Pulled Chicken Sliders

These saucy little pulled chicken sliders are the kind of thing that disappears from the plate before you even sit down. ♡

The magic here is slow-cooking chicken breasts in a tangy BBQ sauce until they practically shred themselves. The meat soaks up all that smoky sweetness, and when you pile it onto soft brioche buns with a cool, crunchy slaw on top, you get this perfect contrast of warm and cold, sweet and sharp.

Grab your slow cooker or Dutch oven and a pack of slider buns. This is one of those meals that feels fancy but takes almost no real effort. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Pulled Chicken Sliders

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite brand)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 slider buns (brioche works best)

For the slaw:

• 2 cups coleslaw mix
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pickle chips for topping

Optional add-ins:

• Sliced jalapenos
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Crispy fried onions
• Hot honey drizzle

How to Make Pulled Chicken Sliders

1. Season. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Cook. Place the chicken in your slow cooker or Dutch oven. Pour the BBQ sauce over the top, add the apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, and stir to coat. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours in a slow cooker, or simmer covered in a Dutch oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the internal temp hits 165°F.
3. Shred. Pull the chicken apart with two forks right in the pot. Stir it into the sauce until every strand is coated and glossy (don’t rush this part).
4. Toss. While the chicken cooks, mix the coleslaw, mayo, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Toast. Slice the slider buns in half and toast them cut-side down in a skillet with a little butter, about 2 minutes, until lightly golden.
6. Build. Pile a generous scoop of pulled chicken onto each bun bottom. Top with a small mound of slaw and a couple of pickle chips. Press the bun top on gently.

Tips

• Use chicken breasts, not thighs. Breasts shred into longer, cleaner strands that hold the sauce better in small buns.
• Let the chicken rest in the sauce for 10 minutes after shredding. It absorbs way more flavor that way.
• Make the slaw ahead and keep it cold. The contrast between warm chicken and cold slaw is what makes these sliders so good.
• Toast those buns. Soft buns get soggy fast under saucy chicken. A quick toast in butter fixes that.
• Don’t overfill the sliders. These are small buns. A heaping tablespoon of chicken per slider is plenty.

Variations

• Hawaiian style: Add a ring of grilled pineapple and swap BBQ sauce for teriyaki.
• Buffalo chicken sliders: Replace BBQ sauce with buffalo sauce and top with blue cheese crumbles.
• Slow cooker set-it-and-forget-it: Dump everything in the slow cooker in the morning, shred at dinner time.
• Spicy kick: Mix in 1 tablespoon of hot sauce to the pulled chicken and top with pickled jalapenos.
• Low carb: Skip the buns and serve the pulled chicken over a bed of crunchy slaw instead.

FAQ

Pulled Chicken Sliders

Tender slow-cooked chicken smothered in BBQ sauce, piled onto toasted brioche buns with tangy coleslaw and pickle chips.

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 brioche slider buns
• 2 cups coleslaw mix
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pickle chips for topping

Method

 

1. Season. Pat chicken dry. Season with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Cook. Place chicken in pot with BBQ sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Simmer covered 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through.
3. Shred. Pull chicken apart with two forks in the pot. Stir into sauce until coated.
4. Toss. Mix coleslaw, mayo, vinegar, and sugar. Refrigerate until needed.
5. Toast. Toast buns cut-side down in buttered skillet, about 2 minutes.
6. Build. Pile chicken on bun bottoms. Top with slaw and pickle chips.

Notes

Use chicken breasts for cleaner shreds that hold sauce well.
Let shredded chicken sit in sauce 10 minutes before serving for more flavor.
Toast buns to prevent sogginess

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