BBQ Chicken Sliders Recipe

I’ve made BBQ chicken sliders twice now and the second time I got it right. You can do these hot with melted cheese or cold with coleslaw and pickles, which sounds weird but it’s actually better than the hot version sometimes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Takes 30 minutes start to finish which matters on a Tuesday
• You get 12 sliders from one batch so everyone eats or you have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch
• The red onions don’t overpower anything, they just sit there adding sharpness
• Coleslaw on a slider sounds like too much but the crunch against soft chicken makes sense once you try it
• You can make half the batch hot and half cold if people can’t agree
• Butter on the bun tops before baking makes them taste like they came from somewhere you’d actually pay for

The Story Behind This Recipe

I needed something fast last Tuesday after work because I had shredded chicken in the fridge from Sunday and I was tired of eating it plain. Slider buns were on sale at the store and I figured barbecue sauce could fix anything. The first time I made these I skipped the onions and just did cheese, which was fine but forgettable.

Then I remembered my cousin always puts coleslaw on pulled pork sandwiches and I thought maybe that works here too. So I tried both versions and now I can’t pick a favorite. The cold version with pickles tastes lighter, the hot version with cheddar feels more like comfort food and I make whichever one matches my mood.

What You Need

You’ll need cooked shredded chicken, and I’m talking about stuff you’ve already cooked and pulled apart. Mine sat in the fridge from Sunday’s roast chicken and it worked great. Grab whatever barbecue sauce you like but make sure it’s thick enough to coat the chicken without dripping everywhere when you bite in.

Get 12 slider buns and separate the tops from the bottoms before you start anything else. Thinly sliced red onions go on next, and you don’t need a ton because they’re strong. I used maybe half a medium onion and had some left over.

For the hot version you’ll want mild cheddar cheese slices, enough to cover all 12 sliders without gaps. Melted butter goes on the bun tops and that’s not optional if you want them to taste like something you’d order out. Finely chopped parsley is optional and honestly I skip it half the time because I forget to buy it.

The cold version needs shredded coleslaw blend from a bag and coleslaw dressing to toss it in. Dill pickle slices finish those off, two per slider is about right. Don’t use bread and butter pickles, the sweetness fights with the barbecue sauce in a way that doesn’t work.

How to Make BBQ Chicken Sliders

Mix your cooked shredded chicken with barbecue sauce in a bowl and coat the pieces but don’t turn it into a paste. You want some chunks that stay intact so you get texture when you bite through. I probably used three quarters of a cup of sauce for three cups of chicken but I didn’t measure, I just poured until it looked right.

Arrange the bottom halves of all 12 slider buns in a 9x13 baking dish in a single layer. Save the tops for later and don’t stack anything or the bottoms get soggy. Spread the BBQ chicken across those bottoms in an even layer, then sprinkle your thinly sliced red onions over everything.

If you’re making hot sliders, set your oven to 350°F now. Lay the cheddar slices over the onions and chicken so every slider gets covered completely with no gaps showing through. Put the top buns on and brush melted butter across all of them with a pastry brush or just use a spoon if that’s what you’ve got.

Slide the dish into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You’re looking for melted cheese and buns that show a light golden color on top. I can hear a gentle sizzle when they’re almost done and the edges start browning just slightly, that’s when I check them. Pull them out and scatter finely chopped parsley over the tops if you remembered to buy it, then slice through the whole batch to separate them into individual servings.

For cold sliders skip the oven entirely. Toss your shredded coleslaw blend with the dressing in a separate bowl until everything’s coated and the vegetables look ready to eat. Spoon some coleslaw onto the chicken on each bun bottom, add a few red onion slices and lay down two dill pickle slices. Top with the bun and serve them right away before the slaw makes the bread wet.

What I Did Wrong the First Time

I made the mistake of putting the coleslaw on the hot sliders straight out of the oven and it wilted into this sad warm cabbage situation within about 90 seconds. The heat from the buns cooked it just enough to kill all the crunch and turn the dressing runny, which leaked into the chicken and made everything taste like one mushy thing.

