BBQ Chicken Sliders

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This BBQ chicken sliders recipe is perfect for easy family dinners and serving small crowds at a party. You’ll need a handful of simple ingredients like my instant pot shredded chicken and BBQ chicken rub. This easy chicken sandwich with sweet Hawaiian rolls is ready in about 30 minutes.

Why Make BBQ Chicken Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls

Here are a few reasons why you should make these delicious sliders, and add them to your list of easy recipes:

• Easy recipe with simple ingredients: Making instant pot chicken and assembling the sliders is easy and quick. These mini sandwiches also require simple pantry ingredients.  That said, make this tasty slider recipe for an easy weeknight dinner, a backyard barbecue, or a game day recipe meal.
• Great for family and crowds: Chicken sliders are the perfect party food, are family-friendly, and are convenient for feeding crowds. 
• Saves time: Using an instant pot to cook the shredded chicken is faster compared to a crockpot or slow cooker.

Ingredients Needed

• Hawaiian sweet rolls or mini brioche slider buns
• Garlic butter: I kept this simple by mixing melted butter with garlic powder
• Shredded chicken: I used my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, which includes boneless skinless chicken breasts. But, this recipe would also work well with my Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken which uses boneless skinless chicken thighs. If needed, be sure to warm the chicken in the microwave and drain the excess liquid.
• BBQ chicken rub: I use my homemade brown sugar spice blend since it includes simple pantry ingredients.
• BBQ sauce: Your favorite BBQ sauce from local grocery stores will work
• Coleslaw: I used my easy low-carb keto coleslaw recipe
• Fresh Cilantro: Chopped
• Red Onion: for additional flavor, you can add diced red onion to your bbq chicken sliders.

How To Make Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders

1. Use a serrated knife (bread knife) to cut the pack of Hawaiian rolls in half. Use a basting brush to brush the garlic butter on the inside of the top and bottom half of the slider buns.
2. Preheat a griddle pan to medium-low heat. Toast each half of the bread (face-down) on a griddle pan (for about a minute, depending on how hot your pan is). They should be a beautiful golden brown color when ready.
3. Add the shredded chicken, BBQ chicken rub, and BBQ sauce to a large bowl. Stir and mix to combine. 
4. When ready to serve, layer the BBQ chicken, creamy coleslaw mix, and cilantro over the bottom half of the sweet Hawaiian rolls. Place the top buns (or the top layer of bread) on top of the chicken. Or pull the slider rolls apart and assemble individual sliders.

Recipe Tips & FAQs

• Alternatives for instant pot shredded chicken: You can use instant pot shredded BBQ chicken (just skip the BBQ sauce and rub in this recipe since it’s already included), or you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken to use in place of the shredded chicken that I use in this recipe.
• Store the bread in the refrigerator: I store my bread in the fridge to firm up and take it out right before toasting, which makes the bread easier to cut.
• Assemble sliders when ready to serve: Hawaiian rolls are delicious but can get soggy if allowed to sit with the BBQ chicken mixture and toppings.

FAQs

How to Store Leftover Chicken

If you have any leftovers from the BBQ chicken sliders recipe, the best way to store them is in an airtight container (or in aluminum foil) in the fridge for the next day (up to 3-4 days). You may also freeze them for up to 4 months in a plastic freezer bag. 

More Chicken Party Food

If you’re looking for more chicken treats besides the BBQ sliders, the dishes below are perfect finger foods to serve crowds:

• Pan-fried chicken tenders (no breading)
• Buffalo chicken sliders
• BBQ chicken flatbreads 
• Lemon pepper air fryer wings
• BBQ chicken nachos

BBQ Chicken Sliders

This BBQ chicken sliders recipe is perfect for family dinners and small crowds. Uses simple ingredients like shredded chicken and homemade BBQ rub.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 221 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 Hawaiian rolls or mini brioche slider buns
• ¼ cup Garlic Butter ¼ cup melted butter mixed with ¼ tsp garlic powder can also use this to brush the tops of the buns for final photos so that the bun tops look glossy
• 3 cups shredded chicken leftovers from instant pot shredded chicken, warm the chicken if needed in the microwave and drain off any excess liquid
• 2 tbsp bbq chicken rub click for the recipe
• 2/3 cup BBQ sauce
• 8 oz Coleslaw click for the recipe
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped

Instructions

 

• Use a serrated knife (bread knife) to cut the pack of Hawaiian rolls in half. I typically take my bread right from the refrigerator, which makes the bread easier to cut.
• Use a basting brush to brush the garlic butter on the inside of the top and bottom halves of the bread.
• Preheat a griddle pan to medium-low heat.
• Toast each half of the bread (face-down) on a griddle pan (about 1 minute depending on how hot your pan is)
• Add the shredded chicken, BBQ chicken rub, and BBQ sauce to a mixing bowl. Stir and mix to combine.
• When ready to serve: Add the bottom half of the bread on a baking sheet or serving tray. Layer the BBQ chicken, coleslaw, and cilantro over the bottom half of the bread. Place the top layer of bread on top. OR pull the bread apart and assemble individual sliders.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

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