These snackable, filling Buffalo Chicken Sliders offer all the heat and flavor of buffalo chicken wings but none of the mess. This fast and easy recipe is perfect for large groups, quick weeknight dinners, or make-ahead meals.
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Easy Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Looking to be a hero on game day, a weeknight, or any other time you need delicious, snackable food for a group? Try out this crowd-pleasing recipe for Buffalo chicken sliders, and see how quickly it ends up a favorite in your dinner rotation.
What Makes This Chicken Sliders Recipe So Good
Buffalo chicken is a classic, ultra-craveable combination, thanks to the mouthwatering combination of fiery hot sauce, luscious butter, and mild, savory poultry. But wings can be messy and time-consuming to eat, not to mention cook.
This recipe provides the same incredible flavors in an easy-to-assemble, fast-to-make pressure cooker or crockpot meal. It’s balanced by the distinctive spices of ranch dressing mix for additional complexity.
Why This is the Best Recipe for Buffalo Chicken Sliders
One look at the ingredients and cooking steps for this recipe reveals just how straightforward it really is. Just five ingredients are required, and the extent of the cooking process involves dumping them in and shredding the chicken. It’s rare to produce this much flavor this easily.
And after a long day at work, or when you’re busy hosting a cookout or gameday party, that’s a massive relief to have one delicious dish that almost takes care of itself.
Plus, it can be topped and customized in almost limitless ways, helping to keep even the pickiest eaters happy. In addition, cooking for larger groups is simple since this recipe can be easily scaled up as needed.
Ingredients
Among the affordable, easy-to-find ingredients for this Buffalo Sliders recipe are:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Buffalo Sauce
- Powdered Ranch dressing mix
- Butter
- Dinner rolls or Hawaiian Rolls
Though the ingredients are simple, there’s no denying the incredible flavor they bring. While many brands can work, use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing mix for the best and most reliable flavor, if possible.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sliders
There are two methods to make this Buffalo chicken slider recipe: one using a Crockpot or slow cooker and the other using the pressure-cooking features of the Instant Pot.
If you’re using an Instant Pot:
- Combine all the ingredients in the pot.
- Seal, then pressure cook on high for 12 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Shred the chicken in the pot, mixing it with the sauce.
Those who don’t have a pressure cooker but do have some extra time can also whip up this recipe in a Crockpot:
- Once again, combine all the ingredients in the pot.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Shred and mix with sauce.
Both are among the easiest ways to create such a mouthwatering mix of flavors. All that’s left is to assemble each slider.
Make the Sliders
- Slice the rolls in half and place the bottoms on a baking sheet, baking dish, tray, or platter.
- Place the shredded buffalo chicken mixture on the bottom half of the rolls.
- Add any toppings you may want on the sliders.
- Cover them with the top half of the rolls.
- Serve as an appetizer, snack, or main dish, and enjoy!
Why Use an Instant Pot to Make Buffalo Chicken?
There are truly few better ways to cook buffalo chicken than an Instant Pot. For one, the pressure cooking makes it easy to get dinner on the table in just half an hour. Meanwhile, it doesn’t get any easier than just dumping in your ingredients and letting the Instant Pot do its thing. Plus, cleanup is simple, with just one pot to wash. Your family or guests will never know how easy it was to create this tasty dish!
How to Serve
One of the best ways to serve these sliders is to set up the filling, buns, and various toppings and let everyone assemble their own.
You can customize each buffalo chicken slider with your favorite flavors using toppings like blue cheese or ranch dressing. Make cheesy sliders with a slice of melty cheese like pepper jack, provolone, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, or mozzarella cheese. Add a fresh element with lettuce, crunchy coleslaw, or thin slices of tomato and onion.
What Goes With Buffalo Chicken Sliders
It’s easy to turn this Buffalo slider recipe into a full meal, as it goes well with a ton of different sides. Pretty much any typical barbecue or cookout side works well, including mac and cheese, baked beans, sweet potatoes, or zucchini chips. Don’t forget good old-fashioned baked potatoes or french fries, too.
