BBQ Chicken Sliders

Can I just say that I absolutely adore this recipe?! I came up with this BBQ chicken sliders recipe when I had about 20 minutes to make dinner and didn’t have much stocked in the pantry.

It came out SO good, I decided to recreate it and put it on the blog! 

What I love about this sliders recipe is that it is PACKED with flavor and uses simple ingredients.

It starts with bacon, rotisserie chicken, your favorite BBQ sauce (I use sweet baby ray’s), and a few seasonings. Mix it all together, top with cheddar cheese, red onion, and sandwich it all between sweet Hawaiian rolls and douse in garlic butter. Wooweee, when I tell ya’ll this recipe is the BEST, I truly mean it! 

Why This Recipe Works

Packed with flavor! Between the saucy chicken mixture and garlic butter on the tops of the rolls, this recipe has a balance of sweet and savory BBQ flavor in every bite. You’ll never want to make another BBQ chicken slider recipe again! 

Crowd pleaser! This is the perfect game day recipe, easy weeknight dinner, backyard barbecue recipe – even birthday parties. The cut little sandwiches are the perfect finger food. 

Quick and Easy to make! These delicious sliders are always a hit because not only are they incredibly tasty, they’re SO easy to make. These are ready in 30 minutes flat!

Minimal prep time and cooking involved! This easy chicken sliders recipe only calls for about 15 minutes of active cooking make it ideal for a busy weeknight.

(full list of ingredients in the recipe card)

• Rotisserie Chicken – we’re making this already easy recipe even easier by using cooked chicken. Simply cut the chicken up into bite sized chunks and add to the BBQ sauce. So simple and quick!
• King’s Hawaiian Rolls – the sweet rolls are the perfect rolls for the chicken sliders. The subtle sweet flavor goes really well with the barbecue sauce. 
• Seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, and poultry seasoning to add flavor to the rotisserie chicken filling.
• Barbecue Sauce – use your favorite BBQ sauce, or even a homemade BBQ sauce like my honey BBQ sauce. The key to a good slider is a delicious sauce, 
• Worcestershire Sauce – to add a little tangy flavor! 
• Cheddar Cheese – you can also use pepper jack cheese for a little spicy flavor. 
• Red Onion – simply dice up the onions and place them on top of the bbq chicken mixture. 
• Parsley – for a little color and herby flavor. You can also use cilantro if you want a stronger flavor.

Garlic Butter Ingredients

• Melted Butter – I used salted butter but you can use unsalted if you want. Just add a pinch of salt. 
• Fresh Garlic – I saw a meme that said “heavy is the hand that adds the garlic” and it’s so true. We use about 4 garlic cloves here and it’s worth every bite.
• Parsley – for a pop of color and flavor! 
• Parmesan Cheese – try to use freshly grated if you can! 

Variations 

• Use a different cheese – smoked gouda cheese, havarti cheese, or pepper jack cheese are all great to use here. Any melty cheese works well. 
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders – sub out bbq sauce for ranch dressing. You can make your own homemade ranch like I did with my cajun shrimp tacos. 
• Add coleslaw mix on top – I did this with my pulled pork sliders and it was delicious!
• If you don’t have chicken, you can use roast beef like how I did with my roast beef sliders! 

How to make BBQ Chicken Sliders 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add a skillet to the stove over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Allow the bacon to crisp up, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon bits and place onto a paper towel.

Step 2: Add chopped rotisserie chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, and poultry seasoning to the skillet (do not drain the bacon grease). Mix everything together and add the barbecue sauce and worcestershire sauce. Remove from the heat.

Step 3: Cut the slider buns in half and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet with the inside of the buns facing up. Add half of the cheese to both sides of the bread.

Step 4: Add the chicken mixture in an even layer, then add diced red onion and parsley on top of the chicken layer, then add the remaining cheese on top.

Step 5: Make the garlic butter by combining melted butter, garlic, parsley, and grated parmesan in a bowl. Mix together until combined. 

Step 6: Place the top of the rolls on top of the filling. Then use a brush or spoon to coat the tops of the rolls in the garlic butter. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Foolproof Tips

• Toast the buns prior to adding the filling to prevent the bread from becoming soggy! Cut the buns in half with the insides facing up and place in the oven (see the recipe card for full instructions).
• Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This makes it easier to remove the sliders from the sheet to serve. 
• If you want to make your own shredded chicken, I recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. 

What to Serve with Chicken Sliders

BBQ chicken sliders pair well with classic sides like baked potato, stone fruit salad, !

For a more traditional BBQ feel, serve with coleslaw, baked beans, spicy deviled eggs, corn on the cob, then pour yourself a glass of Peach Sweet Tea.

If you’re a barbecue sauce lover like me, serve with some BBQ sauce on the side to use as a dip 🙂

Storing, Reheating, and Making Ahead

Storing: Barbecue Chicken sliders are best served fresh. However, you can store leftover sliders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the texture of the buns may change the longer the buns sit. 

Reheating: To reheat sliders, wrap them in aluminum foil and place them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. Alternatively, you can microwave them on a microwave-safe plate for 1-2 minutes, covered with a damp paper towel to keep them moist.

Making Ahead: I recommend doing this if serving in about an hour. Once the oven is preheated, cut the slider buns in half and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet with the inside of the buns facing up. Toast the buns for 5 minutes. If serving the next day, prepare the filling and garlic butter and store separately in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator and then assemble the buns as per the recipe instructions.