These buffalo chicken sliders make the perfect easy dinner, game day snack, or appetizer for your next game night! The heat from the buffalo wing sauce and the sweetness from the Hawaiian rolls complement each other perfectly to make these a snack that anyone who likes buffalo chicken dip will love!
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Easy Buffalo Chicken Sliders
When it comes to parties, I love making food that will feed a crowd without a lot of effort on my part. Like these dump it all in the crockpot grape jelly meatballs, or these make a bunch at a time homemade pepperoni rolls.
My family’s go-to appetizer is this buffalo chicken dip recipe but sometimes you get sick of eating the same thing over and over again. So over the years I’ve used that same buffalo dip concept to make all sorts of different appetizers like buffalo chicken roll-ups, buffalo chicken potato skins, and even buffalo chicken egg rolls!
The latest in our buffalo chicken dip adventures is that sliders and they may be my favorite yet because I’m a huge sucker for Hawaiian rolls AND for recipes that take less than five minutes to make! You get the same great taste of buffalo chicken dip but in a more filling and easier to share with lots of people format!
Make them for game night, add them to a football charcuterie board, or just bring them to a bring your own snack Super Bowl party, and I guarantee they’ll be a hit!
Why you’ll love These Sliders
- Full of buffalo chicken flavor – the sweetness of the rolls balances out the heat of the buffalo sauce to make an irresistible snack!
- Simple – get it done in a few steps without compromising on taste.
- Great for sharing – one batch makes enough to snack on throughout the entire event.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Buffalo sauce – I prefer Frank’s red hot buffalo wing sauce but have tried it with Primal Kitchen and Red Hot sauce without any issues.
- Ranch dressing – use whatever brand you prefer, I typically just use the traditional Hidden Valley! You could also use blue cheese if you want, but I’ve found ranch to be a more popular option for most people! Serve the extra with carrot sticks and celery on the side!
- Mozzarella cheese – deli slices will melt the best. Mozzarella is my go to for this recipe but any type of sliced cheese will work (Monterey jack cheese is my second choice). Shredded cheese will work in a pinch, but it just doesn’t melt the same way in these sliders. I do not recommend using fresh mozzarella!
- Chicken – if you want to make this quicker, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken, but I personally prefer to just make shredded chicken breasts in my Instant Pot so that you get all the good white meat from the breasts. However you want to get shredded chicken is totally fine!
- Original Hawaiian Rolls – I highly recommend using the Hawaiian rolls because the sweetness of the rolls is a good balance to the heat of the buffalo sauce. Plus, you can cut them in half in one clean cut then pull them apart individually!
- Cream cheese – make sure the cream cheese is soft and spreadable (you could even use spreadable cream cheese if you want). I like to leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes or if you need to soften it quickly, put it in the microwave for a few seconds (out of the wrapper).
How to make
With the big game about to start, it’s time to grab a baking sheet and get these delicious sliders in the oven. Here’s everything you need to know to have these buffalo chicken dip sliders ready to go before kickoff.
1 – Slice the Hawaiian Rolls
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Without separating the rolls, use a bread knife to slice the rolls in half horizontally trying to cut them as equally in half as possible.
Place the top of the rolls to the side and the bottom roll layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
Note!
Since we recommend using the party pack of Hawaiian rolls, we like to cook these on a full-size baking sheet. If you’d prefer to half the recipe and make less, you can also cook these in a 9×13 baking dish with just a smaller pack of Hawaiian rolls!
2 – Layer the Sliders
Combine the shredded chicken and buffalo sauce in a large gallon size zipper top bag. Zip it up and toss it all together – literally toss it around to mix it up – until the shredded chicken breast is covered in buffalo sauce.
Spread an even layer of cream cheese on the slider buns, making sure to cover all of them with at least a thin layer of cream cheese.
Tip!
You can also mix the buffalo chicken together if you’d prefer to not waste a gallon-size bag, but I personally like to use the bag to avoid the mess and the extra dish! If you mix them in a bowl, just stir it all together well until the chicken is completely coated.
Add the buffalo chicken mixture right on top of the cream cheese layer, making sure to spread it evenly across all of the sandwich rolls.
Drizzle ranch dressing top on top of the chicken, making sure to at least get some ranch on every single slider.
Finish off the sliders by adding one layer of sliced mozzarella cheese on top of the ranch. If you need to cut the slices in half to get just one layer (multiple layers of cheese on top of each other will make it take longer to bake), you can do that!