Now I keep the versions separate. Hot gets cheese, cold gets slaw and pickles. Mixing temperatures on a slider recipe doesn’t work the way I thought it would in my head.

BBQ Chicken Sliders Recipe

By Emma

Prep:

10 min

Cook:

20 min

Total:

30 min

Servings:

12 servings

Ingredients

• Cooked shredded chicken
• Barbecue sauce
• 12 slider buns, separated top and bottom halves
• Thinly sliced red onions
• Mild cheddar cheese slices
• Melted butter
• Finely chopped parsley, optional
• Shredded coleslaw blend
• Coleslaw dressing
• Dill pickle slices

Method

1. 1 Mix the cooked shredded chicken with barbecue sauce in a bowl, coating the pieces evenly but keeping some chunks intact for texture.
2. 2 Arrange the bottom halves of the 12 slider buns in a single layer on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Reserve the bun tops for later.
3. 3 Spread a consistent layer of the barbecue chicken over the bottom buns. Sprinkle thinly sliced red onions evenly across the chicken.
4. Hot Sliders
5. 4 Set your oven to 350°F. Lay slices of mild cheddar on top of the onions and BBQ chicken, covering all sliders fully.
6. 5 Cap each slider with its top bun and brush the tops with melted butter to encourage browning. Slide the baking dish into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the buns show a light golden toast. Listen for that gentle sizzle and watch edges brown lightly.
7. 6 Take the sliders out and if you like, scatter finely chopped parsley over the tops before slicing the whole batch into individual servings.
8. Cold Sliders
9. 7 In a separate bowl, toss the shredded coleslaw mix with its dressing until the vegetables are evenly coated and vibrant.
10. 8 To build each cold slider, spoon some coleslaw onto the BBQ chicken, add a few thin red onion slices, and lay down two dill pickle slices on top. Finish with the corresponding bun top and serve immediately for crisp textures and tangy contrasts.

Nutritional information

Calories

293

Protein

19g

Carbs

32g

Fat

9g

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Tips for the Best BBQ Chicken Sliders

Don’t brush the butter on too thick or the tops get greasy instead of toasted. A thin coat is all you need to get that bakery finish without pooling in the corners of your pan.

If your chicken sat in the fridge for a day or two it actually works better than fresh because the meat absorbs the barbecue sauce more evenly when it’s cold. Room temperature chicken just slides around in the bowl and doesn’t grab onto anything.

The slider buns fit tighter in the dish if you arrange them with all the cut sides facing the same direction. I learned this when one row kept sliding apart in the oven and the cheese dripped between the cracks.

Check the bottoms at 18 minutes by lifting one corner with a spatula. If they’re getting dark too fast just tent some foil over the whole dish for the last few minutes. Your oven might run hotter than mine.

For cold sliders, dress the coleslaw about five minutes before you’re ready to serve so it softens just slightly but doesn’t turn into soup. Bone-dry slaw scratches your mouth and overly wet slaw makes the bun fall apart in your hands before you finish eating.

Serving Ideas

Put out both versions on the same platter and let people grab whichever one they want without making it a whole thing. The color difference makes it obvious which is which.

Serve these with potato chips crushed right on top of the slider before the first bite. Sounds stupid but the extra crunch layer makes sense when the chicken’s this soft.

I ate leftover cold sliders for breakfast once and they held up better than I expected. The pickles tasted sharper in the morning and woke me up faster than coffee did.

These work at room temperature too if you’re taking them somewhere in the car. Just don’t let them sit longer than an hour or the buns get sad.

Variations

Swap the cheddar for pepper jack if you want heat that builds slowly instead of hitting you right away. The spice works with barbecue sauce better than I thought it would and the cold version with pepper jack and slaw tastes almost like a taco situation.

