Turkey Cranberry Sliders
These Turkey Cranberry Sliders are bite-sized holiday magic! Juicy turkey, melty cheese, and tangy cranberry sauce are sandwiched between soft, buttery Hawaiian rolls, then baked to golden perfection. Perfect for leftover turkey, game day snacks, or a festive appetizer everyone will fight over!
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A Note from Kim
Upgraded Thanksgiving Leftovers!
Turkey Cranberry Sliders are my go-to for turning Thanksgiving leftovers into something fresh and exciting. I love the sweet and savory combination of turkey, melty cheese, and tangy cranberry sauce tucked into soft Hawaiian rolls! Plus, they come together so quickly, so even when the house is buzzing with holiday chaos, I can get a warm, delicious snack on the table in no time.
After a long morning of Black Friday shopping, or just a busy holiday day, you can pop these in the oven and have a comforting, crowd-pleasing meal ready in minutes. If you don’t happen to have Thanksgiving leftovers, but want a fun fall potluck snack, simply use deli turkey meat, cheese and your favorite jam or chutney.
With love (and lots of good eats), 
We made these the day after Thanksgiving. Delicious! We had a lot of leftover stuffing and added it to the turkey and cranberries. Will definitely make again.
— Lois
Ingredients You’ll Need
There are just a few essential ingredients to make these cranberry turkey sliders amazing!
- Hawaiian rolls. I highly recommend using Hawaiian buns. They’re absolutely perfect for baking sliders. The inside of the bread stays soft and tender while the outside of the sliders have an ever-so-slight crispiness.
- Turkey (or another meat option). If you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey or even ham, that’s great! But you can make these year round by simply using your favorite deli meat.
- Cheese. Use any favorite cheese. We typically go with Swiss cheese, provolone cheese or smoked gouda. So good!
- Cranberry sauce. This ingredient isn’t actually essential. If you don’t have cranberry sauce, use any favorite jam or jelly or don’t use a sauce at all.
- Poppy seed butter. Brush a mixture of butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and poppy seeds (or bagel seasoning) over the top of the buns before baking. This butter mixture gives these sliders SO much flavor. It’s a must!
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
While turkey and cranberry are a pretty great pairing on their own, you can add more ingredients or totally change up the ingredients to fit your preferences.
- Bread variety. Try regular slider buns, pretzel buns, or even brioche buns for a different texture and flavor.
- Vegetable boost. Layer thinly sliced apples, arugula, or spinach for a fresh, crisp bite. Roasted red peppers or caramelized onions also add a sweet-savory twist.
- Spicy kick. Add a thin layer of Dijon mustard, a drizzle of sriracha mayo or pickled jalapeños for a little heat.
- Bacon. How delicious would bacon taste in these sliders?!
- Italian flavor. Use marinara sauce instead of cranberry sauce and mozzarella cheese. You can even swap the turkey for pepperoni!
Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Ingredients
- 8 ounces leftover turkey or thick cut turkey deli meat
- 4 large slices Gouda, Havarti, Swiss or Provolone cheese (or other favorite cheese)
- 1 cup cranberry relish or sauce
- 1 package Hawaiian dinner rolls (12 rolls)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds or Everything Bagel seasoning
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. and prepare a 9X13 (or slightly smaller) baking dish with cooking spray.
- Slice 1 package Hawaiian dinner rolls (12 rolls) in half while keeping all of the buns attached to one another. Remove the top buns and set aside.
- Place the bottom buns in the pan. Add the 8 ounces leftover turkey or thick cut turkey deli meat over the buns and top with 1 cup cranberry relish or sauce, 4 large slices Gouda, Havarti, Swiss or Provolone cheese (or other favorite cheese) and the tops of the buns.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, mix the 3 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard and ½ teaspoon poppy seeds or Everything Bagel seasoning . Microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until the butter is melted.
- Brush the butter mixture over the top of the buns. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and slice into individual sliders and serve immediately. If you have leftover gravy, it makes a great dip for these turkey sliders! Sliders are best served right after being removed from the oven. These don't store or re-heat very well.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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How to Make Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Start off by grabbing all of the leftovers, plus a package of sweet Hawaiian rolls, cheese, butter, and seasonings. If you don’t happen to have leftovers, but you want to make this recipe, you can use sliced deli turkey and store-bought cranberry sauce. Trader Joe’s makes a tasty option! You could also use jam, jelly, or another favorite sauce.
