Chicken Meatball Sliders {With Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Sauce}
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer, Main
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
These chicken meatball sliders make a great appetizer, party food or dinner. Make a delicious oven roasted red pepper and tomato sauce to go with these cheesy sliders. Both the meatballs and sauce can be frozen for later too, so make a large batch!
You will need:
For the red pepper-tomato sauce:
  • Red pepper - 1, deseeded and thickly sliced
  • Tomato - 1, thickly sliced
  • Red onion - 1 small, thickly sliced
  • Garlic - 3-4 cloves, crushed
  • Cracked black pepper - 1 tsp
  • Lime - 1, juiced
  • Fresh cilantro leaves - 1 cup, lightly packed
  • Dried oregano - ½ tsp
  • Cumin powder - ½ tsp
  • Salt - to taste
For the chicken meatballs:
  • Ground chicken - 1 lb
  • Red onion - ½ cup, finely chopped
  • Garlic - 1 tbsp, minced
  • Grated cheese - ¼ cup (use a soft cheese like feta or ricotta preferably)
  • Egg - 1, large
  • Bread crumbs - ¼ – ½ cup (as required to bind the mixture)
  • Black pepper powder - ½ tsp
  • Salt - ½ tsp or to taste
  • Oil - to brush on top
For the sliders:
  • Slider buns - 12
  • Lettuce leaves - 12
  • Chicken meatballs - 12
  • Red pepper sauce - 2 cups
  • Grated cheddar cheese - ½ cup
  • Grated Swiss cheese or other white cheese - ½ cup
How to:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg.F. Line a small and large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Red Pepper Sauce: Spread the peppers, tomato, onion, and garlic in a small baking pan. Season with cracked black pepper and salt and bake for 20 minutes.
  3. Cool slightly and blend with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. Once cooled, this sauce can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for a few days, making this an easy make-ahead step.
  5. Baked Chicken Meatballs: Combine the chicken, onion, garlic, cheese, egg, black pepper and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add bread crumbs, a little at a time, till it comes together and you are able to make little balls out of it.
  6. Divide into 12 portions and roll each portion into a ball. Arrange the meatballs in a large baking pan, brush the tops with oil, and bake for 25 minutes or till done. Turn the meatballs over once midway through the baking time.
  7. Heat the red pepper sauce in a saucepan. Add the meatballs to it and simmer for 5 minutes.
  8. Chicken Meatball Sliders: Lightly toast the sliders on a hot skillet. Place a lettuce leaf and meatball on one half of the bun. Add a spoon of sauce. Top with the grated cheeses liberally.
  9. Repeat till all the sliders are done. Serve immediately or broil in the oven for 1 minute to melt the cheese before serving.
Notes:
1. Make a large batch of the red pepper sauce. It can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Freeze it in an airtight container for long term storage.
2. The chicken meatballs can also be frozen, either raw or baked. To use, defrost and proceed as needed.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2016/09/23/chicken-meatball-sliders-with-roasted-red-pepper-tomato-sauce/