun after school snack, these mini burgers are guaranteed to be a family favorite.
This recipe post is sponsored by Smart Chicken. I was compensated for my time, however, all opinions are my own.
About this chicken sliders recipe
I know I have said it a million times, but I am obsessed with Smart Chicken’s products. In fact, I did not eat meat for 9 years until learning more about this company and deciding to give their chicken a try.
As background, their chickens are fed a high-quality diet, humanely handled, and never given antibiotics, hormones, or animal by-products. Smart Chicken is 100% pure air chilled, without added water. The result is the best-tasting, highest-quality fresh chicken on the market.
I use Smart Chicken for all of my recipes. It’s slightly pricier, but it’s absolutely worth every penny. You can feel good knowing you are feeding your family a healthy and safe product that is good for them and the environment. So, give these delicious chicken apple sliders a try.
Prepping the chicken sliders
For this chicken apple slider recipe, I ground 1lb. of Smart Chicken’s chicken breasts in a food processor to make ground chicken. This technique is perfect for making ground chicken in a pinch. That said, if your local grocer carries their pre-packaged ground chicken, that will work well too.
Be sure to peel and grate your green apple before adding it to your ground chicken mixture. You will want to press out all moisture using a cheese cloth or paper towel. Gently mix the ground chicken, grated and pressed apple, and other ingredients into small even sided sliders. I was able to get 12 sliders from this recipe.
Pan fry the sliders in a skillet until they have a golden brown sear. Place the seared sliders on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Once all of the sliders are browned, place them in the prepared baking dish and top them with the shredded cheddar cheese. Cover them with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Assemble the mini sliders as directed below.
This chicken sliders recipe makes 12 servings. Please see below for additional nutritional information. The nutritional information does not include the oil for pan frying.
Storage
Best if eaten the same day. However, leftover chicken burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through. Toasted buns can be stored in a Ziplock bag in the refrigerator for one to two days. Use as breadcrumbs if you do not eat all of the buns. Looking for more delicious chicken recipes? Try my one pan chicken cacciatore or my spinach and artichoke bake with chicken meatballs.
Chicken Apple Sliders
Ingredients
Chicken Apple Sliders
- 1 lb. ground chicken , Smart Chicken brand
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1 large green apple, peel the skin, grate the apple, and then press out any moisture using a paper towel.
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Few turns of cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, for shallow frying the burgers
Caramelized Onions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large white onions, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons red wine, cabernet sauvignon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Buns and Toppings
- 12 pack potato rolls, King’s Hawaiian, sliced in half
- ¼ cup salted butter, used to toast the buns
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, melted on top
- 1 green apple, sliced thin, as topping
Equipment
- three 11-inch skillets
- 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish
- large mixing bowl
- baking tray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grab an 9×11-inch baking dish and gently spray it with cooking spray. Set it aside.
Prepare the caramelized onions:
- Over medium heat add butter and sliced onion to an 11-inch non-stick skillet.
- Once the onions are translucent and begin to brown, add the red wine and a pinch of salt. Stir well and simmer over medium low heat until they are dark brown in color and well caramelized. Not burnt. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken sliders:
- Peel a green apple and grate it into small pieces. Using a paper towel or cheese cloth, squeeze out all excess moisture. Set the pressed apple aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 2% milk, spices, and the pressed green apples. Mix well and form sliders.
- I was able to get 12 slider patties from my mixture. This will vary depending on size.
- Grab an 11-inch skillet and add the vegetable oil.
- Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, you can begin to sear the sliders on the outside. Place the browed sliders on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Once all of the sliders are golden brown, add them to the prepared baking dish.
- Top them with cheddar cheese and cover with foil.
- Cook the sliders for 20 minutes or until they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking time will vary based on the size of your sliders.
Prepare the buns:
- While the sliders are cooking in the oven, heat a large skillet over medium / low heat.
- Smear the butter on the inside of the potato rolls.
- Place the rolls butter side down on the pan allowing them to get golden-brown and toasted.
- Once they have a golden-brown color, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Assemble the sliders:
- Place the toasted buns on a baking tray. Add one chicken slider per roll. Top the slider with some of the caramelized onions, sliced green apple and the top of the roll. Serve warm.
One Comment on “Chicken Apple Sliders”
Tender, juicy and easy to make! Love this chicken recipe!