Turkey Cranberry BBQ Sliders For A Crowd

Turkey Cranberry BBQ Sliders For A Crowd

These sliders solve two common problems at once. First, turkey breast tends to dry out when cooked hard and fast. Second, feeding a group often means juggling hot items at the last minute. Here you get moist, flavorful turkey you can cook ahead, slice, and reheat without fuss. The meat gets a simple overnight wet brine for insurance, a light kiss of smoke for depth, and a glossy cranberry BBQ finish that wakes everything up without tasting sugary. The sliders hold well on a sheet pan, and the rolls toast to a gentle crunch while the cheese melts into the meat. It all adds up to a reliable party tray that feels homemade and tastes balanced.

I live in Oregon, so I like apple wood in the smoker and tart cranberries in the sauce. The flavors lean bright and clean. Nothing heavy, nothing cloying. If you don’t own a smoker, an oven gives you nearly the same result with a few tweaks. The goal is straightforward: juicy slices of turkey, a tangy-sweet sauce with real fruit, a thin swipe of mayo to protect the bread, mild melting cheese, and soft, sweet rolls that brown on top under a light parsley butter glaze.

What makes these sliders work for a crowd

• Wet brine for moisture and seasoning. A 5 percent salt brine seasons turkey all the way through and helps it hold onto juice as it cooks and rests. You can brine overnight with little effort.
• Gentle smoke or steady oven heat. Apple or hickory wood gives a subtle aroma that pairs well with turkey. If you’re using an oven, you still get juicy meat by roasting at a moderate temperature and monitoring internal temp.
• Cranberry BBQ that’s not syrupy. Cranberry brings acidity and body. A little vinegar and a pinch of chili give it backbone so it doesn’t read as dessert.
• Mayo barrier to protect the rolls. A thin swipe keeps sauce from soaking the bread. It’s functional, not heavy.
• Mild cheese that melts clean. Swiss style melts smoothly and stays in the background, tying savory and tart flavors together.
• Parsley butter glaze for shine. A quick brush before warming turns the tops golden and adds a light herbal note.

Ingredient notes you’ll actually use

Turkey breast

Boneless turkey breast cooks evenly and slices neatly. Aim for two pieces in the 1.1 to 1.4 kg range each, or one large double lobe. If you can only find bone-in, brine the same way and cook to temperature, then remove bones before slicing.

Cranberry BBQ sauce

Use whole cranberries if you can. Frozen berries are fine. They burst and thicken quickly, which means you control sweetness and texture. For a shortcut, you can fold a can of whole-berry cranberry sauce into the BBQ base below, then simmer a few minutes to marry the flavors.

Rolls and cheese

Soft, slightly sweet dinner rolls work best. Look for 24 connected rolls in a single slab so you can build and move a whole tray at once. A mild, nutty, good-melting cheese keeps the focus on the turkey and sauce. Thin slices melt faster and make cleaner layers.

Mayonnaise

You only need enough to lightly coat the cut faces of the bottom rolls. It protects the bread from moisture and adds a soft tang once everything warms through.

Parsley butter glaze

Melted butter with chopped parsley and a pinch of salt. Brush it on before the final warm-through so the tops toast while the cheese melts.

Can I use the oven instead of a smoker

Yes. The smoker adds light fruitwood aroma, but you can roast turkey breast in the oven at 160 C and get juicy results. If you want a hint of smoke without a smoker, use smoked salt for the seasoning step or add a small dash of smoked paprika to the sauce. Don’t chase a heavy smoke flavor. Turkey is delicate, and the slider format already brings sweetness, tang, and richness.

How many sliders per person

For a party with other snacks, plan on 2 sliders per person. For a meal with a simple salad on the side, count 3 sliders per person. A standard 24-roll slab serves 8 to 12 depending on appetite. The recipe below yields 24 sliders and can be scaled.

Timing plan for an easy event

• One day before: Make the brine, submerge the turkey, and refrigerate overnight.
• Morning of: Smoke or roast the turkey, cool slightly, wrap, and refrigerate. Make the cranberry BBQ sauce. Slice cheese. Split the rolls.
• One hour before serving: Slice the chilled turkey thin, assemble the slab, brush with parsley butter, cover, and hold in the fridge.
• Right before serving: Warm the tray until the tops are golden and cheese melts. Cut and serve hot.

