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.
Equipment
- Deep 9x13 pan or a baking sheet with a lip around the edge
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic pressed, divided
- 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 5 Tablespoons BBQ rub divided
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1½ cups ketchup
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar or Splenda brown sugar substitute
- 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoon Frank's RedHot Sauce or hot sauce of your choice, optional
- 12 Hawaiian slider rolls
- 14 ounces cheddar cheese sliced
- 3 medium Tomatoes sliced
- 12 Pineapple rings fresh not canned
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken or pork on both sides with BBQ rub. Place in skillet and cook until nearly done.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour prepared BBQ sauce over shredded meat and veggies and blend well.
- 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 baking dish.
- 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.
- Melt 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.)
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are golden brown and toasted.
- Allow sliders to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cut apart and serve hot with a side of baked pineapple casserole or crispy sweet potato fries.
Notes
To make this recipe really quick and easy, follow these instructions:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Then, proceed with step 6, where you cut the rolls in half and put them in the casserole dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 715mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1596IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 341mg | Iron: 4mg
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