Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders are a crowd-pleasing party food for game day and an easy weeknight meal that's ready in under 30 minutes. Crispy bacon, shredded chicken, and a Parmesan-chive topping baked with melted butter make them extra flavorful. It's one of my favorite chicken bacon ranch recipes!
Chicken Bacon & Ranch Sliders Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Appetizer
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: About 25-30 minutes total, including prep and baking
- 🍴 Servings: 12 sliders
- 🧀 Flavor Profile: Savory, cheesy, smoky, creamy, and buttery with tangy ranch flavor
- 🥗 Best Served With: Chips, fries, pasta salad, coleslaw, or a game day snack spread
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, assemble ahead and refrigerate before baking
Summarize and Save This Content On
I first made these chicken bacon sliders for a potluck, and they disappeared-they were a total hit. The combination of flavor and texture makes each bite irresistible. The shortcut of cooked chicken makes it completely easy to make for a busy weeknight as a filling dinner, too. It's one of my go-to meals when I don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
If you're looking for more chicken bacon ranch recipes, you should try chicken bacon ranch pinwheels and chicken bacon ranch pasta salad.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a kid-approved recipe: If you're making dinner for picky eaters (especially kids), don't worry just like our cowboy sliders! Chicken bacon sliders are loved by all, with the gooey cheese and crisp bacon, and plenty of ranch.
- Cleanup is quick and easy: These bacon chicken ranch sliders are made in one pan, making dinner dishes fast.
- It's completely customizable: You can get creative with all the elements of these sliders, including the dressing and cheese, to make them more your own.
Ingredients
Below are the most important components of these bacon chicken ranch sliders. Plus, they're common kitchen staples that are so easy to find.
- Chicken: Any shredded cooked chicken is great for this chicken bacon ranch slider recipe. Use leftovers from this rotisserie chicken in the air fryer or cast-iron chicken breast.
- Bacon: You can use any variety of bacon that you like. Leftover or freshly cooked work great.
- Ranch: Use your favorite store-bought ranch dressing, or you can make your own. I highly recommend this buttermilk ranch dip or this cottage cheese ranch dip for extra protein.
- Cheese: I like a good melty cheese like Colby Jack for these chicken sliders. However, any shredded cheese is great, including cheddar. I recommend freshly shredded if you can, because it melts better than the prepackaged varieties.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Turkey: Swap the chicken for turkey and make turkey bacon ranch sliders. You can use sliced deli turkey or shredded turkey leftover from this boneless turkey breast.
- Honey mustard: Try this honey mustard mayo instead of ranch for a sweet and tangy version.
- Spicy: Add a spicy twist by using pepper jack cheese, adding sliced jalapenos, or a drizzle of sriracha.
- Gluten-free: Since the filling is naturally gluten-free, just go for gluten-free Hawaiian rolls.
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
Here are the instructions needed to make bacon ranch sliders on Hawaiian rolls. Preheat your oven to 350F and grease your 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Step 1: Start to add layers. Place the bottom buns in the casserole dish, cut side up, brush with some melted butter and bake for 5 minutes. Add a layer of shredded cheese, shredded chicken, a drizzle of ranch dressing and strips of bacon.
Step 2: Add more cheese. Add more shredded cheese on top, if desired.
Step 3: Place the top buns and add butter. Place the tops of the buns over the cheese, and then brush them with melted butter.
Step 4: Bake and garnish. Pop it in the oven and bake the sliders for about 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Finally, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and chives on top before slicing and serving them with Creole smoked potato salad.
Expert Tips
- Bacon must be extra crispy: When cooking the bacon, it needs to be even crispier than you would normally cook it. This keeps it from becoming soggy on the sliders from the ranch dressing.
- Go easy on the ranch: Don't add extra ranch dressing to these chicken bacon sliders. It will make them a soggy mess.
- Tent with foil if needed: If you notice that the top slider buns are browning faster than the cheese is melting, tent them with foil for the remainder of the cooking process so they don't burn.
- Prepare them ahead: Assemble the chicken and bacon sliders up to 24 hours in advance and store them covered in the fridge until 20 minutes before you plan to bake them. Add an extra 5 minutes to the baking time as well.
- Storage directions: Place any leftovers into an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating the leftovers: These are best reheated in a 325°F oven for 10-12 minutes. However, you can reheat them for 30-60 seconds in the microwave or in a 350°F air fryer for 5-6 minutes.
These crack chicken sliders are another delicious slider recipe featuring chicken, bacon, and cheese.
Serving Suggestions
- Fries: If you're making this for dinner, fries are a great side dish. Try baked sweet potato fries and air-fried steak fries.
- Lighter side options: Serve air-fried Brussels sprouts or coleslaw as a light pairing.
- More apps: Prepare some other appetizers to serve with these chicken bacon sliders. Pigs in a blanket, mozzarella sticks, and crockpot spinach artichoke dip.
Chicken Bacon & Ranch Sliders Recipe FAQs
The best way to keep your sliders from becoming soggy is to toast the slider buns before adding the filling, because this will make them sturdier and act as a moisture barrier.
Yes, you can. However, canned chicken has a lot of excess moisture, so it must be drained thoroughly and patted dry with paper towels. This will keep the filling from becoming too wet and mushy.
Sure! Freeze them baked or unbaked in a freezer-safe container or wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months.
If you're serving them as a main course, I would allow 3-4 per person, and if you're serving them as a party appetizer, 2-3 should be adequate. If there are kids involved, allow 1-2 as an app or a meal depending on their ages.
More Easy Slider Recipes
Do you like making sliders for meals or parties? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian slider buns still connected
- 2 cups chicken shredded
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 pounds bacon cooked, halved
- 2 cups Colby Jack cheese shredded, or more if you want to include a second layer on top
- 2 tablespoons butter melted, plus extra for toasting bottom half
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 tablespoons chives chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and and spray a 9 x13 casserole dish lightly with nonstick spray.
- Slice the slider buns in half (keep them connected). Place bottom, cut side up in your prepared casserole dish. Lightly brush with extra melted butter and bake for 5 minutes.
- Carefully layer your ingredients over the bottom buns. Start with the shredded cheese, shredded chicken, drizzled ranch dressing, strips of bacon, more cheese, if desired, and bun tops. Brush your bun tops with melted butter.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are toasted, the cheese is melted and the sliders are heated throughout. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and then chives, immediately after you remove sliders from oven.
- Slice the sliders and serve!
Notes
- If the tops of the slider buns start browning before the cheese fully melts, loosely tent them with foil so they don't burn.
- To keep your sliders from getting soggy, toast the buns before adding the filling. It helps them stay sturdier and creates a barrier against moisture.
- You can use canned chicken, but make sure to drain it really well and pat it dry with paper towels so the filling doesn't turn wet or mushy.
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