Description
A festive, crowd-pleasing dish that pairs tender, seasoned turkey patties with a rich layer of cream cheese, fresh greens, and a sweet-tangy orange cranberry sauce. Served warm in soft, mini slider buns, these turkey cranberry sliders bring all the cozy comfort of holiday flavors into bite-sized perfection.
Ingredients
For the Turkey Patties:
2 lbs ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground sage
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the Cranberry Orange Sauce:
1 cup cranberry sauce (store-bought or homemade)
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
For Assembly:
16 mini slider buns (brioche or whole wheat)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh baby spinach or arugula
1/2 cup sliced avocado (optional)
Instructions
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Make Cranberry Sauce: In a small bowl, combine cranberry sauce, fresh orange juice, orange zest, and honey or maple syrup. Stir well and set aside.
Make Turkey Patties: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, ground sage, Worcestershire sauce, and beaten egg. Mix gently until just incorporated. Shape into 16 small patties (slightly smaller than the slider buns).
Cook Patties: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until browned and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F / 74°C).
Melt Cheese: Top each cooked patty with shredded cheddar or mozzarella during the last minute of cooking, covering the skillet with a lid to melt.
Assemble Sliders: Slice slider buns in half. Spread softened cream cheese on the top bun halves and a generous layer of cranberry orange sauce on the bottom bun halves. Place a cheesy turkey patty on each bottom bun, then layer with baby spinach/arugula and sliced avocado.
Bake & Serve: Cover with top buns. Place assembled sliders on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 5 minutes until warm and buns are lightly toasted. Serve warm.
Notes
Leftover Turkey Swap: Instead of making ground turkey patties, use 1.5–2 lbs of leftover shredded or sliced roasted turkey. Heat the turkey through and assemble.
Spicy Twist: Add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to the turkey mixture or toss chopped jalapeños into the cranberry sauce.
Dietary Substitutions: Use gluten-free slider buns for a gluten-free option, or swap dairy cream cheese and cheddar for plant-based alternatives.
Storage & Prep Ahead: Assembled sliders can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2–3 months. Reheat in the oven to keep buns crisp.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course / Sandwich / Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop & Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 sliders (1/8th of recipe)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
Keywords: turkey cranberry sliders, mini turkey burgers, holiday leftover sliders, cranberry orange turkey sliders, turkey party appetizers