Maple Chicken Bacon Sliders (Printable)
Sweet maple-glazed chicken with crispy bacon on toasted slider buns—perfect for gatherings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 6 slices thick-cut bacon
→ Marinade & Glaze
03 - 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
04 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
05 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Buns & Toppings
10 - 6 slider buns
11 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 - 1 cup baby arugula or mixed greens
13 - 6 slices cheddar cheese (optional)
14 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
15 - Butter for toasting buns
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create 6 small, evenly sized fillets.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt until well combined.
04 - Add the chicken fillets to the marinade, coating evenly. Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
05 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon slices until crispy, about 4–5 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
06 - Remove chicken from the marinade, reserving the liquid. In the same skillet or on a grill pan, sear the fillets for 3–4 minutes per side until cooked through. Set aside on a plate.
07 - Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet and simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Brush the glaze generously over each cooked chicken fillet.
08 - If using cheddar, place a slice on each glazed chicken fillet and broil for about 1 minute until melted and bubbly.
09 - Lightly brush the cut sides of each slider bun with butter. Toast in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown.
10 - Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each bottom bun. Layer with arugula, a glazed chicken fillet, crispy bacon, sliced red onion, and the top bun. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The maple glaze caramelizes on the chicken and creates this gorgeous sticky crust that tastes like you spent hours when it really took minutes.
- Bacon and maple together are the kind of combination that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.
- Everything comes together in about half an hour with zero fancy techniques or equipment.
02 -
- Do not toss the marinade after removing the chicken because that liquid becomes your glaze and wasting it means losing half the flavor.
- Watch the glaze carefully when reducing because maple syrup goes from perfectly thickened to burnt in seconds once it hits that tipping point.
03 -
- Start the bacon in a cold pan and render it low and slow so you get flat crispy strips instead of curled uneven ones.
- Reserve a tiny splash of unreduced marinade before it hits the pan so you can drizzle it raw over the assembled slider for a bright hit of flavor.