Easy BBQ Chicken Sliders are the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer, featuring tender slow-cooked pulled chicken tossed in a bold BBQ sauce and topped with melty cheddar cheese. But the real star is the savory parmesan garlic butter glaze that gets brushed over soft brioche buns!
Perfect for game day, parties, backyard barbecues and more, these finger-licking good sliders always disappear fast!
No party is complete without these delicious pulled chicken sliders.
That's because this recipe uses my legendary Crockpot Dr Pepper Chicken, a sweet and tangy, pulled chicken slow cooker recipe with bold BBQ flavor and a can of Dr Pepper.
Whether you use my signature recipe or a quick rotisserie chicken, these cheesy sliders come together in minutes. They are the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory, making them a go-to easy weeknight meal or a hit at your next backyard barbecue.
This BBQ chicken sliders recipe features melty cheddar cheese on both the top and bottom of the rolls for an extra cheesy, gooey bite. We use soft brioche slider buns for a buttery finish, but the real secret is the parmesan garlic butter glaze schmeared on top—it’s always a crowd favorite and gets rave reviews!
These bold and tangy, savory sliders are just what your tailgate has been missing. Don't forget to serve it with Carrot Slaw or Zucchini Slaw and Refrigerator Dill Pickles for the ultimate mini sandwich experience!
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🥘Ingredients
- Brioche slider buns- our favorite for this recipe because of the soft and flaky, buttery dough; they also hold up better with the saucy chicken; I use Pepperidge Farm
- pulled BBQ chicken- shredded, savory, and saucy, my easy Dr Pepper chicken is perfect for this sliders recipe; it's best to use leftover/cold BBQ chicken so the cheese doesn't melt before baking in the oven
- cheddar cheese- buy pre-sliced sandwich size for convenience; I like orange cheddar for the color contrast
- fresh red onion- dice it or slice it for added flavor and crunch
- butter, garlic, basil, & freshly grated parmesan- for the savory and flavorful butter glaze topping
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪How to make BBQ Chicken Sliders
- Step 1: Toast slider bottoms, then arrange in prepared pan; top each with ½ slice of cheese.
- Step 2: Place BBQ chicken over the cheese, followed by the onion; top each slider with another ½ slice of cheese.
- Step 3: Place slider tops on the sandwiches. Make the garlic butter glaze and brush it on top.
- Step 4: Cover with tented foil and bake in the oven. Serve warm.
For step-by-step instructions, see the recipe card below.
Hint: Line your baking pan with parchment paper for easy serving and clean up!
🥣Substitutions
- Chicken - you can use cooled rotisserie chicken and ¾ cup of bottled BBQ sauce instead
- Bun - sweet Hawaiian rolls are very popular in sliders recipes; if you use them instead, keep in mind they're a little smaller than Brioche slider buns and tend to get soggier faster
- Garlic - two cloves of minced garlic can be used instead of garlic powder
- Cheese - instead of cheddar, try using pepper jack cheese for a spicy kick
📖Variations
- With bacon - add four strips of crisp bacon to the sliders when you add the onion
- Deluxe - top each slider with Carrot Slaw or Zucchini Slaw before serving
- Kid friendly - add crushed kettle chips or crispy onions before serving
See Ham and Swiss Cheese Sliders and Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sliders for more tasty mini sandwiches!
🍽Equipment
- cookie sheet (for toasting slider bottoms)
- 13x9 baking pan (lined with parchment paper for easier cleanup)
- cutting board and chef's knife
- cheese grater
- small saucepan
- pastry brush
🍶Storage
Store shredded BBQ chicken sliders in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within 3 days. The longer the sliders sit, the soggier they will get.
I don't recommend freezing this sliders recipe because the bread will be very soggy after defrosting.
💭Top tip
When you're dealing with saucy sliders, some slider bun sogginess is inevitable. But you can greatly reduce that by toasting the slider bottoms before assembling.
Lightly toast them in the oven for 5 minutes at 350°F. This step is especially important if you don't plan on baking the sliders right away (though they should be baked within 1 hour of assembling, regardless).
🗨️BBQ Chicken Sliders FAQ
Use a slow cooker on low or keep sliders, loosely covered with foil, in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve (no more than 20-30 minutes).
According to the USDA, baked sliders can sit out for 2 hours before having to be refrigerated.
A few of our favorites are Macaroni Salad, Carrot Slaw or Zucchini Slaw, Refrigerator Dill Pickles, and Cucumber Sour Cream Salad.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are some of my favorite dishes to serve with this BBQ Chicken Sliders recipe:
📋Recipe with step-by-step instructions
Easy BBQ Chicken Sliders (With Garlic Butter Glaze)
Equipment
- large cookie sheet (for toasting rolls)
- 13x9 casserole dish (lined with parchment paper for easy clean up)
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- small microwave-safe bowl OR small saucepan
- pastry brush
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 12 Brioche slider buns I use Pepperidge Farm
- 12 slices (sandwich size) cheddar cheese, divided buy pre-packaged for convenience
- 3 cups cold pulled Dr Pepper chicken OR use cold rotisserie + ¾ cup your favorite BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup red onion diced or sliced into thin rings
- ½ stick (4 T) butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Separate slider buns and then separate the tops from the bottoms. Place slider bottoms, insides facing up, on a cookie sheet. Toast for 5 minutes ONLY in the preheated oven; promptly remove, but keep oven on.
- Allow slider bottoms to slightly cool; then transfer to prepared 13x9 pan.
- Arrange 6 slices of cheddar cheese over the 12 slider bottoms (each slider will get ½ a slice).
- Top with cold Dr Pepper chicken (if using plain rotisserie, mix with BBQ sauce before adding). Distribute onion over chicken.
- Top the onion and chicken with the remaining 6 slices of cheddar (each slider will get another ½ a slice); then put the slider tops on.
- Melt butter in microwave or in small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in garlic powder, basil, and parmesan. Using a pastry brush, spread this mixture over the slider tops.
- Cover sliders with loosely tented foil; bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through and cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.
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