Try buffalo sauce instead of barbecue and add ranch dressing to the cold sliders. It’s basically buffalo chicken in slider form and people who don’t like barbecue sauce stop complaining.

Add crispy fried onions on top of the cheese before baking for a texture that crunches even when everything else is soft. I used the kind from a can and they didn’t burn at 350°F as long as I put them on during the last 10 minutes.

Hawaiian rolls work if you can’t find slider buns but they’re sweeter and fight with the barbecue sauce a little. Some people like that contrast and some people think it tastes like dessert chicken.

FAQ

Can I use rotisserie chicken for these sliders?
Yeah, that’s what I’d use if I didn’t have leftovers already. Just pull the meat off and shred it with your hands or two forks. Skip the skin because it doesn’t shred right and gets chewy in a bad way.

How much barbecue sauce do I need for 3 cups of shredded chicken?
I used about three quarters of a cup but it depends on how saucy you want it. Start with half a cup, mix it in and add more if the chicken looks dry or pale.

Can I make these ahead and bake them later?
You can assemble the hot version in the baking dish, cover it with foil and stick it in the fridge for up to 4 hours before baking. Add 5 extra minutes to the bake time if they’re going in cold. Don’t assemble the cold ones ahead or the slaw makes everything wet.

What if I don’t have a 9x13 baking dish?
Any baking dish that fits 12 slider buns in one layer works. I’ve used a large cast iron skillet before and it was fine, just harder to cut them apart at the end.

Do I have to use red onions or can I use white onions?
Red onions are milder and they don’t make people cry as much when you’re slicing them. White onions work but they’re sharper and some people complain they taste too strong on a slider this small.

How do I keep the bun bottoms from getting soggy?
Don’t oversauce the chicken and make sure you’re using thick barbecue sauce, not the thin vinegar kind. If your sauce looks runny, simmer it in a pan for a few minutes until it coats a spoon.

Can I freeze these after baking?
The hot ones freeze okay if you wrap them individually in foil. Reheat them at 300°F for about 15 minutes straight from the freezer. The cold ones don’t freeze at all because the slaw turns into mush.

What’s the best way to reheat leftover hot sliders?
Wrap them in foil and put them in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. Microwave makes the buns rubbery and the cheese separates into this oily layer that doesn’t look right.

How thin should I slice the red onions?
Thin enough that you can almost see through them when you hold a slice up to the light. If they’re too thick they crunch louder than the slaw and that’s all you taste.

Can I use store-bought coleslaw that’s already dressed?
Yeah but taste it first because some store brands are too sweet and that clashes with the BBQ chicken. If it tastes like dessert in the container it’ll taste like dessert on the slider.

Why do my slider tops slide off when I pick them up?
You probably didn’t press them down after you put them on. Push each top into the filling gently before you brush on the butter so they stick a little bit.

How do I know when the cheese is melted enough?
You should see it bubbling slightly around the edges and it’ll look shiny instead of matte. If you pull one slider out and the cheese stretches without breaking it’s ready.

Can I use a different type of cheese?
Mild cheddar melts smooth and doesn’t overpower the barbecue flavor. Sharp cheddar works but it’s tangier and fights with the sauce. American cheese melts even better but some people think it’s too processed looking.

What if I don’t like pickles on the cold version?
Leave them off, but the cold sliders taste flatter without that vinegar bite cutting through the richness. You could try pickled jalapeños if you want heat instead of just sour.

How long do these last in the fridge?
Hot sliders last about 3 days wrapped tight in foil. Cold sliders only last about 24 hours before the slaw wilts and makes the bread wet even if you keep them covered.

Can I make mini versions with even smaller buns?
You’d get more sliders but they’re harder to fill without everything falling out the sides. I tried it once with dinner roll-sized buns and spent half my time chasing chicken off the counter.

Do I need to toast the buns before assembling the cold sliders?
No, cold sliders use soft buns and toasting them makes them too hard to bite through when you add the slaw and pickles. The contrast between soft bread and crunchy vegetables is the whole point.