Recipe: Turkey Cranberry BBQ Sliders For A Crowd

Equipment

• Large nonreactive container or 6 L zipper bag for brining
• Wire rack set in a rimmed sheet pan
• Smoker with apple or hickory wood, or an oven
• Instant-read thermometer
• Two rimmed half-sheet pans
• Small saucepan for the sauce
• Pastry brush
• Chef’s knife and serrated knife
• Foil and parchment

Yield, Prep Time, Cook Time

• Yield: 24 sliders
• Active prep: 45 minutes, spread out
• Brine time: 12 to 24 hours
• Cook time: 2 to 3.5 hours for turkey, 15 to 20 minutes to warm sliders
• Total time: About 14 to 28 hours, mostly unattended

Ingredients

5 Percent Wet Brine

• Water 2 liters
• Kosher salt 95 g
• Brown sugar 50 g (optional, for balance)
• Black peppercorns 2 tsp, lightly crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh
• Ice 500 g, to chill the brine quickly

Turkey

• 2 boneless turkey breasts, 1.1 to 1.4 kg each
• Neutral oil 1 tbsp
• Ground black pepper 2 tsp
• Paprika 1 tsp
• Garlic powder 1 tsp

Cranberry BBQ Sauce

• Fresh or frozen cranberries 300 g
• Ketchup 240 ml
• Apple cider vinegar 60 ml
• Brown sugar 40 g, or to taste
• Honey 1 tbsp
• Dijon mustard 1 tbsp
• Worcestershire 1 tbsp
• Smoked paprika 1 tsp
• Fine salt 1 tsp, plus more to taste
• Ground black pepper 1/2 tsp
• Orange zest 1 tsp, optional for brightness
• Water 60 to 120 ml as needed for consistency

Parsley Butter Glaze

• Unsalted butter 85 g, melted
• Fresh parsley 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Fine salt 1/4 tsp

For Assembly

• 24 soft dinner rolls, connected if possible
• Mayonnaise 90 g, about 6 tbsp
• Swiss style cheese 12 thin slices, halved to make 24 pieces
• Cranberry BBQ sauce from above
• Sliced turkey from above

Preparation Instructions

1) Brine the turkey

1. In a pot, combine water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, bay, onion, garlic, and thyme. Bring just to a simmer, stir to dissolve the salt and sugar, then remove from heat.
2. Stir in the ice to cool the brine to under 10 C.
3. Submerge the turkey breasts in the chilled brine. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours. The longer end gives more seasoning and water retention.
4. Remove turkey from brine. Rinse briefly under cold water for 20 to 30 seconds to remove surface salt and aromatics. Pat dry very well with paper towels. Set on a rack to air dry while you set up the smoker or oven.

2) Smoke or roast the turkey

Smoker method:

1. Heat smoker to 120 C. Add a small handful of apple or hickory wood.
2. Rub turkey lightly with oil. Mix pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, then sprinkle evenly.
3. Smoke the turkey on a rack until the thickest part of each breast reaches 62 to 65 C. This usually takes 2 to 3.5 hours depending on size and smoker behavior.
4. Move turkey to a clean tray. Tent loosely with foil and rest 20 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature should rise to 71 C. If it does not, continue cooking in a 120 C oven until it does.

Oven method:

1. Heat oven to 160 C. Set a rack over a sheet pan.
2. Oil and season the turkey as above.
3. Roast until the thickest part reaches 62 to 65 C, usually 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
4. Tent and rest 20 to 30 minutes so carryover brings it to 71 C.

Food-safe target: For poultry, a final internal temperature of 74 C is the common home target, but holding at 71 C after carryover is sufficient when the meat has rested and juices run clear. If you prefer, cook to 74 C and rest.

5. Chill for clean slicing. Once rested to warm, wrap the turkey and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Cold, firm meat slices thinner and stays juicier when rewarmed.

3) Make the cranberry BBQ sauce

1. Add cranberries, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, mustard, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and 60 ml water to a saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring as the berries pop. Reduce heat and cook 8 to 12 minutes until thick, glossy, and spoonable. Add more water if it tightens too much.
3. Taste and adjust. You want bright and tangy with enough sugar to balance the vinegar and fruit. Stir in orange zest if using. Cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

4) Make the parsley butter glaze

1. Melt butter gently. Stir in parsley and salt. Keep warm.

5) Slice the turkey and prep the rolls

1. Slice the chilled turkey crosswise into thin, even slices about 3 to 4 mm. Pile on a tray and cover.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
3. If your rolls come as one connected slab, use a serrated knife to slice the whole slab horizontally into a top and bottom sheet. Set the bottom layer on the pan, cut face up. Save the top as one piece.

6) Build the slab

1. Spread the bottom layer with a light coat of mayonnaise. You want a thin, complete film, not globs.
2. Spoon a thin layer of cranberry BBQ sauce over the mayo. Don’t flood it. You’ll add a little more on top of the meat.
3. Shingle the turkey slices over the sauce in an even layer.
4. Drizzle or brush a little more cranberry BBQ sauce over the turkey.
5. Lay the cheese pieces evenly over the meat.
6. Cap with the top sheet of rolls. Brush the tops with parsley butter until glossy.

7) Warm and serve

1. Heat oven to 175 C.
2. Cover the pan loosely with foil so the tops don’t brown too fast, and warm 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue 5 to 10 minutes more until the tops are golden and the cheese has melted.
3. Move the slab to a cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes, then cut between rolls to make 24 sliders. Serve hot.

Servings

• Makes 24 sliders. Expect 8 to 12 servings depending on appetite and sides.

