Smoky BBQ Chicken Sliders

These BBQ chicken sliders with King's Hawaiian rolls bake up sweet, soft, and wonderfully saucy using shredded or rotisserie chicken mixed with a simple barbecue sauce. They make the best mini sliders for quick dinner ideas or a party appetizer that's easy to pull together on a busy night. You'll get a BBQ pulled chicken sliders recipe with helpful tips to keep everything fast, simple, and full of flavor. Pin this recipe now so you always have a crowd-pleasing option when you need something easy and delicious.

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Why this is the best smoky BBQ chicken slider recipe

This smoky BBQ chicken slider recipe is absolutely delicious! The combination of juicy, shredded chicken with a BBQ rub, sauteed veggies, a homemade BBQ sauce, and a hint of garlic on a toasty slider bun makes for a quick, flavorful dinner! Every bite is filled with scrumptious flavor; these sliders will delight both kids and adults alike. No one will want to stop at one!

This is a quick and easy dinner, appetizer, or potluck recipe. Start with shredded chicken (store-bought rotisserie chicken makes this recipe even quicker), add homemade BBQ sauce (easier than it sounds!), add a few veggies, stuff it all into garlic buttered-topped slider rolls, and bake. That's all there is to it!

The ingredients for the dish are common and easy to find. You likely already have most of the simple ingredients for this easy BBQ slider recipe in your pantry. If you need an ingredient or two, you can easily find them in most local grocery stores or on Amazon!

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This BBQ slider recipe tastes amazing! These BBQ chicken sliders are flavorful on their own, but add a side of baked pineapple casserole or crispy sweet potato fries, and they make a satisfying meal!

This recipe is allergy-friendly and great for special diets. As written, this simple recipe can be gluten-free (find your favorite mini GF buns), egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free. It does include cheddar cheese and butter, so if you have a dairy allergy, replace those with your favorite dairy-free butter and cheese. Slider buns are high in carbs, so they are probably not appropriate for a keto diet, but they are generally okay for bariatric diets.

What you'll need to make BBQ chicken sliders with King's Hawaiian rolls

Equipment

• Chicken shredder - This is a weird-looking gadget that I use at least three times a week. You put your (preferably warm or hot) cooked chicken in the thing, twist it a few times, and it comes out shredded. It's so much easier and quicker than doing it with forks.
• Garlic press - This is my favorite method for mincing garlic. If you don't have a garlic press, use the flat part of your chef's knife to smash the clove, then remove the papery skin and mince the garlic as fine as possible with the sharp edge.
• Deep 9x13 pan or a baking sheet with a lip around the edge - To bake the sliders and toast the rolls.
• Basting brush - To brush the melted garlic butter over the tops of the rolls.

Ingredients  

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• olive oil - This is to sauté the vegetables. You can use any neutral oil.
• garlic - You're going to put garlic in the chicken and veggies mixture that will make the filling of the sliders, but you'll also put some in melted butter to brush on the tops of the rolls.
• boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs - I typically either buy breast tenders or I cut the breasts into 1-inch strips before cooking. But you can also use thighs or even a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Whatever you're using should be shredded or finely chopped.
• BBQ rub - I make this from scratch using the recipe linked here. You will use it several times through the recipe.
• onion - This needs to be sliced or diced, as you prefer. You will sauté it with the chicken and use it to stuff the sliders.
• red bell pepper - Same as the onions. The red looks pretty with the other ingredients, but you can use any sweet bell pepper, including yellow, green, or orange.
• ketchup - This is the foundation of the homemade BBQ sauce.
• brown sugar or Splenda brown sugar substitute - Brown sugar is made by mixing molasses with white sugar. You need the molasses in this recipe to get that BBQ sauce flavor you're looking for.
• apple cider vinegar - BBQ sauce needs vinegar, but it doesn't have to be apple cider vinegar. You could use any style of vinegar.
• Frank's RedHot Sauce or hot sauce of your choice, optional - I love Frank's and always have, so that's the hot sauce I use exclusively. You can use any hot sauce or none at all.
• King's Hawaiian slider rolls - Hawaiian rolls are a little bit sweet which complements the BBQ sauce and pineapple perfectly.
• sliced cheddar cheese - I use sharp cheddar, but you can use any cheddar or even a colby jack or pepper jack.
• Sliced tomatoes - I personally don't like tomatoes and don't put them on my own sandwich (or I pick them off). But most people do like them, and they make a nice addition to this recipe (or so I'm told).
• Pineapple rings - You can use canned, but fresh tastes so much better in this recipe. If you don't have a pineapple cutter (which I do not), you can either use a chef's knife to slice the skin off or buy the pineapple already cut in the produce area of the grocery store.
• melted butter - You're going to mix this with freshly pressed garlic and brush it on the tops of the rolls before baking.
• Italian seasoning - Hear me out. Italian seasoning sounds weird with BBQ sauce, but it really works! If you don't think you'll like it, you can leave it out and just do the garlic butter, but the Italian seasoning adds something nice.