3 – Bake and Serve
Place the other half of the rolls on top of the cheese and cover the top lightly with aluminum foil.
Place the entire sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake covered for 15 minutes (this keeps the tops from burning while allowing the cheese to melt). Remove the foil from the sliders and bake for another five minutes.
Tip!
Place the rolls on the top rack of the oven or double up your baking sheets to keep the bottoms from getting too crunchy!
Remove from the oven when the tops are turning golden brown but before they start to get too dark. Brush with melted butter (or just a stick of butter – it’ll melt on top of the rolls).
Then serve as soon as they have cooled down enough that you can actually hold them!
You can either serve directly from the baking sheet and let people pull their own off or pull them apart and place them on a party platter or plate so people can grab one without getting their hands as messy!
Tips and Storage Information
While you can store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days, these are best enjoyed within 24 hours. Because they have a layer or cream cheese and saucy buffalo chicken, the bottom buns tend to get a little soggy from all the moisture.
Adjust the amount of buffalo sauce based on who will be eating these. The way the recipe is written is a good amount for people who like the flavor of buffalo sauce without too much heat (the sweetness of the rolls balances it out). If you really like heat, you can add more sauce.
Recipe FAQs
What should I serve with buffalo chicken sliders?
If you’re serving these sliders as an appetizer, I recommend serving other appetizers that don’t have as much heat as these. These would be great alongside soft pretzel bites, taco dip, or even pizza rolls! Or if you want something that’s sweet to balance out the savoriness of the sliders, rice krispy treats are always a great choice!
If you’re serving these for dinner, serve them with some sort of fruit or veggies like our strawberry spinach salad or fruit salad!
How many sliders per person for dinner?
If you’re serving these as an appetizer, I’d plan on one slider per person (some people may take two but some people won’t have any so it evens out). If you’re serving them for dinner, I’d plan on people eating 2-3 sliders each. Figure out your final number based on the people eating – kids will eat less, hungry men will eat more.
Can you freeze buffalo chicken sliders?
I personally do not recommend freezing the sliders once made and cooked, but you can totally prep and freeze the buffalo chicken itself, so that these are a cinch to put together and make for parties! Cook and shred your chicken then mix it with the buffalo sauce in a large freezer safe zipper top bag. Label the bag with the date and place flat in the freezer then freeze for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before then use just like the recipe instructs.
How to reheat buffalo chicken sliders?
Reheat the sliders in the oven by placing them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and placing in the cold oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and let the sliders heat up with the oven. They should be good to go when the oven is!
More Easy Appetizers
If you like buffalo chicken recipes, you should try these other tasty appetizers next!
- Homemade pretzel dogs – a copycat version of the popular Auntie Anne snack, these are a family favorite!
- Jalapeno popper dip – all the same flavors you love in jalapeno poppers but in party dip form!
- Pizza twist snack – pizza but with a twist!
- Chex mix recipe – more a snack than an appetizer but still a great addition to any party!
- Caprese salad skewers – want something a bit healthier than pigs in a blanket? Try these caprese salad skewers as a great grab and go option!
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Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 24 pack King’s Hawaiian rolls
- 1 ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 ½ lb shredded chicken
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- 8 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1 TBS salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Without separating the rolls, use a bread knife to slice the rolls in half horizontally trying to cut them as equally in half as possible. Place the top of the rolls to the side and the bottom roll layer onto the prepared baking sheet.24 pack King’s Hawaiian rolls
- Combine the shredded chicken and buffalo sauce in a large gallon size zipper top bag. Zip it up and toss it all together until the chicken is all coated in buffalo sauce.1 1/2 cup buffalo sauce, 1 1/2 lb shredded chicken
- Spread an even layer of cream cheese on the slider buns, making sure to cover all of them with at least a thin layer of cream cheese.4 oz cream cheese
- Add the buffalo chicken mixture right on top of the cream cheese layer, making sure to spread it evenly across all of the sandwich rolls.
- Drizzle ranch dressing top on top of the chicken, making sure to at least get some ranch on every single slider.1/4 cup ranch dressing
- Finish off the sliders by adding one layer of sliced mozzarella cheese on top of the ranch. Cut slices into smaller pieces if necessary to make one single layer.8 slices mozzarella cheese
- Place the other half of the rolls on top of the cheese and cover the top lightly with aluminum foil. Place the entire sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake covered for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil from the sliders and bake for another five minutes.
- Remove from the oven when the tops are turning golden brown. Brush the tops with butter then allow to cool until cool enough to handle then serve immediately.1 TBS salted butter
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