BBQ Chicken Sliders
Updated Feb 16, 2022, Published Aug 05, 2015
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Looking for a crowd-pleasing, bite-sized snack that’s packed with flavor? BBQ chicken sliders are the perfect solution! Whether you’re hosting a game day gathering, a backyard BBQ, or simply craving a delicious meal, these sliders offer the best of both worlds: juicy, tender chicken smothered in smoky, tangy BBQ sauce, all nestled between soft, buttery buns. Serve with my Easy Canned Baked Beans recipe!
You can have these Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken Sliders together in about 45 minutes with ingredients you may already have on hand.
Chicken breasts on the bone (also referred to as split chicken breasts) work well for braising, which is how I like to cook the chicken for this dish. Keeping the meat on the bone while cooking helps to provide flavor and moisture.
This Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken Sliders recipe is a scaled-down version, but it’s easy to double or triple for a party. Keep in mind some split chicken breasts can be quite large; use average-sized breasts. The sauce recipe is easy to double and any extra shredded chicken in the sauce freezes great.
How to make Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken Sliders:
- A flavorful braising liquid is essential to flavor the chicken. I use onion, lots of garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire and salt and black pepper.
- Place the chicken in the braising liquid and let it cook away.
- When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to plate or bowl, then take the meat off the bone and shred with two forks, leaving the skin and bones behind.
- Toss with the sauce; then keep it all warm in a slow cooker for your guests.
- Serve on buns with your favorite coleslaw. Whether you make a slider or a full-size sandwich is up to you and your appetite.
The sauce recipe is a client favorite I’ve been making for years. I mostly do it with chicken; however, it will also work with pork.
Before moving to the Memphis area 20 years ago, I never imagined coleslaw on a barbecue sandwich. Now I can’t imagine a barbecue sandwich without it!
Serve with:
- Cool and Creamy Potato Salad
- Potato Artichoke Salad with Horseradish Dressing
- Lemony Broccoli, Barley and White Bean Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad with Yogurt
- Whole-Wheat Pasta Salad with Cucumber Dressing, Peas and Fresh Dill
- Air Fryer Eggplant Fries with Garlic Basil Aioli
BBQ Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped, divided
- 10 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning sauce
- 2 average chicken breasts, on the bone, with the skin (split chicken breasts)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 6 slider buns
- Coleslaw, purchased or homemade
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with water about 3/4 full.
- Finely mince about a heaping 1 tablespoon of the onion; set aside.
- Place remaining onion, garlic, bay leaves, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, salt and black pepper along with chicken into water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Combine the remaining Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard, molasses, maple syrup, vinegar, chili powder and cayenne in a small bowl.
- Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet.
- Cook the minced onion 2-3 minutes or until begins to soften.
- Stir in sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook 3-4 minutes to thicken slightly and for flavors to blend. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a bowl and shred meat with two forks, discarding bones and skin.
- Toss chicken with sauce. Serve immediately over slider buns with your favorite coleslaw.
Notes
- I mostly do it with chicken; however, it will also work with pork.
- May be made 2-3 days ahead of time. Combine with sauce and refrigerate.
- Reheat covered in a 350-degree oven until heated through.
- Store in an airtight container and freeze for 1-2 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat covered in a 350-degree oven until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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