Make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers with these Turkey Cranberry Sliders! Ready in just 15 minutes of prep, these sliders combine leftover turkey, tangy cranberry sauce, and melty cheese on sweet Hawaiian rolls. Baked to golden perfection in just 45 minutes, they’re a must-try! See why!
I’ve developed many popular slider recipes over the years, and these Turkey Cranberry Sliders are one of my all-time favorites, especially for using up Thanksgiving leftovers. Over time, I’ve discovered a few tricks, like brushing the rolls with a buttery herb mix and covering them while baking to keep them soft and gooey. These little tweaks elevate simple sliders into a dish that everyone raves about.
My slider recipes consistently rank among the most saved on the site, with thousands of readers making and bookmarking them. This recipe is no different—it’s been tested, refined, and delivers the same reliable results as my other popular sliders.
If you’re craving a quick, flavor-packed meal, these sliders are just what you need!
What is it about a leftover turkey sandwich with all the fixin’s after Thanksgiving? I love repurposing leftover turkey in different ways, like in these basic turkey and cheese sliders, these leftover turkey tacos, and this turkey divan.
Why you’ll love these Thanksgiving Sliders
- Perfect for Leftovers: They transform leftover turkey and cranberry sauce into a cozy, new meal.
- Reader-Approved: My slider recipes have thousands of saves, making them some of the most popular on my site.
- Family-Friendly: The mix of sweet rolls, savory turkey, and melty cheese makes them a hit with everyone.
- Customizable: Add gravy, try different cheeses, or even include leftover stuffing for a twist.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Ingredients For Leftover Turkey Sliders
- Dinner rolls | I use Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls; use leftover small, soft dinner rolls!
- Cream cheese | Soften the cream cheese to room temperature to spread on the rolls.
- Cranberry sauce | I prefer whole cranberry sauce, not jellied. Freshly made is the best, but if you must canned will do the trick! Make this easy homemade cranberry sauce.
- Turkey | This is the perfect chance to use your leftover turkey! Try my Air Fryer Turkey Breast, use sliced deli turkey breast.
- Cheese | You can use your favorite melty cheese slices for this recipe, but I prefer havarti cheese. Cheddar cheese is also great!
- Butter | Top the rolls with seasoned melted butter. If using unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to the recipe.
- Garlic and onion | Mix fresh garlic, pressed, and dried minced onion to the buttery topping.
- Salt | Toss in a pinch of kosher salt.
- Worcestershire sauce | Don’t skip this ingredient; it adds amazing flavor! Use Lee & Perrin’s if you are gluten-free
- Poppy seeds | Sprinkle the buttery rolls with poppy seeds, if desired.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Turkey Sliders
- First, preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C) and lightly grease the baking dish.
- Slice the soft Hawaiian rolls in half without separating and place the bottom half in the prepared baking dish.
3. Spread the softened cream cheese onto the cut side of the bottom of the rolls.
4. Then, spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the cream cheese with a rubber spatula or offset spatula.
5. Now, place the layers of turkey and cheese on top of the cranberry cream cheese and place the top half of the buns on the turkey.
6. Mix the melted butter, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in a pourable container like a measuring cup, to make the pouring easier. If you only have a small bowl, it will do fine.
7. Stir the butter mixture well and pour it evenly over the tops of the buns, using a brush to brush the sides with the decadent butter sauce. Finally, if desired, sprinkle the poppy seeds evenly over the top. Now they are ready for the oven.
8. Then, cover the dish with foil and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until the hot and cheese melts. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the tops are crispy and golden. Allow the sliders to cool briefly, then serve while hot and melty! Enjoy!
Make These Turkey Cranberry Sliders in Advance
To avoid soggy rolls, make turkey sliders as directed but hold off on the butter sauce until just prior to baking. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in fridge, brush on butter sauce, then bake as directed, adding 2-3 minutes. Remember to remove your plastic wrap and replace it with foil.
Thanksgiving Sliders Recipe Tips
- Slice the bottoms slightly thicker than the tops to avoid soggy buns.
- Remember that the cream cheese should be softened to spread easily. You can also use whipped or spreadable cream cheese if preferred.
- For an even crispier roll top, remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
Sliders are easy to make and are always a hit! For more slider recipes, try my delicious Philly Cheesesteak Sliders, buttery Cheeseburger Sliders, and Easy Meatball Sliders, all made with fluffy Hawaiian rolls!
Thanksgiving Sliders Variations
Cheesy Turkey Sliders: If you’d like, swap the cheese for melty Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, brie or another favorite type of cheese. Use cheese leftover from your Thanksgiving charcuterie board.
Add Stuffing: Take this turkey slider recipe to the next level by including leftover stuffing or mashed potatoes!
No Thanksgiving Turkey? No Problem: You can still enjoy these delicious and easy turkey sliders without having leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Grab pre-roasted turkey or deli meat from the grocery store, make it with ground turkey, or even use rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
Garlic: If necessary, use garlic powder instead of the fresh garlic cloves.
Brown Sugar: I don’t use brown sugar in this recipe, like in my Ham and Cheese Sliders or my Roast Beef Sliders, if desired to have a sweet sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the butter sauce.
