Pull-Apart Buffalo Chicken Sliders

These buffalo chicken sliders have all the flavors of wings but in a handheld package! With Hawaiian rolls, saucy chicken, pepper jack, and blue cheese, they’re full of spicy, savory, melty goodness. These are one of my most popular apps for game day, parties, & potlucks!

The thing about chicken wings is that I love them, but 1. they are a two-handed food. How am I supposed to balance a plate, hold a gin and soda, and eat a wing at the same time?! And 2. I guess now I’m covered in sauce for the rest of the party? Like, I need a shower after every chicken wing.

So here’s where I’m at. We put everything into a slider (hand-held!) and save the wings for a party where there’s a seat for everyone and perhaps a plethora of hand wipes. You in?

Like my slow cooker buffalo chicken dip and buffalo chicken pinwheels, these little sandwiches have everything I love about wings (sauce, ranch, blue cheese!). But, they also have pepper jack cheese for extra meltiness and spice. Of course, you can definitely use rotisserie or canned chicken, but I like to use a quick shredded chicken hack that I learned in culinary school. Everything comes together on the stove and you can add extra seasonings for extra flavor! But more on this later.

The sliders are also made on one pack of Hawaiian rolls for easy slicing and serving. I like to serve them at parties (or for game day!) with other grab-and-go snacks like little smokies in a blanket or spicy ranch snack mix. But if you wanted to make them for lunch with potato chips or pasta salad, you totally could!

Stovetop shredded chicken

This is an optional step, cause you could totally buy pre-shredded chicken. But typically, I just make my own on the stove cause it only takes an extra 15-20 minutes. Here’s how I learned how to make it in culinary school for tender chicken with crispy, caramelized bits!

1. Start by seasoning boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs with lots of salt and pepper. Then, sear the chicken on each side until it has a nice golden-brown crust.
2. Add some seasonings (I like ranch seasoning!) and low-sodium chicken broth. Bring it to a simmer and partially cover the the pot. Simmer until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
3. Then, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

You can also cook the chicken in the slow cooker! Add the chicken, ranch seasoning, broth, and water to a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. Shred the chicken and discard any leftover juices.

Canned or rotisserie chicken

If you don’t want to make your own chicken, you can definitely use rotisserie or canned chicken instead! Just make sure to remove any skin and bones if you’re using rotisserie. Other than that, you’ll need buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, brown sugar, savory butter Hawaiian rolls, shredded pepper jack cheese, crumbled blue cheese, salted butter, black pepper, garlic powder, and fresh chives.

Substitutions & variations

• Rolls – if you like the sweet Hawaiian rolls better, that’s totally fine! Or, you can use any dinner rolls you like. These garlic butter dinner rolls would be incredible!
• Cheese – any melty cheese will work here. If you don’t like spice, try shredded cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey jack, etc. And if you’re not a fan of blue cheese, just replace it with more melty cheese!
• Butter topping – I like a mix of salted butter, pepper, garlic powder, and chives. But you can use any mix of herbs, spices, etc. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch or two of salt!

Make the sliders in the oven

1. Add the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl.
2. Toss the filling until it’s fully mixed together and there are no more streaks of ranch or buffalo sauce.
3. Then, cut the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, keeping the tops and bottoms intact.

Try to cut the rolls as evenly as possible but it doesn’t have to be perfect! I like to use a sharp bread knife which makes it so much easier. Keep the knife as parallel to the counter as possible for even slicing.

4. Place the bottom half of the rolls on a sheet pan. Spoon the chicken filling evenly over the top.
5. Next, spread the shredded pepper jack and blue cheese crumbles over the chicken.
6. Add the top half of the rolls. Mix the melted butter, black pepper, and garlic powder. Then, brush it over the rolls.

Make sure everything is evenly layered or the filling won’t heat through evenly. Just spread everything out as well as you can!

7. Cover the sliders with foil. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 16-20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 3-4 more minutes.
8. Garnish the sliders with a sprinkle of fresh chives.
9. Lastly, let the sliders sit for 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

You want to bake the sliders uncovered until the tops of the rolls are golden-brown. Don’t over-bake or the rolls will dry out and become crusty instead of soft!

Side dish ideas

I usually serve hot chicken sliders with other appetizers like cheesy loaded waffle fries or crispy frizzled onions! I also like to have some carrots, celery, ranch, and blue cheese on the side for wing vibes. But they’d also make a nice lunch situation. Try serving the sliders with kale and apple slaw, antipasto tortellini salad, or smashed fingerling potatoes!

For a little crunch, you can layer the sliders with lettuce, tomato, onion, or coleslaw. Just add it after you take the sliders out of the oven!

How to store & reheat

Any leftover sliders can be stored in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

When you’re ready to reheat the sliders, I would definitely recommend using the oven to re-crisp the bread a bit! Just cover the sliders with foil and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 16-20 minutes, until the centers reach 165°F (74°C).

In a pinch, a microwave will also work! Microwave the sliders for 1-2 minutes, until they’re hot in the centers.

Spice level

If you’re sensitive to spice, I would definitely recommend getting mild buffalo sauce and replacing the pepper jack cheese with cheddar or Monterey jack. Or, if you like spicier sliders, get the extra hot buffalo sauce! You can also add a little cayenne to the filling.

Double the recipe

This recipe makes 12 sliders which is usually enough for 6 people, especially if you’re serving other apps on the side. If you want to double the recipe, you can place two packages of sliders side-by-side in a 9×13 pan. You may just need to add 3-4 minutes to the cook time so they get hot in the centers.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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