Smoked Turkey Sliders
On November 23, 2022 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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These smoked turkey and Havarti sliders are a dreamy combination of flavors and textures. Sweet Hawaiian rolls are topped with tender and smoky turkey breast, melty Havarti cheese, and a zippy buttery sauce. Every bite of these turkey sliders is better than the last.
Hawaiian Roll Turkey Sliders
These Hawaiian roll turkey sliders are the perfect recipe to add to your menu this week. Not only are they easy to make, but they’re extremely kid-friendly and will feed your entire family. It’s like a perfect little hot meat and cheese sandwich (with some added flavor to keep the adults interested too).
Oh, and the homemade crunchy seasoning blend that crowns these mini sammies? You’ll have to fight the urge to eat the whole pan yourself. Better make a double batch.
What Goes on Turkey Sliders?
These turkey and cheese sliders are a great lunch or dinner to make after Thanksgiving if you have leftovers. They’re also awesome to try out any time of the year with good ol’ turkey breast from the grocer. Here’s what you’ll need to make these turkey sliders.
- 12 ounces of thinly sliced turkey breast
- 6 slices Havarti cheese
- 1 package of Hawaiian rolls
- 1/4 cup Zesty Gold BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup melted salted butter
These sliders are topped with the following awesome seasoning blend made by combining the following:
- 1 teaspoon flaky kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
How to Make Turkey Sliders
Alright, folks. Let’s get into the how-to of things, shall we? Here’s how to make turkey sliders. (If you’re looking for a handy printable recipe card, jump down to the bottom of this post).
- Prep the rolls. Remove all the rolls from the package and use a large knife to slice them all in half (no need to separate the individual rolls for this step. It will actually save you time in the long run). Set the bottom half of the rolls into a disposable aluminum pan or glass baking dish sprayed with cooking oil to help prevent sticking.
- Assemble the sliders. Layer the sliced turkey and Havarti cheese on top of the rolls and then replace the top section of the rolls.
- Sauce and season. Combine the Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce and melted butter in a small bowl, and use a basting brush to liberally brush all the tops of the rolls. Combine all ingredients for the seasoning in a separate bowl and sprinkle it on top of the rolls as well.
- Smoke (or Bake). With your smoker (or oven) preheated to 275 degrees F, place the sliders onto the grill grates or in your oven. Cook for around 45 minutes or until the cheese is starting to melt and bubble.
- Slice and serve. Remove the sliders from the heat and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Slice into individual portions and serve.
Tips for Making Turkey Sliders
Ready to make these turkey sliders? I know I am! These have been on a regular meal rotation since we first made them. But before you slice up your turkey and fire up the smoker, take note of a few tips to get you the best results with your turkey and cheese sliders.
- Go with the King. I’ll rarely tell you what brand of anything to buy (besides my own rubs and sauces, of course), but if they’re available in your area, splurge for the King’s Hawaiian rolls for this recipe. They are supreme in both flavor and texture.
- Skip a step. Don’t want to make your own slider seasoning blend? Grab a bottle of pre-mixed Everything Bagel Seasoning from the grocery store. Use it on sliders, eggs, avocado toast, BLTs, and more. It’s good stuff.
- Go homemade. Don’t have a bottle of Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce laying around? You can whip up your own from pantry ingredients using my recipe for Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce.
- Switch up the cheese. I love the way Havarti tastes with turkey, but if you have a different cheese chilling in your fridge you need to use up, go for it. If you want to make things really exciting, you can even make half the sliders with one cheese and another half with a second cheese for some good variety.
More Smoked Turkey Recipes
We’ve got smoked turkey on the brain today, and if you’re looking for a way to make these turkey sliders from scratch using your own smoked turkey, I can’t recommend these recipes enough. Follow the recipe, then slice up any leftovers for these turkey sliders the next day!
Smoked Turkey Sliders Recipe
Did this turkey sliders recipe turn out to be everything you needed and more? If so, let us know in the comments below. You can also catch more behind-the-scenes content from Hey Grill Hey on social media by searching @HeyGrillHey.
Smoked Turkey Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 ounces smoked turkey breast thinly sliced
- 6 slices Havarti cheese
- 1 package Hawaiian rolls
- ¼ cup Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce recipe link in notes section
- ¼ cup salted butter melted
Turkey Slider Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon flaky kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat. Turn on your smoker and allow it to preheat to 275 degrees F using your favorite hardwood.
- Slice the rolls. Remove the rolls from the package and slice them horizontally using a serrated bread knife to separate the top section of the rolls from the bottom.
- Assemble. Set the bottom rolls in a baking pan that's been lightly coated with cooking oil spray. Layer the sliced turkey onto the bottom buns, followed by the sliced cheese. It is fine if the cheese overlaps in several places. Replace the top buns.
- Add sauce. In a small mixing bowl, combine the Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce and melted butter. Drizzle the sauce over the top of the buns and use a basting brush to spread it evenly across the buns and into each little nook and cranny. Some of the sauce will run down the sides, so use your brush to spread it across the sides of the sliders as well.
- Season. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the turkey sliders seasoning blend and sprinkle it evenly across the top of the slathered buns.
- Smoke. Place the sliders on the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 45 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is starting to melt down the sides of the sliders.
- Enjoy. Remove the sliders from the smoker. Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing them to a cutting board and slicing them into individual sliders. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Purchase it from the store HERE: Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce
- Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are delicious and are perfect for a house party I’m hosting with a group of my women friends in December. These tasty sliders, some sides and cranberry mimosa’s will be a hit.Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Wow. These will blow your socks off. Zero possibility of going wrong with these delectable sliders, thank you for this awesome recipe!