Step 1: Add turkey. Slice Hawaiian buns in half, keeping them attached. Set the tops aside and place the bottom half of the rolls in a pan. Add layers of turkey over the buns.
Step 2: Add cranberry sauce. Evenly spread cranberry relish or sauce over the top of the turkey. Feel free to add additional ingredients at this point, like mashed potatoes or stuffing.
Step 3: Top with sliced cheese. Add slices of cheese over the top of the cranberry sauce. Place the tops of the rolls on top of the cheese.
Step 4: Brush butter mixture over top buns. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and seasoning. Brush the mixture over the buns. If you don’t have a brush, you can spoon the melted butter over the rolls.
Step 5: Bake. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes.
Step 6: Enjoy. Remove from the oven and slice into individual sliders and serve immediately. If you have leftover gravy, it makes a great dip for these turkey sliders!
Kim’s Recipe Tips
- Make ahead: These sliders can be assembled up to 4 hours before baking. Keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- Serve hot: Turkey sliders are best enjoyed straight out of the oven for maximum flavor and texture.
- Prevent burning: Cover the sliders with foil while baking so the tops don’t burn. After 15 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Feed the crowd: This recipe makes 12 sliders, with most people eating about 2 each. Easily double or triple the recipe for larger gatherings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Assemble the sliders up to 4 hours in advance and keep them covered in the fridge until ready to bake.
Leftover baked chicken, rotisserie chicken, leftover ham or even deli meat works perfectly in these sliders. You can make these without a sauce or replace the cranberry sauce with apple chutney, fig jam, apricot or peach preserves, pomegranate molasses or jelly, orange marmalade, honey mustard, raspberry or strawberry jam, mango or ginger chutney, mayonnaise, or pesto. The options are endless!
These sliders are best baked fresh, but you can assemble them and freeze unbaked. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate leftovers: Store cooled sliders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Freeze for later: Wrap individual sliders tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheat gently: Warm refrigerated or frozen sliders in the oven at a low temperature until heated through, or microwave individually for a quick option.
- Keep toppings separate if possible: If you’re making ahead, store cranberry sauce or other spreads separately to prevent buns from getting soggy.
More Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers
Looking for more creative ways to use leftover turkey? Any recipe that calls for shredded chicken works perfectly, just swap in your turkey for a quick and delicious twist!
If you try this turkey sliders recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Made these tonight with store-bought carved turkey for game night and they were loved by all!
I made these for a fall potluck and they were a total hit! Thanks for the great recipe!
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work. Let them cool completely. Then, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then you can heat back up in the oven.
Made these turkey sliders for a New Year’s Eve gathering & they were a BIG hit. Thank you.
So happy to hear!
I plan on making these for a Christmas party. I want to assemble them the night before and put the dressing on just before I bake them. Do you think that will work?
Yes, that should work fine. Enjoy!
My in-laws family tradition is to have finger food on Christmas Eve so I served these and they were a hit! For vegetarians I made a version with hummus, roasted veggies and cheese. They were delicious too! I found they were great as leftovers if I just popped them in the oven for about 10 minutes. I’ll be serving them for Thanksgiving buffet this year. I buy thick sliced turkey at the deli and it is way easier than cooking a turkey – especially since I am a vegetarian.
This sounds so awesome!! I’m so glad that you’ve made these work great for vegetarians and meat eaters!
These were a hit at Christmas Eve dinner! I used unprocessed sliced Turkey from the deli counter and I was so relieved to let everyone get their turkey fix without the hassle of cooking a Turkey! I served them with bowls of gravy for dipping and I made roasted veggie sliders too. These will likely become a staple of our finger food Christmas Eve. They are a fast and easy way to serve something fun to a large group!
I love it! That sounds fantastic! Merry Christmas!
Is there any change I need to make if I don’t have a cheese cloth? (Turkey is currently is the oven without the cloth)
No, you’ll just be using your cooked turkey that has been sliced.
