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This post is all about Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese Bites. Fried chicken tenders are rolled up in toasted buttery Texas toast with melted gooey cheddar cheese, then sliced up and served with delicious homemade dipping sauces.
I first came across these cute chicken stuffed grilled cheese bites while grabbing drinks with Aaron and my sister at Canyon’s in Woodstock. Simple concept but cheesy, butter, crispy chicken heaven. They are pop-able, you can dunk them in sauce. It was the perfect pairing for our frozen margs.
To make things simple, I just bought premade tenders from the deli counter at Publix. You can also use frozen tenders (Applegate as my favorite) or you can hit up the drive-thru at your local fried chicken joint. For such a simple recipe I didn’t feel that heating up fry oil and drudging my chicken would just make a cute and easy recipe way more complicated than it needs to be. I am all about semi-homemade, especially if you are serving company and have multiple dishes to make!
If you are looking for a fantastic fried chicken tender recipe, check out my recipe for Prince’s Hot Chicken. Just skip the final step of dunking the chicken in the hot spicy oil.
This recipe post is all about how to make my semi-homemade chicken stuffed gooey grilled cheese bites, the perfect easy appetizer for your family and friends.
Key Ingredients in Chicken Grilled Cheese Bites:
- Breaded Crispy Chicken Tenders – you could make these from scratch, but I find it much easier to buy tenders from your favorite chicken joint, the deli counter at the supermarket, or even buy the frozen tenders. Just make sure to buy a good brand of frozen chicken because they are not all made the same. Bell & Evans can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc. and they are incredible!
- Cheddar Cheese – slices of cheddar cheese or your favorite cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches. Havarti, gouda, fontina, colby jack, etc. all work wonderfully too.
- Texas Toast – I found the frozen Texas Toast to be a bit too small. Instead, I purchased thick-sliced sandwich bread at the grocery store (Sara Lee Artesano or Nature’s Own Perfectly Crafted) and buttered them with a garlic parsley butter.
- Homemade Burger Sauce – spicy mayo, ketchup, pickle juice, paprika and onion powder.
- Homemade Fajita Buffalo Sauce – an easy three ingredient sauce made with unsalted butter, buffalo sauce and fajita seasoning.
How to Make Chicken Stuffed Grilled Cheese Bites:
Step 1: Prepare your chicken tenders via the package instructions or if you purchased pre-made tenders, reheat them to crisp using an air fryer while you toast the bread. To a large skillet or flat top over low heat, melt a few tablespoon of garlic herb butter and add slices of bread. Allow it to cook undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes or until the underside is light golden brown. Add a little more butter to the skillet them flip the bread slices. Top each piece two two slices of cheese, keep on low heat and cover with a lid, allowing them to cook another 3 minutes or so.
Step 2: While the cheese is melting, prepare your dipping sauces by combining all of the respective ingredients into each bowl and whisking until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.
Step 3: Once the cheese has melted, remove the lid from the pan, place one chicken tender vertical on one side of each slice of bread and roll up (almost like a hot dog). Press the sides of the bread slightly against the chicken so the cheese will adhere to it. Place on a cutting board and allow them to rest for 1-2 minutes until they are easier to handle. Turn them open side down and slice into three pieces. Best enjoyed immediately while the cheese is still melty. Serve with dipping sauces and enjoy.
Tools and Products I Love To Use:
PFAS-Free Electric Griddle
Thick-Sliced White Bread
Applegate Chicken Tenders
Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter
Looking for More Easy Recipes?
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
Spicy Italian Sausage Dip
Bacon Jalapeno Hot Corn Dip
Honey Mustard Chicken BLT Sliders
I hope you enjoyed these Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese Bites I look forward to your questions and feedback below. Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese Bites
Ingredients
Chicken Grilled Cheese Bites
- 6 slices thick-sliced white bread
- 1/2 stick garlic herb butter
- 12 slices Cheddar cheese any melty cheese works!
- 6 strips breaded chicken tenders homemade, from a restaurant, or frozen
Fajita Buffalo Sauce
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup hot sauce, room temp
- 2 teaspoons fajita seasoning
- pinch of black pepper
Tangy Burger Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayo or spicy mayo
- 1.5 Tbsp ketchup
- splash of dill pickle juice add 3 diced pickles for added texture
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
Heat Chicken & Toast Bread
- To a large skillet or griddle over low heat, melt a few tablespoon of garlic herb butter and add slices of bread. Allow it to cook undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes or until the underside is light golden brown. As the bread toasts, prepare your chicken tenders via the package instructions or if you purchased pre-made tenders, reheat them to crisp using an air fryer or oven while you toast the bread. Add a little more butter to the skillet them flip the bread slices. Top each piece with two slices of cheese, keep on low heat and cover with a lid, allowing them to cook another 3 minutes.
Prepare the Sauces
- While the cheese is melting, prepare your dipping sauces by combining all of the respective ingredients into each bowl and whisking until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.
Assemble and Slice Bites
- Once the cheese has melted, remove the lid, place one chicken tender vertical on one side of each bread slice. Roll up (almost like a hot dog) and press the sides of the bread against the chicken so the cheese will adhere to it. Place on a cutting board and allow them to rest for 1-2 minutes until they are easier to handle. Turn them open side down and slice into three pieces. Best enjoyed immediately while the cheese is still melty. Serve with dipping sauces and enjoy.