Recommended Tools
- I love this set of three bakers; bakes evenly and cleans up like a dream!
Storing Leftover Turkey Sliders
Fridge: After the sliders are cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to three days to enjoy later.
Freeze: First, let the sliders cool completely, then move them to an airtight freezer-safe container or plastic baggie to keep for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Cranberry Turkey Sliders
A great way to reheat or keep sliders warm for a game-day gathering is to wrap them in aluminum foil in a crockpot on warm or low. You can also reheat the sliders in the oven set to 350° F (175° C), returning the leftover sliders to the baking dish and covering them with foil. Then, bake them for 5 to 10 minutes, removing the foil for the last few minutes.
Can I keep sliders warm in a crock pot?
Yes! Using your crock pot is a great way to keep them warm, grab-and-go style! Allow the sliders to cool for about 10 minutes, then wrap each slider individually in aluminum foil, place in a crockpot, lay some paper towels or a clean tea towel between the lid and the crock (this catches any condensation) and place the lid on, turn the slow cooker on warm or low at the most.
Leftover Turkey Sliders FAQs
Sliders are small sandwiches typically made with rolls or mini buns. They are miniatures of larger sandwiches, like hamburgers, Phillys, ham sandwiches, and many more.
Slider buns are usually small, bite-sized, and soft. They are often sweeter than a traditional sandwich bun, like the famous Hawaiian rolls. However, mini burger buns, small sub rolls, brioche rolls and dinner rolls are also common.
Absolutely! This is an excellent recipe to make ahead. Just prepare all the fillings and assemble the sliders to keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them. Then, add the buttery sauce, pour it over the rolls, and bake as directed. See the details below on how to make ahead.
Trimmings and pieces of leftover Thanksgiving turkey stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. So, don’t forget to sneak in this delicious roasted turkey leftovers recipe before the Monday after Thanksgiving! Or place in freezer for optimal freshness.
Turkey fresh on Thanksgiving day is absolutely delicious! But most would agree that Thanksgiving dinner is almost always better the next day. This is because the meat has had time to really absorb all the seasonings, butter, and whatever else you tend to cook your holiday turkey with.
What to Serve with Thanksgiving Sliders
Best Holiday Drinks for Turkey and Cheese Sliders
Enjoy a lovely holiday beverage alongside these delicious leftover turkey sliders. Cranberry is the perfect way to go, so try this Cranberry Spritzer, Pomegranate Sangria, Cranberry Lemon Drop Martini, or tasty Cranberry Bourbon Sour Cocktail.
Best Desserts to Serve with Leftover Turkey Sandwich
Enjoy even more festive cranberry flavor with these Lemon Cranberry Bars, Cranberry Christmas Cake, or keep it classic with Apple Pie in miniature form! Another excellent choice is this easy and fun-to-make Crockpot Peanut Clusters recipe!
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
- Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole – good and super easy!
- Turkey Divan Recipe (or chicken) – Delicious!!
- Leftover Turkey Tacos Recipe
More Sliders Recipes
Sliders are kind of my thing; enjoy these other popular slider recipes.
- Breakfast Sliders
- Meatball Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
- Philly Cheesesteak Sliders Recipe
- Pizza Sliders Recipe with Hawaiian Rolls
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
More Popular Recipes from The Fresh Cooky
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Ingredients
- 1 package Hawaiian Rolls such as King's, or use gluten-free, Keto, brioche slider buns
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups whole cranberry sauce not jellied, fresh or canned
- 2 cups leftover turkey cut into bite-size pieces or shredded, or use sliced deli turkey
- 6 slices havarti cheese
- ½ cup salted butter 1 stick, melted (salted or unsalted, if using unsalted add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt)
- ½-1 teaspoon garlic pressed, about 1 clove, or replace with 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon poppy seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C) and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Without pulling the rolls apart, slice them in half lengthwise, so you have a bottom half and a top half of attached buns. Slice the bottom slightly thicker than the top1 package Hawaiian Rolls
- Place the bottom half of the rolls in the baking dish and spread the cream cheese over them. Next, spoon on the cranberry sauce and gently spread over the cream cheese.8 ounces cream cheese, 1 ½ cups whole cranberry sauce
- Evenly distribute the turkey on top of the sauce, finish with a layer of cheese, then put the top half of the buns on top.2 cups leftover turkey, 6 slices havarti cheese
- Combine the melted butter, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in a measuring cup or another pourable container. Stir well, then pour over the tops of the sandwiches. Sprinkle the poppy seeds all over the top.½ cup salted butter, ½-1 teaspoon garlic, ½ teaspoon dried minced onion, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, Pinch kosher salt, ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
- Cover with foil, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is melted. If a crisper top is desired, remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Notes
Nutrition
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
These sliders were delicious. I used leftover chicken from a roast and the whole family devoured them. Definitely making these again.
Yay! So glad you loved them so!!
Michelle
This is so brilliant! I never know what to do with leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, but my kids LOVE these sliders!
Yay!!! Mom dinner win is always a win!
Dannii
These are going to be great for serving up to a hungry crowd.
They really are!
Saif
The turkey slider is absolutely delicious. I made it for my family and they all loved it.
Thank you so much. So glad everyone loved it.