Meanwhile, a refreshing salad with creamy dressing can help put out some of the fire from the hot sauce. You can even provide some simple carrot and celery sticks for dipping for those who don’t want bread but still want to enjoy the buffalo chicken filling.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
This batch-style recipe is an ideal choice whether you’re preparing meals in advance or simply have some leftovers.
Make ahead: The chicken can be cooked as much as two to four days before serving and stored with the sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
General storing tips: When kept in an airtight container in the fridge, the cooked buffalo chicken will remain at its best for up to four days. Keep the filling and buns separate, as pre-assembled sliders will become soggy while stored.
Freezing: This recipe also freezes well, making it an ideal choice for doubling the batch for a ready-to-go freezer meal. Store it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container, and use it within six months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving.
Reheating: Fully thawed, refrigerated Buffalo chicken slider filling can be reheated on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
Buffalo Chicken Sliders FAQ
Why is dry ranch mix perfect for this buffalo slider recipe?
Sure, you could spend the time painstakingly assembling spices and other ingredients to create a subtle but recognizable flavor profile. Or, you could simply grab a packet of dry ranch mix, a decades-old trick for amping up the creamy, savory flavor of all sorts of recipes.
Here, it’s perfect since it jives well with the low-stress, hands-off style of the recipe, allowing home cooks to add plenty of great taste by simply pouring some powder into the mix.
Can You Use Frozen Chicken Breasts?
This recipe was designed for fresh chicken breasts. But if you need an impromptu meal or just forget to defrost, the Instant Pot is more than capable of cooking frozen ones, too.
Add about 30 extra minutes of cooking time to ensure they’re fully cooked. As always, chicken should always be brought to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for food safety reasons.
What Type of Rolls Should You Use For Sliders?
Use whichever rolls you’d like or have on hand! This versatile recipe can be made with simple, everyday dinner rolls or upgraded with sweet Hawaiian ones. You can even opt for small pretzel buns, seeded rolls, or any other small, slider-sized bread your local store or bakery has in stock.
If none of these are available, hamburger buns are your next best bet. You can also make a buffalo chicken sandwich with Texas toast.
Love buffalo chicken flavor? Try these recipes!
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Buffalo Bites
- Buffalo Burger
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Poppers
- Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls
- Buffalo Chicken Thighs
- Buffalo Meatballs
- Grilled Buffalo Chicken
Favorite Game Day
Check out more of my easy chicken recipes and the best game day food here on CopyKat!
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Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken
- 12 ounces Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
- 16 dinner rolls cut in half horizontally
Instructions
With an Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Place the chicken, hot sauce, butter, and ranch dressing mix into the pressure cooker.
- Place the lid on the pot, and make sure the vent is closed.
- Cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. Perform a natural release.
- Shred the chicken, and then add some of the juices from the pot to the shredded chicken.
With a Crock Pot slow cooker
- Place the chicken, hot sauce, butter, and ranch dressing mix into the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 4 to 6 hours.
- Shred the chicken, and then add some of the juices from the pot to the shredded chicken.
Slider Assembly
- Place the shredded chicken into the dinner rolls and add any desired toppings.
Drew
Sounds great! I could have made ’em tomorrow, except I need some rolls. I’m about tempted to try ’em on plain old Italian bread! Also – I think the timings for Low and High in the slow cooker directions are backwards (swapped).
Gabe
Perfect for watching the football game, I served these with Hawaiian rolls.
Mulan
This was a great way to prepare chicken!
M williams
30 minutes for chicken is way too long in an Ip. I just did 10 with 4 min NPR and it was perfect. Used 1 cup water and half the buffalo sauce. Added the rest of sauce after shredding.
Beth
Do you recommend the regular Franks or the Franks “buffalo”?
Stephanie Manley
I always go with their regular.