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Chicken sliders with shredded chicken and red cabbage are nestled in soft buns, topped with sesame and poppy seeds, all perfectly arranged in a baking dish.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

Kristen Stevens
By: Kristen Stevens
Updated: 06/06/2025
5 stars (1 rating)
6 Comments
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Is it even a party if there isn’t BBQ chicken sliders to enjoy?! I make these whenever we host a game day or when I want to serve a delicious meal with minimal effort. Despite their ease, they are sure to disappear, leaving behind happy faces. Let me show you the most foolproof way to make these bangin’ BBQ chicken sliders with a few pro tips!

Chicken sliders with shredded chicken and red cabbage are nestled in soft buns, topped with sesame and poppy seeds, all perfectly arranged in a baking dish.
Tender, shredded chicken covered in sweet BBQ sauce and piled high in soft slider buns with chipotle mayo and coleslaw are too good to resist.

For those nights when I want to serve something delicious but don’t feel like spending time in the kitchen, I whip up these BBQ chicken sliders. They are my go-to crowd pleaser that I come back to again and again. They hit all the right notes but come together in a flash. Whether it’s for game day, a casual dinner, or a laid-back gathering, these sliders are sure to be a hit.

Key ingredients

These BBQ chicken sliders are unpretentious – just downright, delicious sliders made from all-familiar ingredients! This is what you need:

  • BBQ chicken: You can either use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, shredding it and mixing BBQ sauce through the shreds. If you’re cooking the chicken up for this recipe, use boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt and pepper, olive oil, chicken broth, and barbecue sauce. Chicken thighs will work, too.
  • Other ingredients: Hawaiian dinner rolls, chipotle mayo, coleslaw, butter, and bagel seasoning.
Ingredients for chicken sliders are beautifully arranged: raw chicken breasts on a wooden board, slider buns ready to fill, shredded coleslaw, oil, butter, barbecue sauce, broth, and a dash of salt and pepper all set elegantly on a pristine white surface.
These chicken sliders are made with familiar ingredients, and you may already have most of what you need on hand.

Store and reheat

Storage: It’s best to store the elements separately in containers in the refrigerator. If you have leftovers, they will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Reheat: Assemble and bake as directed. If they’re already made, transfer them to a baking dish and pop them back in the oven until warmed through.

Freeze: Store in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months. Reheat until warmed through. The bread’s texture may change a little, but it’ll still be great!

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5 stars (1 rating)
Chicken sliders with shredded chicken and red cabbage are nestled in soft buns, topped with sesame and poppy seeds, all perfectly arranged in a baking dish.

BBQ Chicken Sliders Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
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Recipe video above. These BBQ Chicken Sliders are based on my popular Pulled Pork Sliders recipe. Soft Hawaiian rolls are slathered in chipotle mayo then topped with shredded BBQ chicken and coleslaw. Dig in when they're warm out of the oven!
12

Ingredients

BBQ Chicken

Sliders

Instructions 

Make Shredded Chicken

  • Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is golden.
    4 medium chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
    image for recipe instruction: Four seasoned chicken breasts sizzle in a round pan with oil on a white marble surface, perfect for crafting mouthwatering chicken sliders.
  • Pour the chicken broth into the pan and cover with a lid – see notes for options if you don't have a lid. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes, until it reaches an reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup chicken broth
    image for recipe instruction: Four seasoned chicken breasts simmer in a yellow broth, destined to be the delectable filling for savory chicken sliders, all within a black-handled pot on a white marble surface.
  • Drain the remaining liquid from the pan and then shred the chicken (you can do this in the pan) using two forks. Pour the BBQ sauce over the top and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    ¾ cup BBQ sauce
    image for recipe instruction: A pot brimming with shredded chicken seasoned with spices, perfect for making delicious chicken sliders, rests gracefully on a marble surface.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a serrated knife, cut the rolls in half so that you have two large pieces.
    12 Hawaiian dinner rolls
    image for recipe instruction: Person slicing a group of twelve soft brown rolls, perfect for chicken sliders, on a white cutting board with a black-handled knife.
  • Place the bun bottoms in a 9×11-inch baking dish. Spread the mayo on both sides of the rolls and then top with the BBQ chicken and the coleslaw. Place the bun tops on the sliders.
    ¾ cup chipotle mayo, 2 cups coleslaw
    image for recipe instruction: Assembling savory chicken sliders in a casserole dish with shredded cabbage and chipotle mayo sits on a white marble surface.
  • Melt the butter in a small dish and mix in the bagel seasoning. Brush this over the top of the sliders. Cover with foil and then bake for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes, until the sliders are warm.
    1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons bagel seasoning
    image for recipe instruction: A white baking dish holds evenly spaced chicken sliders, perfectly baked and topped with sesame seeds and seasoning.

Notes

Shredded chicken: This is a great recipe to use leftover cooked chicken! You’ll need about 4 cups for this recipe. 
Lid for pan: If your frying pan does not have a lid, you can use a cutting board, a round baking sheet, or even some aluminum foil. Anything that traps most of the steam will work.
Coleslaw: We make a simple coleslaw with thinly sliced purple and green cabbage and grated carrot tossed in a little olive oil. You can buy bagged coleslaw if you’d like or use one of our many coleslaw recipes. 
Chipotle mayo: I like a very saucy amount of mayo on these sliders. Feel free to use less if you’d prefer!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slider, Calories: 319kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 28g (9%), Protein: 12g (24%), Fat: 18g (28%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 33mg (11%), Sodium: 765mg (33%), Potassium: 257mg (7%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 7g (8%), Vitamin A: 101IU (2%), Vitamin C: 5mg (6%), Calcium: 90mg (9%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

Close-up of chicken sliders packed with shredded chicken, coleslaw, and carrots, all topped with poppy seeds on freshly baked buns.
These sliders are fun to put out at a party, and they always disappear from the serving plate quickly.
A hand holding a delicious chicken slider with shredded meat and coleslaw, all nestled perfectly on a seeded bun.
They are also delicious (and fun!) to make for dinner. Their small size makes them perfect for young children.

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Kristen Stevens

Kristen Stevens

Hi, I'm Kristen! I LOVE everything to do with food: making it, taking pictures of it, and (the best part) eating it. ♡♡♡

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Posted: 05/05/2025 Updated: 06/06/2025
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Dana

5 stars
THE BEST SLIDERS! The flavors are perfection. My husband, our two littles, and I crave these sandwiches! I’ve also made them for a few gatherings now and they always get rave reviews.

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Kristen Stevens

That makes me so happy to hear! 🥰 When the whole family craves them and they’re a hit at gatherings, that’s the dream. I’m so glad the flavors hit the mark for you — thanks so much for sharing the love!

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Michaela

Looks great and excited to make these! What temp do you bake at?

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Kristen Stevens

375 degrees Fahrenheit! (I just added it to the recipe card so you’ll see that info in there now.)

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Karen

They look really good! Do I serve them still in the baking dish and cut into individual buns or remove the individual buns to a serving plate?

Thank you for the recipe.

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Kristen Stevens

I usually run a knife through them to cut them in the baking dish and then set the whole baking dish on the table for people to help themselves.

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