BBQ Chicken Sliders

Name: BBQ Chicken Sliders
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 12 count Hawaiian sweet rolls; 4 tablespoons butter (softened and divided); 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded (I use a rotisserie chicken)); 3/4 cup honey barbeque sauce (or your favorite); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded ); 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds; cooking spray

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These BBQ chicken pulled chicken sliders pack all the sweet, tangy, cheesy flavor you love in your full-sized BBQ chicken sandwiches into a bite-size package perfect for dinners, parties, or movie night eats.

We've always loved sliders. They're delicious, easy to make, and they're just plain fun to eat. Over the years, we've made all kinds of them, and this chicken version has consistently been the most popular.

This recipes was inspired by our crack chicken sliders and pulled pork sandwiches. We decided to use the same concept to create these BBQ pulled chicken sliders, and everyone has always loved them. They make a great meal when you pair them with these crispy potato skin chips.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Simple Ingredients: You'll only need a handful of basic ingredients to make these sliders.
Easy: It only takes a little mixing, layering, and baking to make these.
Bold Flavor: Shredded chicken, BBQ sauce, cheese, and toasted Hawaiian rolls deliver a big, bold flavor in a small package.
Perfect for Parties: These little sliders make a fun and tasty addition to any party.

Ingredients

This recipe only uses a few simple ingredients you can find in your kitchen or at your local grocery store.

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls: Sweet Hawaiian rolls make the perfect sandwiches or use your favorite buns instead.
Butter Softened and Divided: Butter helps the rolls toast to a golden brown and makes sure the seasonings stick to them.
Shredded Cooked Chicken: This makes the meaty base for the pulled chicken. You can make your own or use a rotisserie chicken.
Honey Barbeque Sauce: This sauce is zesty, sweet, and bold or use your favorite BBQ sauce instead.
Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds even more flavor to the BBQ chicken filling.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese makes the sandwiches cheesy and melty but feel free to add some mozzarella or jack cheese as well or instead of.
White Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds are the classic topping for sandwiches.

See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.

Substitutions and Variations

Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change these bbq pulled chicken sliders

Pork or Beef: Use shredded pork or shredded beef in place of chicken if you like.
Add Bacon: A sprinkling of cooked and crumbled bacon adds smoky flavor.
Make a Sub: Purchase long rolls and make subs instead.
Butter: Use store-bought garlic butter or make your own. Here's the garlic butter recipe I use.
Add Crunch: Add sliced red or purple onion, crispy fried onions, coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage for some crunch or serve on side so eaters can add it to sandwiches if they like.
Switch Sauce: Instead of BBQ sauce use ranch dressing for a change.
Spicy: Add a bit of chili pepper flakes, diced jalapeno pepper, our jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the mixture for a bit of heat. You can also serve up our homemade hot pepper sauce on the table as well.
More Cheese: As soon as you remove sliders from oven add a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese on top.

Use my air fryer rotisserie chicken for this recipe and check out how to carve a rotisserie chicken to ensure optimal amount of meat harvested.

Instructions

This recipe is ready in a flash. Using leftover or rotisserie shredded chicken and store-bought BBQ sauce helps you make this recipe in no time at all!

A clear glass dish containing the rolls cut in half.

Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half and place the bottoms in a prepared baking dish.

Top the rolls with butter.

BBQ sauce covered chicken on top of buttered bread.

Mix the shredded chicken and BBQ sauce, then spread it over the buttered rolls.

Top the BBQ chicken with garlic powder and shredded cheddar cheese.

Add the top buns.

Brush the rolls with melted butter.

Sesame seeds sprinkled on top of melted butter.

Sprinkle the buttered rolls with sesame seeds.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the rolls are toasted.

Hint: To easily cut your rolls, leave them stuck together and cut them all at once with a bread knife or a knife with a serrated edge.

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these honey BBQ crock pot chicken legs and this blackened chicken sandwich. My BBQ meatball sliders are really good too.

Try my Italian sliders recipe and these crack chicken sliders if recipes like this are your thing. You'll also want to try my pizza sliders. They're super delicious too!

Storage

Refrigerate these chicken sliders for a few days for maximum freshness, flavor, and food safety.

Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Freezing these sliders isn't recommended. Freeze any extra chicken mixture in a freezer bag or air tight container for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in fridge when needed.

Reheat: Bake the sliders at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through or microwave them at 30-second intervals until heated through.

Make Ahead: While you can reheat these BBQ pulled chicken sliders, they're never as good as when they're fresh. We don't recommend making them entirely ahead of time. If possible get everything ready in separate containers and prepare as directed when needed.

If making ahead is required, toast buns with the insides facing up before preparing for 10 minutes at 375 degrees or toasty to prevent soggy sandwiches. Also add layer of cheese underneath chicken mixture to help prevent the buns from absorbing sauce as well.

What to Serve with Shredded BBQ Chicken Sliders

Take a look at my hot dog sliders and Sloppy Joe sliders if you're a fan of recipes like this one.

Tips

These sliders are some of the quickest and easiest you'll ever make. So, we only have a few quick tips to help you make them even more easily.

Do not overbake the sliders. Once cheese is melted and top is golden remove from oven.
Serve immediately while warm so bread doesn't harden.
Hawaiian rolls are generally connected to one another in the package which makes slicing the rolls in half quick and easy with a sharp serrated knife.
If you're using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken that's cooled, warm it up a bit before shredding it. Warm meat shreds far more easily than cool meat.

FAQ

Do you have questions about these BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches? These are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe.

What is the easiest way to shred chicken?

Two forks, shredding claws or an electric mixer are both quick and easy ways to shred chicken. Also, be sure your chicken is warm so it shreds easily and evenly.

How do I keep slider buns from getting soggy?

Toast your slider buns before adding the filling and baking them. Toasting the buns creates a physical barrier against the moisture of the slider filling. Also add a layer of cheese underneath chicken mixture and on top to keep excess moisture from making your buns damp.

How do I keep my slider buns from burning?

Sliders are meant to have a golden brown color from toasting as they bake. However, if you feel your buns are getting too dark, simply lay a piece of foil over the buns to slow down the browning process and remove once cheese is melted.

More Chicken Recipes

Do you like chicken? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.