by Holly
BBQ Chicken Sliders are one of the easiest ever Crock Pot recipes!
A simple combo of bacon, chicken and bbq sauce make the most delicious pulled chicken! This recipe is great when you are looking for a change from pulled pork or beef. It’s a meal that everyone will rave about.
Why We Love This Recipe
This easy recipe is totally no-fail! The chicken comes out delicious and flavorful every single time!
We love that this recipe only needs a only handful of ingredients!! Chicken, onions, bbq sauce and bacon!! Couldn’t be easier and oh so yummy.
I love that this can be prepped ahead of time (even the day before) and cooked to feed a family or a hungry crowd on game day.
The chicken mixture can be kept warm in the slow cooker so your guests can serve themselves, party perfect!
Ingredients and Variations
Chicken I use breasts because they’re lean, cook nicely and shred perfectly. You can use thighs in this recipe if it’s what you have on hand. If you use chicken thighs, skim any fat off once they’re cooked before shredding.
BBQ Sauce Anything goes. I use homemade if I have it on hand but if not, store bought is just fine! Use what you love because a lot of the flavor comes from the BBQ sauce (If buying store bought, I like this one).
How To Make BBQ Chicken Sliders
This slow cooker chicken slider recipe is crazy easy. Just like pulled pork, simply add the ingredients and let slow cooker do the work!
- Cook bacon until crispy, then carmelize onions in reserved bacon grease.
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Deglaze the pan with water and pour it into the slow cooker, mixing well.
Pre-cooked bacon or bacon bits work in this recipe. If using precooked bacon, fry the onion in a bit of olive oil instead of bacon fat.
The Best Buns For Sliders
Of course Hawaiian rolls are a favorite for sliders but you can use dinner rolls, tray buns too or even homemade biscuits.
In all honesty, this incredible chicken will taste amazing on pretty much anything. So feel free to grab a pack of ready to serve rolls from the store.
Delicious Toppings For Chicken Sliders
There are so many ways to serve these chicken sliders.
- How about having these with some sliced tomatoes or classic coleslaw piled on top? Delicious!
- Or, try them with a spoonful of pineapple salsa, or a pineapple ring on each sandwich! Instant Hawaiian sliders!
- Hot sauce anyone? Or, some nacho cheese and chopped green onions? Yum!
- French-fried onions! Need I say more?
What To Do With Leftovers
Serve over mac and cheese or even over rice.
BBQ chicken freezes beautifully. Put leftovers including all the sauce into an airtight container, leaving about 2 inches for expansion. According to FDA guidelines, cooked poultry dishes will keep in the freezer for 4-6 months, and in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Easy Slider Recipes
- Ham and Cheese Sliders – ultimate snack food!
- Reuben Sandwich Sliders – ready in under 30 mins
- Game Day Chilli Joes – two classic combined
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches – easy to make & serve
- Dr. Pepper Crock Pot Pulled Pork – perfect on sliders!
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Sliders
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 18 sliders
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Slow Cooker
Cuisine AmericanIngredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 18 oz barbeque sauce
- 12 strips bacon
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 18 rolls (such as Hawaiian Honey Wheat rolls)
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a frying pan over medium-high heat until crispy and drain on paper towel.
- Leave 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the frying pan and add the sliced onions and salt. Cook onions until tender. Add to the bottom of a 6qt slow cooker.
- When the frying pan has cooled a bit, carefully pour the water into the pan and gently scrape up the browned bits of bacon and onion from the bottom. Pour it into the crockpot.
- Add chicken breasts and barbecue sauce. Stir and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours.
- Shred chicken using 2 forks. Stir in half of the bacon.
- Spoon mixture on slider buns, top with remaining bacon.
