You can serve foot-long chicken parm sandwiches to your guests for a party, but you absolutely can serve these Chicken Parm Sliders. A quick homemade marinara and freshly fried chicken cutlets for the authentic flavor, with party serving ease!
Looking for more sliders? Try our Crispy Fish Sliders, Goat Cheese and Fig Jam Sliders, or Bacon Blue Cheeseburger.
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Why this Recipe
- My Chicken Parm Sliders are made from scratch with a homemade marinara sauce and Italian chicken cutlets.
- The ingredients can be prepped in advance and assembled when you're ready to serve.
- They're delicious and perfect for serving at a party.
When it comes to having family and friends over, you need to have some go-to recipes that are easy to prep in advance and can serve a large group. Nobody wants to make, serve, or even eat huge chicken parm sandwiches at a party, but these sliders are perfect because they are delicious and small enough that people can have 1-2 without feeling like a stuffed sausage.
Try our Chicken Pizzaiola or Italian Pork Sandwich if you're looking to make something more substantial!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Marinara Sauce- I have a simple Homemade Marinara Sauce below in the recipe card. You can substitute Spicy Marinara Sauce to add some more heat or your favorite jarred sauce if needed.
- Breadcrumbs- For chicken parm, I like to use a combo of panko bread crumbs and Italian seasoned bread crumbs. The panko is a bit crunchier and makes the chicken a bit crunchier than traditional Italian chicken cutlets.
- Chicken Breast- Chicken breast is best because you can cut them in half and slice them thin. You can substitute chicken thighs if you prefer, but chicken breast is more traditional.
- Cheese- Chicken parm sliders obviously need some parm, but we also add mozzarella when we're doing sandwiches like these or an Eggplant Parm Sandwich. You can use shredded or sliced mozzarella.
- Buns- I prefer regular slider buns for chicken parm. They don't get too soggy when you toast them and add the sauce. Of course, once you add the sauce, they need to be served fresh!
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.
How to Make Chicken Parm Sliders
I enjoy fried chicken for chicken parm sliders because it yields the crunchiest of the variety. But look in the FAQs to see how to make them in the oven or air fryer.
Marinara Sauce
Step 1: Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and saute for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and let it caramelize in the pan, leaving a small bit of fond in the pan. Combine with the garlic and crushed red pepper.
Step 2: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add ½ teaspoon salt and basil. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preparing Chicken Cutlets
Step 3: Slice the chicken breasts in half to thin them and then cut them in half to make the patties.
Step 4: Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan, salt, and garlic powder. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.
Step 5: Dip the chicken into the egg and then dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to pat the breadcrumbs on so they stick.
Step 6: Set the cutlets aside on a plate until you're ready to fry. These can be refrigerated overnight.
Frying the Chicken
Step 7: In a large skillet, add the olive oil until the bottom of the pan is covered. Bring to medium heat. Add your chicken cutlets to the oil in batches and fry on both sides for about 4 minutes or until the patty reaches 165℉. You may need to add more oil after each batch, depending on how many you're making.
Step 8: Set the cutlets aside on a cooling rack and sprinkle with salt until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
Assembling Chicken Parm Sliders
Step 9: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toast the buns in the oven for 3-5 minutes until golden. Place the bottom buns in an oven-safe pan. Top with a spoonful of your homemade marinara and add the fresh chicken cutlets. Add another spoonful of marinara and finally top with parmesan and mozzarella.
Step 10: Place in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the cheese melts. Garnish with parsley and top with the toasted buns and serve!
If you're serving chicken parm sliders for a party, try serving with some other signature Italian appetizers like Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Fried Cauliflower Cakes, or Antipasto Caprese Skewers! And check out our favorite party cocktails: Cherry Amaretto Sour or a Blueberry Smash Mocktail
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Pro-Tips
- Slice the chicken like you're butterflying it or making thin chicken cutlets. Then make the "patties" by cutting those thin slices in half
- When frying cutlets, the heat should be medium, but it's too high if the oil is smoking. Medium can mean different things on a gas or electric burner.
- Caramelize the tomato paste to let some of the natural sugars out of it. This will make a more flavorful marinara sauce.
- Toasting the buns will prevent them from getting soggy as quickly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Place the cutlets in the air fryer at 400℉ for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then follow the recipe for the marinara and assemble the sandwiches.
Once you make a wet sandwich, it's almost impossible to reheat it to the same standard. What I do is try to open up the buns and place them on aluminum foil in the oven at 375℉ for a few minutes until they're heated through.
Regular slider buns or potato rolls are the best. I personally like the regular slider buns toasted because they're not as mushy as potato or Hawaiian rolls.
Make Sliders in Advance for a Party
The whole recipe can be made in advance for a party! Here's how to do it:
- Make your marinara and then store it in the refrigerator.
- Fry your homemade chicken cutlets (and if you have an egg allergy, use our No Egg Chicken Cutlets). Let them cool completely on a wire rack. Place them in a container and refrigerate.
- When you're ready to assemble, remove everything from the refrigerator. Toast the buns and assemble the sandwiches. Heat in the oven for 10-12 minutes instead of 3-5. This will heat the chicken and sauce through! Then you can serve with other make-ahead Italian dishes like Italian Green Bean Salad or a Summer Farro Salad with Cannellini Beans.
Best Party Dishes!
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
Chicken Parm Sliders
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 cast iron skillet or saucepan
- 1 baking tray or pan
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 12 slider buns
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
Marinara
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Breadcrumb Mixture
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions
Marinara Sauce
- Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and saute for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and let it caramelize in the pan, leaving a small bit of fond in the pan. Combine with the garlic and crushed red pepper. Or just open your favorite jar of marinara sauce
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add ½ teaspoon salt and basil. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan, salt, and garlic powder. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half to thin them and then cut them in half to make the patties. Dip the chicken into the egg and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to pat the breadcrumbs on so they stick.
- In a large skillet, add the olive oil until the bottom of the pan is covered. Bring to medium heat. Add your chicken cutlets to the oil in batches and fry on both sides for about 4 minutes or until the patty reaches 165℉. You may need to add more oil after each batch, depending on how many you're making.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toast the buns in the oven for 3-5 minutes until golden. Place the bottom buns in an oven-safe pan. Top with a spoonful of your homemade marinara and add the fresh chicken cutlets. Add another spoonful of marinara and finally top with parmesan and mozzarella.
- Place the tray in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the cheese melts. Garnish with parsley and top with the toasted buns and serve!
Video
Notes
- Slice the chicken like you're butterflying it or making thin chicken cutlets. Then make the "patties" by cutting those thin slices in half
- When frying cutlets, the heat should be medium, but it's too high if the oil is smoking. Medium can mean different things on a gas or electric burner.
- Caramelize the tomato paste to let some of the natural sugars out of it. This will make a more flavorful marinara sauce.
Vinny says
I love to make these when I have to cook for a bunch of people! Hope you can serve these at your next party!