How to make BBQ pulled chicken sliders

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line your baking dish with parchment for easier clean-up.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with BBQ rub. Place in skillet and cook until nearly done.
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3. Add 4 cloves of garlic (pressed), onion, and pepper to the skillet and cook until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Remove the chicken from the vegetables and use a chicken shredder (or two forks) to shred it.
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4. In a small saucepan, combine ketchup, brown sugar, 1½ tablespoons BBQ rub, vinegar, and hot sauce (if using). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; remove from heat.
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5. Pour prepared BBQ sauce over shredded meat and veggies and mix well.
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6. Remove rolls from the package. Slice the rolls in half (this is easiest to do while they're all still attached).  Place the bottom half of the rolls in the prepared baking dish.
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7. Top the rolls with half of the cheese, then the chicken mixture. Top each roll with a ring of fresh pineapple and a slice of tomato, then the other half of the cheese, then place the top half of the cut rolls on top. 
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8. Melt the butter in a small bowl and add Italian seasoning and 4 cloves of garlic (pressed). Stir together. Brush the tops of the buns with butter mixture and allow the extra to soak into the bottoms. (It will make them crispy.)
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9. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are golden brown and toasted.
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10. Allow sliders to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cut apart (you can't pull them apart because of the pineapple and tomatoes; they will have to be cut). Serve hot with additional homemade BBQ sauce and a side of baked pineapple casserole or crispy sweet potato fries.
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Substitutions & variations

I love BBQ, and this recipe doesn't disappoint. It's great as sliders with pineapple slices, but it would also be delicious over rice or pasta or even over mashed potatoes.

You can use any style of cheese, including sharp cheddar (my preference), colby jack, monterey jack, pepper jack, Swiss, or even American.

The homemade BBQ sauce is well worth the time it takes to make, but if you're in a rush and don't want to make your own BBQ sauce, replace it with 2 cups of your favorite commercial BBQ sauce. I like Sweet Baby Ray's mixed with Frank's RedHot, but please use your own favorite brand of both.

I didn't suggest raw onions on the sliders because we cooked onions with the chicken. But if you really like the flavor of raw onions, you could slice a red onion and put that on the sliders with the tomatoes and pineapple.

If you have a super picky kid who won't eat onions and peppers (I have one of these), you can leave them out of the chicken mixture. You'll miss the flavor, but if it means everyone will eat the meal, do what you need to do! (But trust me, they do group up, and you will someday be able to eat onions and peppers again.)

You need the BBQ rub in the homemade BBQ sauce, but if you want to try a different flavor, replace the BBQ rub in the chicken mixture with cajun seasoning instead. Cajun seasoning is spicy and has a deep flavor that pairs well with the sweetness of the BBQ sauce.

You can make these sliders with pulled pork instead of shredded chicken. Follow the instructions below for starting with pre-cooked meat.

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An Easy Shortcut for a 15 Minute Meal

To make this recipe really quick and easy, follow these instructions:

1. Shred 2½ pounds leftover chicken breasts or thighs (or rotisserie chicken). It is easier to shred warm chicken, so if it was refrigerated, you might want to warm it a little in the microwave or in a skillet.
2. Sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil until soft. Stir in garlic, cook until you can smell the garlic. Add the shredded chicken and 2-3 tablespoons of BBQ rub. Mix it all up well in the skillet and cook until the chicken is heated through. 
3. Stir 1½ tablespoons of Frank's RedHot sauce or your favorite hot sauce with 2-ish cups of your favorite BBQ sauce. (I like Sweet Baby Ray's Original.) Taste and adjust the hot sauce if you want it to be spicier.
4. Then, proceed with step 6, where you cut the rolls in half and put them in the casserole dish.

Storing leftovers

Refrigerator: If you want to store them assembled, wrap each slider tightly in foil or place them in an airtight container.

Separated: If you want fresher buns, store the chicken in one container and the buns in a separate zip-lock bag. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Wrap each slider individually in foil. Place in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Reheat in an air fryer with the foil still on at 300°F for 10-12 minutes. Then unwrap and heat for 1-2 more minutes to crisp the buns.

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Check out more delicious hot sandwich recipes

• French Dip Sliders
• Hawaiian Burgers on the Stove
• Grilled BBQ Hamburgers
• Air Fryer Burgers Taco-Style
• Homemade Black and Blue Cheese Burgers
• Old School Pizza Burgers Recipe
• Air Fryer Ground Turkey Burgers Recipe
• Chili Burgers

And try these 26 Easy Super Bowl Appetizers

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