Buffalo Chicken Sliders

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Buffalo Chicken Sliders are all the flavor of buffalo chicken dip packed into a soft, sweet Hawaiian roll and baked until the cheese is melty and the tops are golden. Creamy, spicy buffalo chicken gets tucked between the rolls, brushed with buttery garlic on top, and pulled apart warm. If your crockpot buffalo chicken ever has leftovers, this is where they should go.

Mixing cream cheese and ranch right into the buffalo chicken is what keeps these from tasting like straight hot sauce. The cream cheese mellows the heat and gives the filling body so it holds together in the roll instead of dripping out the sides. The ranch adds that cool, tangy note that makes buffalo anything taste balanced.

The whole batch bakes as one connected slab. That is the shortcut that makes twelve sliders feel like almost no work. I slice the rolls in half all at once without pulling them apart, load the filling in the middle, cap it, and cut them into squares after they come out of the oven. Rotisserie or leftover chicken keeps it fast.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Buffalo dip in slider form. All the creamy, spicy flavor of the party dip you can pick up with one hand.
• Balanced heat. Cream cheese and ranch mellow the buffalo sauce so it’s spicy without scorching.
• Bakes as one slab. Twelve sliders assemble and bake together, then cut into squares to serve.
• A leftover-chicken hero. Rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken turns into a whole new dinner fast.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders Ingredients

Buffalo sauces range from mild to blistering between brands. Stir in half the amount first, taste the filling, and add more to reach the heat your table can handle.

• 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup ranch dressing
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp fresh chives or green onion, sliced, for garnish

Recipe Variations

• Use blue cheese crumbles in place of some of the shredded cheese, or drizzle blue cheese dressing over the filling, if you’re a blue cheese fan.
• Swap the buffalo chicken for shredded rotisserie tossed in barbecue sauce for a milder, kid-friendly version.
• Add a layer of thinly sliced celery into the filling for a little fresh crunch that nods to classic buffalo wings.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sliders

1. Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Make the filling: In a bowl, stir together the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, softened cream cheese, and ranch dressing until creamy and evenly combined.
3. Split the rolls: Without pulling the rolls apart, slice the whole connected slab in half horizontally. Set the top slab aside and place the bottom slab in the baking dish.
4. Layer it up: Sprinkle half the shredded cheese over the bottom rolls, spread the buffalo chicken evenly on top, then finish with the remaining cheese. Set the top slab back on.
5. Brush the tops: Stir the garlic powder into the melted butter and brush it over the tops of the rolls.
6. Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden.
7. Cut and serve: Sprinkle with chives, cut along the seams into individual sliders, and serve warm.

How to Keep the Bottom Buns From Going Soggy

Hawaiian rolls are soft and sweet and they absorb liquid instantly. A wet buffalo chicken filling sitting directly on them turns the bottom half to paste before they reach the table.

• Toast the bottom slab first. Five minutes at 350°F, cut side up, before anything goes on it. A dry, slightly firm surface resists moisture much better.
• Layer cheese directly on the bottom bun, under the chicken. Melted cheese is a fat barrier and it genuinely works.
• Drain the chicken mixture. If there is loose sauce pooling in the bowl, it will pool in the bread.
• The cream cheese in the filling is helping already. It binds the buffalo sauce so less of it runs free.
• Assemble and bake straight away rather than building them ahead.

If you do need to prep ahead, keep the filling and the rolls separate and assemble just before baking. Twenty minutes assembled in the fridge is enough to ruin the bottoms.

Recipe FAQs

Can I Make the Buffalo Chicken Filling Ahead?

Yes, mix the filling up to two days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Assemble and bake the sliders when you’re ready so the rolls stay fresh.

How Do I Make These Less Spicy?

Cut back on the buffalo sauce and lean on more cream cheese and ranch, or use a mild buffalo sauce. You can also serve extra ranch on the side to cool each bite.

What Chicken Works Best?

Any cooked, shredded chicken. Rotisserie chicken is the easy pick, and leftover baked or poached chicken breast works just as well.

Why Did My Sliders Come out Soggy in the Middle?

The filling was probably too wet. Drain any extra liquid from the chicken and don’t overdo the buffalo sauce, since too much sauce soaks into the rolls.

Can I Double This for a Party, and What Goes Alongside?

Yes, bake two pans or use a large sheet pan for a bigger batch. Celery and carrot sticks with ranch or blue cheese, plus a simple green salad, round them out for a meal.

Cooking Tips

• Slice the rolls as one connected slab instead of separating them. It’s faster and keeps the sliders neat and even.
• Let the cream cheese soften fully before mixing so the filling comes together smooth instead of clumpy.
• Cover with foil for the first stretch of baking so the tops don’t brown before the cheese in the middle has melted.

Storage and Freezing

To store: Keep leftover sliders covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze: Freeze baked and cooled sliders wrapped tightly for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

To reheat: Warm covered in a 325°F oven until heated through so the rolls don’t dry out. The microwave works in a pinch but softens the tops.

How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Buffalo Chicken Sliders are a hearty handheld dinner, and they’re right at home with celery and carrot sticks, a cool ranch or blue cheese dip, and a crisp green salad. For a game-day spread, set them out with the crockpot buffalo chicken they came from. This is one of the recipes in our Easy Dinner Ideas collection.

Loved This Recipe?

Buffalo Chicken Sliders turn a bowl of shredded chicken into a warm, cheesy, pull-apart dinner that vanishes off the pan.

Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.

More like this: When that tray empties in ten minutes flat, these three keep the same feed-a-crowd thing going. Try French Dip Sliders, Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta, or Crack Chicken Casserole.