Description
Spicy, tangy, & perfectly handheld, these Easy Buffalo Chicken Sliders are the perfect game day snack! Shredded ranch seasoned chicken is tossed in homemade buffalo sauce, layered on slider rolls with cheese, & baked into gooey-melty-golden browned goodness. Best served with blue cheese or ranch dressing & perfect for feeding a crowd!
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see Recipe Notes, below)
- 1 (one) 1-ounce envelope ranch seasoning, divided
- 1/3 cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- optional: 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 12 dinner rolls (Hawaiian sweet rolls or dinner rolls of choice)
- 8 ounces colby jack or melty cheese of choice (pepper jack, cheddar, havarti, etc.), shredded
- for serving, as desired: ranch dressing or bleu cheese dressing, for dipping
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, ensuring a rack is in the center position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up as desired. Gather & prep all ingredients according to Ingredients List, above.
- Sear the chicken: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. As the butter melts, season the chicken breasts. Measure out 1 heaping tablespoon of the ranch seasoning & set aside to reserve for buffalo slider assembly. Sprinkle the remaining ranch seasoning over the chicken breasts, seasoning generously. Once the butter in the skillet is melted, add the chicken to the skillet. Cook, browning the chicken, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Bake & shred the chicken: Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast for 12-15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, carefully shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces – you can do so using 2 forks, or my favorite trick: pop the chicken breasts directly into a stand mixer & let the paddle attachment do the work for you (I swear this works!).
- Mix the buffalo chicken: Add the shredded chicken back into the warm skillet with the hot sauce, 2 tablespoons of butter, & blue cheese crumbles (if using). Stir to combine, tossing the chicken to coat it evenly in the sauce & pan drippings. Set aside for slider assembly.
- Buffalo chicken slider assembly: Place the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl. Microwave 30 seconds to melt. Set aside. Using a large serrated knife, cut the dinner rolls in half horizontally, creating 2 large slabs of roll tops & bottoms. Don’t pull them apart into individual rolls – we want these 2 large slabs of connected tops & bottoms for easy assembly. Lightly brush the cut sides of the slabs with butter, sprinkling some of the reserved ranch seasoning over top. Place the slab of roll bottoms on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the roll bottoms, then pile the shredded buffalo chicken on top. Top with the remaining shredded cheese, then place the slab of roll tops over top. Lightly brush the top of the rolls with butter, sprinkling any remaining ranch seasoning over top.
- Bake the buffalo chicken sliders: Loosely cover the assembled sliders with foil. Transfer to the oven & bake 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is melted. In the last two minutes, remove the foil to allow the tops of the rolls to brown slightly.
- Serve immediately, with ranch or bleu cheese dressing for dipping as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Alternate cooking methods:
- Can I make these buffalo chicken sliders with shredded rotisserie chicken? While cooking the chicken fresh is quick, easy, & creates a ton of flavor, these buffalo chicken sliders are also a great way to use up any leftover chicken that may be hanging out in your refrigerator. Rotisserie chicken is also a great store-bought shortcut. If you’re using already cooked chicken, skip Step 2-3 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Slow Cooker or Crockpot Buffalo Chicken: If your slow cooker has a browning/searing feature, season & sear the chicken in the slow cooker according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. If not, simply add the chicken breasts, ranch seasoning, Frank’s RedHot, & butter to your slow cooker. Slow cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Shred & serve according to Steps 5-6 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Electric Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken: Use the Instant Pot’s browning/searing feature to sear the ranch-seasoned chicken breasts in the Instant Pot according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Once seared, add the butter, Frank’s RedHot & 2/3 cup chicken stock or beer to ensure the Instant Pot seals properly. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, ensuring the sure valve is in its sealed position! Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully quick release any remaining pressure in the pot by flicking the valve to its venting position. Remove the lid. Shred & serve according to Steps 5-6 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Note: This recipe has been updated since its original publish in March 2017. If you are looking for the original recipe, which included feta cheese & roasted red peppers, click here to download a printable version!