These BBQ Chicken Sliders are piled high with saucy shredded chicken and buttery toasted Hawaiian rolls for an easy crowd-pleasing meal. Finished with a bright cilantro lime slaw, they’re the perfect balance of smoky, creamy, and fresh in every bite.
This is the kind of recipe I make when I want something fun and a little indulgent without spending too much time in the kitchen. They come together fast, feed a hungry group, and are perfect for game day, casual get togethers, or a laid back weeknight dinner. If you love bold flavors and food you can eat with your hands, these sliders are about to be on repeat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls sliced in half horizontally
Chicken
- ½ tbsp oil
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- 3 cup shredded chicken cooked
Topping
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Slaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp coarse ground pepper
How to Make BBQ Chicken Sliders
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 4-5 minutes or until softened and starting to get some char. Add the BBQ sauce and chicken, and use tongs to combine everything nicely. Reduce the heat and warm for 5-7 minutes. Don’t heat too much, just until everything is warm. Remove from heat.
3. While the mixture warms up, in a small bowl whisk together the melted butter and garlic salt.
Assemble
1. Place the bottom half of the sliders in the baking dish. Layer the BBQ chicken on top evenly followed by the top. Brush the top with the garlic butter generously.
2. Bake for 15-20 minutes covered with foil or until the tops are toasted.
3. While the sliders bake, make the slaw by mixing all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
4. Remove the sliders from the oven and gently remove the top half of the bun. Top with the slaw and place the top of the buns back on. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve warm.
BBQ Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls sliced in half horizontally
Chicken
- ½ tbsp oil
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- 3 cup shredded chicken cooked
Topping
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Slaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp coarse ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 4-5 minutes or until softened and starting to get some char. Add the BBQ sauce and chicken, and use tongs to combine everything nicely. Reduce the heat and warm for 5-7 minutes. Don’t heat too much, just until everything is warm. Remove from heat.
- While the mixture warms up, in a small bowl whisk together the melted butter and garlic salt.
Assemble
- Place the bottom half of the sliders in the baking dish. Layer the BBQ chicken on top evenly followed by the top. Brush the top with the garlic butter generously.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes covered with foil or until the tops are toasted.
- While the sliders bake, make the slaw by mixing all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Remove the sliders from the oven and gently remove the top half of the bun. Top with the slaw and place the top of the buns back on. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Leftover chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe.
- You can use chopped chicken or shredded chicken.
- If you use normal table or sea salt, use half the amount.
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce, I recommend a thick and sticky one. If you use a runnier sauce it won’t work well and the buns will get soggier faster.
- These sliders won’t keep well. They will become soggy. If you know you can’t eat 12 sliders, I’d recommend halving the recipe or saving half of the meat mixture and half the slaw to make a second 6 sliders a different day. Simply only bake 2 rows of 3 buns.
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