I'm back... with more mini sandwiches/sliders for your life's enjoyment. I love these little snackies so much. I played around with some flavors for our Super Bowl spread last year, and came up with these sweet/spicy/tangy delights that are a deviation from your normal buffalo chicken sandwich but no less delicious or satisfying (maybe even more so!)
There are a few steps to get through since you're breading the chicken, but the fried chicken is BAKED, so you don't have to worry about babysitting hot oil on the stove, making a mess, or the unnecessary saturated and trans fat from oil frying. Honestly, I like "fried" stuff better this way anyway, especially when cooking for myself at home. You won't feel so weighed down and honestly, it's just easier all across the board. And you house won't smell like oil for the next 3-5 business days.
While I think these little babies are perfect for a Super Bowl watch party, they're great for any occasion or party. They make a fun dinner or are an excellent heavy hors d'oeuvres for fanciest or most laid back of parties. One thing I'll say is don't skip the pretzel buns! If you can find them, use them. They really take these to another level that a regular bun just can't achieve. I think most grocery stores have the Kings Hawaiian pretzel slider buns on the regular, but it not, you can order them online! (if you're able to plan that far in advance).
Whip these up for your next party or for dinner this weekend. I know you're gonna love 'em!
Chipotle-Honey Oven-Fried Chicken Sliders
Makes ~ 9 sliders
Cook time: 20-30 minutes | Prep time: 20 minutesClick the file below to download and print the recipe
I recommend reading the recipe all the way through, including the recipe notes at the bottom, before you start cooking.
Ingredients:
1.25lbs. chicken breasts (cutlets preferred, otherwise pounded thin)
1 egg
1/3 C. flour
1.5 C. panko breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
1 TB chipotle sauce - more or less to taste (I like Frontera chipotle sauce, otherwise use the adobo from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo)
1/4 C. honey
2 tsp. champagne vinegar (or white wine, rice, or sherry vinegar)
1/4 C. butter
1 package of King's Hawaiian pretzel slider buns.
Special equipment needed: Wire cooling rack such as one like this.
Directions:
It looks like a lot below, but I promise it's not. Most of this is talking through chicken thickness and the breading process.
Place the egg, flour, and panko in 3 separate bowls. Beat the egg with a fork or whisk until frothy like you're making a scrambled egg. Set aside.
If your chicken is thicker than 1/2" inch, use a meat mallet to pound them thinner. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap or parchment paper to avoid a mess.
Once your chicken is to the right thickness, cut them into pieces that will fit nicely onto a slider bun - a little larger than the bun itself is perfect. Use your own discretion here based on the piece of chicken you have. You should be able to get about 9 smaller pieces of chicken based on the overall weight. Sprinkle all of the pieces with some salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Now it's time to bread the chicken. Working in batches: First, dredge the chicken by placing it in the bowl with the flour. Turn to make sure the entire piece is coated then move, shake off any excess, then move it to the bowl with the egg. Turn again to make sure the entire piece is covered in egg and let any excess drip off. Finally, place in the bowl with the panko and use your hands to lightly press the breadcrumbs so they adhere to the egg. Put the breaded chicken on a wire cooling rack that's on a baking sheet and repeat the steps above until everything is breaded.
Spritz each piece of chicken with cooking spray so it's fully covered. Flip the pieces and spritz the other side. Drizzle each piece with a little bit of olive oil (no need to flip).
Bake the chicken at 425° for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
While the chicken cooks, heat on low the chipotle sauce, honey, vinegar, and butter in a small saucepan on the stove, stirring often until the butter is melted and everything is combined into a smooth sauce. It will be on the thinner side - that's ok. Remove from heat until the chicken is done cooking.
When the chicken is done cooking, place each piece on the bottom half of a slider bun, drizzle or spoon the chipotle sauce over top the chicken, place the top half of the bun on top of the chicken. Serve with any extra sauce on the side.
*Recipe notes + Variations*
If your breadcrumbs are browning too quickly turn the oven temp down to 400°. Avoid covering with foil because this is likely to cause steaming and not get the breading crispy.
If you don't have a wire cooling rack, that's ok, but I would flip the chicken halfway through. You might get some breading sticking to the pan or it might not get as crispy, but it will still be delicious.
These actually reheat really well. Reheat in the oven at 400° on the cooling rack on top of a baking sheet again. They need about 10 minutes to heat up. Warm up any leftover sauce in the microwave for a few seconds just to get the butter melted again.