Cranberry BBQ Sauce Turkey Sliders
These Cranberry BBQ Sauce Turkey Sliders offer a harmonious blend of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. Featuring a homemade cranberry BBQ sauce coating tender shredded turkey, complemented by a crisp apple and celery slaw, all served on soft sweet dinner rolls. They are perfect for entertaining or creatively using leftover holiday turkey.
Equipment
- 1 Medium Saucepan For preparing the cranberry sauce and the BBQ sauce base.
- 1 Food Processor or Blender Essential for achieving a smooth, velvety consistency for the BBQ sauce.
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls One for preparing the slaw and another for combining the turkey and BBQ sauce.
- 1 Whisk For emulsifying the slaw dressing and combining sauce ingredients.
- 1 Cutting Board and Chef's Knife For precise slicing and dicing of aromatics, celery, and apple.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 celery ribs thinly sliced
- 1 granny smith apple cored but not peeled, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup Cranberry Sauce recipe follows
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups shredded turkey
- 12 sweet dinner rolls
- One 1-pound bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange zested and juiced
Instructions
- For the sauce: Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, oil, celery, apples, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside while you make the sliders.
- For the sliders: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the cranberry sauce, ketchup, vinegar, Dijon, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- Place the turkey into a large bowl and pour the sauce over the turkey, stirring to coat evenly with the sauce. To serve, spoon a 1/4 cup of the turkey onto the bottom half of the rolls, garnish with 2 tablespoons of the slaw and top with the top half of the roll.
Notes
For an elevated flavor profile, using fresh, homemade cranberry sauce is paramount; canned options simply won't yield the same vibrant taste. When preparing the BBQ sauce, ensure thorough blending to achieve a silky-smooth texture, which allows it to coat the turkey beautifully. The apple and celery slaw introduces a crucial element of freshness and crunch, providing a delightful textural contrast to the tender, saucy turkey. Consider gently warming the sweet dinner rolls before assembling the sliders for an even more inviting and soft bite. This recipe is an excellent way to repurpose leftover roasted turkey from holidays, transforming it into a fresh, appealing dish.