Florida Orange Juice Cranberry Orange Turkey Sliders Recipe
Florida Orange Juice Cranberry Orange Turkey Sliders combine a flavorful cranberry orange sauce with tender turkey and melted Swiss cheese on sweet Hawaiian rolls, enhanced by a garlic Dijon herb butter. Perfect for holiday gatherings or casual entertaining, these sliders offer a delightful balance of sweet, savory, and citrusy flavors with fresh herb notes.
- Author: Ella
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 sliders 1x
- Category: Entree, Holiday
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Cranberry Orange Sauce
- 1 cup Florida Orange Juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 small bundle fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs, optional (3–4 sprigs each, tied together with kitchen twine)
- 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Sliders
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 package (12 count) sweet dinner rolls (Hawaiian rolls)
- 3/4 cup cranberry orange sauce
- 7 ounces thick-sliced deli turkey or leftover holiday turkey
- 4 ounces (about 6 slices) Swiss cheese
- Additional fresh parsley for garnish
- Make Cranberry Orange Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine Florida orange juice, orange zest, granulated sugar, and the herb bundle over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens and most cranberries burst, approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove herb bundle and let sauce cool completely; it will thicken further as it cools.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the sliders.
- Prepare Garlic Dijon Herb Butter: In a small bowl, whisk together melted unsalted butter, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, chopped rosemary, thyme, and parsley until well combined. Set aside.
- Assemble Sliders Base: Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the Hawaiian rolls horizontally in half, keeping bottom and top halves intact as one unit. Place the bottom half on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Butter the Rolls: Brush about half of the garlic Dijon herb butter evenly over the bottom half of the rolls using a pastry brush.
- Add Cranberry Orange Sauce: Spread 3/4 cup cranberry orange sauce evenly over the buttered bottom rolls.
- Layer Turkey: Evenly arrange 7 ounces of thick-sliced deli or leftover holiday turkey across the bottom rolls to cover all 12 slider sections.
- Add Swiss Cheese: Layer about 4 ounces (approximately 6 slices) of Swiss cheese over the turkey, overlapping slightly as needed to cover all slider sections.
- Top and Butter Rolls: Place the top half of the rolls over the cheese, then brush with the remaining garlic Dijon herb butter.
- Bake Covered: Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes to heat through and melt cheese.
- Finish Baking Uncovered: Remove foil and continue baking 5-10 minutes until tops are golden brown and cheese is fully melted.
- Rest and Garnish: Remove sliders from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes. Cut into individual sliders along roll perforations and garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Sliders can be assembled up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated. Add 5 extra minutes to covered baking time if baking from cold.
- The cranberry orange sauce can be made ahead and stored refrigerated; allow it to cool completely before assembling sliders.
- Use sweet Hawaiian rolls for the best flavor and texture balance.
- Leftover holiday turkey or thick-sliced deli turkey works well in this recipe.
- Fresh herbs add vibrant flavor but are optional in the cranberry sauce.
Keywords: cranberry orange sauce, turkey sliders, holiday appetizers, Florida orange juice, garlic Dijon herb butter, sweet Hawaiian rolls, turkey sandwich