I made these for a potluck last night. One bit of advice…. Do not add mayonaise. I spread a thin layer on the bottom before adding the turkey and it make the bottom of the roll soggy. They would have been just fine without it. OR… if you do add the mayo, don’t bother baking. Either way, they were tasty… just soggy on the bottom.
So happy to hear you enjoyed and thanks so much for taking time to leave a comment!
delicious, quick and easy!
So glad you loved!
Highly recommend. Easy and the best use of thanksgiving leftovers!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
I made these for a fall get together with my church group. They were a hit! I’ll definitely be making again with leftovers after Thanksgiving!
These were delicious! Also, they were easy to make since all the ingredients were at hand. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you loved these as much as my family does!
Looks amazing! What a wonderful idea. Can this be assembled in advance and baked later or would it get soggy?
Sorry I’m just now getting back to you. I think it would work fine to make these ahead as long as the cranberry sauce is not directly against the bread.
Can you use chai seeds instead of poppy seeds?
I would think that would work just fine. Enjoy!
Made this for a neighborhood potluck last night and it was a hit. Fast, easy & delicious… my kind of recipe!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed!!
Do they have to be eaten while they’re hot or are they good at room temp?
We ate the leftovers at room temperature this year!
We made these the day after Thanksgiving. Delicious! We had a lot of leftover stuffing and added it to the turkey and cranberries. Will definitely make again.
I bet that was so good with the addition of stuffing! Thanks so much for taking time to comment and happy holidays!
I’ve come across several of your recipes, which I’ve really liked. So when searching for a slider recipe, I found yours. I added extra layers of ham and cheese (swiss, pepper jack & colby) along with an extra dash of poppy seeds and left the cranberry sauce off. For football game day, my husband loves them. He said they are an amazing explosion of flavor. Thanks for all your sharing.
I really enjoyed this recipe and my family did too! I used both ham and turkey lunch meats and to some of the adult sandwiches caramelized onions. Everybody loved them! Thank you!
This is a favorite in our home for an easy, delicious dinner served with a side of veggies. My 13 year old kept saying how amazing it was and insisted that I make it on a regular basis ? I make it with havarti cheese since my kids are not big Swiss fans and leave the cranberry sauce out.
This was absolutely delicious! I made it for dinner tonight and my entire family loved it. The only change I made was using provolone. This will definitely become a staple.
I got the 24 pack and made these for a family of 5. Cheap and quick! The butter that goes on top is genius!! Everyone wanted more. Delicious!
Totally delicious, fun and easy. I love dinners when everything cooks with minimal dishes! I made half with turkey and half with ham and they were a complete hit!
Just finished eating this! It was wonderful! I didn’t have the Everything Bagel seasoning so I used some poppy seeds and some onion salt, I used homemade cranberry orange sauce…….delicious! I will for sure make this again. Thank you for your recipe!
Loved by all my guests! They also requested the recipe! Thank you!
Wow this looks delicious… feel like having it right away :D… Will definitely try this recipe 🙂
What a great recipe to try in the season. Cranberry comforts me. Delicious!
These look like the perfect handy food to get the day after Thanksgiving day started. I love them and may need to give this recipe a try!
Great idea on the leftovers! I believe this will be a hit on our house, so yummy!
This is a great way to use up that extra turkey and cranberries after Thanksgiving.
This looks absolutely amazing! We are for sure trying this recipe this Thanksgiving…thank you for such a wonderful idea!
I love these! Not a big turkey fan so i pulsed the turkey, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in the food processor. I used swiss cheese. Made an excellent lunch for my guests the day after Thanksgiving. Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed and thanks so much for taking time to comment!
Love these little sandwiches! I use the store dinner rolls also and sometimes with seeds.
We loved these cranberry turkey sliders! The ingredients complemented each other nicely and were oh so delicious!
I LOVE these! We actually enjoy them hot or cold. There are only 2 of us but I make the whole recipe because they are great for snacks! THANK YOU for this wonderful recipe! It is to die for!
These were fantastic! Made them as recipe indicated just added minced onion to the butter sauce this time. Nice touch. However my calorie count comes out to 172 per slider not 83. How did you calculate?:)
So happy you enjoyed! You’re right… I recalculated and got a closer calorie count to yours. It’s updated now.
Loved these! So easy and so tasty!