Nutrition Information (estimated per slider)

• Calories: 260
• Protein: 14 g
• Carbohydrates: 26 g
• Total fat: 11 g
• Saturated fat: 5 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Sodium: about 420 mg

Values are estimates based on typical rolls, 55 g cooked turkey per slider, a modest smear of mayo, one half slice of Swiss style cheese, and a thin layer of cranberry BBQ sauce.

Make ahead, holding, and reheating

Make ahead two days out: Brine on Thursday for a Saturday party. Cook the turkey Friday morning, chill, and slice. Make the sauce Friday as well. On Saturday, assemble and warm before guests arrive.

Holding hot for service: If you are serving across a long window, hold the finished sliders at 65 C in a low oven for up to 45 minutes, covered loosely with foil. The tops will soften a bit. To refresh, uncover for a final 3 to 4 minutes before serving.

Reheating leftovers: Wrap sliders in foil and reheat at 160 C for 12 to 15 minutes until warm. If reheating a whole slab that was pre-assembled and chilled, allow a little more time, checking the center for melty cheese and hot filling.

Freezing: You can freeze sliced turkey and the sauce separately for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then assemble and warm. Freezing assembled sliders is not ideal because the rolls can get soggy.

Scaling the recipe

• Half batch, 12 sliders: Brine and cook a single 1.1 to 1.4 kg breast. Halve the sauce and glaze. Build on a quarter sheet pan.
• Double batch, 48 sliders: Use four similar-sized breasts. Make sauce in a larger pot and plan on two sheet pans. Stagger the warm-through so one tray is always hot.
• Different roll sizes: If your rolls are larger, you may yield fewer sliders. Keep the meat and sauce layers moderate so the sandwiches stay easy to eat.

Variations that keep the balance

• Herb and lemon turkey: Add lemon zest and chopped rosemary to the seasoning blend for the turkey. Keep the cranberry BBQ sauce as written for the sweet-tart counterpoint.
• Sharp cheese swap: If you want a little more bite, use thin provolone or young white cheddar. Use less per slider so it doesn’t dominate.
• No-smoker oven roast: Add 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika to the turkey seasoning and another 1/2 teaspoon to the sauce for a gentle smoke impression.
• Spice lift: Stir a pinch of red pepper flakes into the sauce if your crowd likes heat.
• Whole-berry shortcut: Stir a 350 g can of whole-berry cranberry sauce into the BBQ base and simmer a few minutes to thicken and balance with vinegar and mustard.

Troubleshooting common issues

Turkey turned out dry.
Most often this means it was cooked to a higher internal temperature than planned. Next time, verify your thermometer in ice water and boiling water so you trust the reading. Pull at 62 to 65 C, rest under foil, and let carryover finish the job. Brining also gives you a buffer against dryness.

Roll bottoms got soggy.
Use the mayonnaise barrier every time and keep sauce layers thin. If your sliders need to hold more than 45 minutes, build them with less sauce and serve extra sauce on the side for dipping.

Cheese didn’t melt.
Slices were probably too thick or the warm-through time was short. Warm covered first to get heat into the center, then uncover to color the tops. Thin, even slices melt best.

Sauce tastes too sweet.
Cranberries vary. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt, then simmer 2 minutes. If you plan to hold sliders hot for a long time, keep sauce a little brighter because sweetness concentrates with heat.

Sauce tastes too sharp.
Simmer 2 to 3 minutes longer and add 1 to 2 teaspoons honey. Let it cool a bit before tasting again because flavors read differently when very hot.

Tops browned too fast.
Your oven runs hot or the rack was set high. Cover with foil for the first 10 minutes of warming, then uncover just long enough to toast and melt.

Food safety and storage

• Keep raw turkey below 4 C while brining.
• After cooking, rest the meat, then chill promptly if you plan to slice later.
• For reheating, bring the slider tray back to a piping hot center before serving.
• Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat only what you’ll serve that day.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use turkey tenderloins instead of breast?
Yes. They cook faster. Brine for 4 to 6 hours, then roast or smoke until 62 to 65 C and rest to 71 C. Tenderloins slice into smaller pieces, so shingle them tightly on the rolls.

Can I swap the fruit in the sauce?
You can use lingonberries or a mix of cranberries and chopped tart cherries. Keep the vinegar and mustard so the sauce stays bright.

Do I need sugar in the brine?
No, it’s optional. Sugar helps with browning and rounds out salt. If you skip it, the meat will still be juicy and well seasoned.

What wood is best?
Apple is soft and fruity. Hickory is stronger. For poultry, go light. A little smoke goes a long way.

Can I assemble the slab and hold it for a few hours?
Yes. Build the slab up to 4 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Warm just before serving. The mayo barrier and thin sauce layer help keep the bread intact.

Closing notes

If you want a party sandwich that behaves, this one does. Brine the turkey, cook it gently, slice it cold, and finish on a sheet pan so everything melts and toasts at the same time. The cranberry BBQ brings tang and fruit without tipping into sweet. The result is a tray of sliders that stays juicy, cuts cleanly, and feeds a crowd without drama.