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These Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sliders are warm, cheesy, a little spicy, and layered with flavor and texture in every bite. The shredded buffalo chicken is mixed with ranch, layered with crunchy cabbage, and topped with melted cheese, then baked on soft rolls brushed with garlic butter. They work just as well for an easy family dinner as they do for game day, potlucks, or feeding a crowd.
This buffalo ranch chicken mixture is the same shredded chicken base that I use for Buffalo Chicken Street Tacos, Buffalo Chicken Dip, (coming soon!) and even for buffalo chicken pizza using our Homemade Pizza Dough and Homemade Pizza Sauce. Making a batch of shredded buffalo chicken at the beginning of the week makes it easy to turn into multiple meals.
Need more easy meal info? Browse all my Chicken Recipes, Sandwich Recipes, or check out my ever growing list of Easy Dinner Meals.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy family dinner
- Great party food
- Make-ahead friendly
- Freezer friendly
- Uses simple ingredients
- Can be made mild or spicy
- Great way to use leftover chicken
- Layers of creamy, crunchy, and cheesy textures
- Feeds a crowd easily
Ingredients
- Hawaiian slider buns
- Cooked shredded chicken
- Buffalo sauce
- Butter
- Garlic powder
- Garlic salt
- Ranch dressing
- Shredded cabbage
- Shredded carrots (optional)
- Diced celery (optional)
- Shredded or sliced cheese
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
Equipment
Sheet Pan – This size dish fits a full slab of slider rolls and allows the sliders to bake evenly without drying out.
Medium Saucepan – Used to melt the butter and buffalo sauce together and heat the shredded chicken.
Mixing Spoon or Spatula – Helps coat the chicken evenly in the buffalo sauce mixture.
Pastry Brush – Used to brush garlic butter over the tops of the rolls before baking.
Sharp Knife – A serrated knife works best for cutting sliders cleanly after baking.
How to Make
The shredded chicken is heated in a saucepan with melted butter, buffalo sauce, and garlic powder until the chicken is fully coated and warmed through. Heating the chicken in the sauce helps the chicken absorb the buffalo flavor instead of just having sauce poured over plain chicken.
This step also keeps the chicken moist and flavorful after baking.
The slider buns are sliced in half and the bottom layer is placed on a parchment lined sheet pan or cookie sheet. A thin layer of ranch dressing is spread directly onto the bottom buns. This adds flavor throughout the sliders and also creates a barrier so the bread doesn’t become soggy from the buffalo chicken mixture.
The warm buffalo chicken is spread evenly over the buns, making sure to reach all the edges so every slider has filling. A layer of shredded cabbage goes over the chicken, along with shredded carrots and diced celery if using. This layer adds crunch and balances the richness of the chicken and cheese while giving the sliders that classic buffalo chicken and celery flavor combination.
Cheese is layered over the top of the cabbage, and then the top buns are placed on. Most of the time I will add feta cheese and provolone to ours, but I’ve been told this is an acquired taste 😉 Feel free to stay a little on the safer side with shredded cheddar or cheddar jack – or try some pepper jack or our favorite cheddar and provolone – if you’re feeling brave! You can also throw in some bleu cheese crumbles in here too. Melted butter mixed with garlic salt is brushed over the tops of the buns and finished with chopped parsley. The sliders bake covered so the cheese melts and everything heats through, then they are uncovered and briefly broiled so the tops become golden and slightly crisp.
Let the sliders rest for a few minutes before slicing so the layers stay together when cut. Optional step: incorporate chopped cooked bacon into your chicken mixture. Here’s my quick Air Fryer Bacon Tutorial
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
PrintBuffalo Ranch Chicken Sliders on Toasted Hawaiian Rolls
These Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sliders are cheesy, saucy, and packed with flavor. Made with tender shredded buffalo chicken, creamy ranch, melty cheese, and soft toasted slider buns, they’re perfect for game day, parties, or an easy family dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 sliders
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- ⅓ cup buffalo hot sauce
- 12 Hawaiian slider buns (or brioche), toasted
- 8 ounces shredded or sliced cheddar jack cheese (or your favorite cheese — our family actually prefers provolone, which melts beautifully with buffalo chicken)
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 5 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt (for topping)
- 1–2 TBSP finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots (optional)
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Melt 3 TBSP butter in saucepan. Stir in buffalo sauce and garlic powder.
- Add shredded chicken and coat. Remove from heat.
- Slice slider buns and place bottom halves in baking dish.
- Spread thin layer of ranch on bottom buns.
- Add buffalo chicken.
- Sprinkle cabbage, carrots, celery.
- Add cheese & 1 tbsp parsley.
- Place top buns on.
- Melt remaining 2 TBSP butter and mix with garlic salt.
- Brush butter mixture over tops.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake 10–15 minutes.
- Remove foil and broil on low 2–3 minutes until tops are lightly golden.
- Sprinkle parsley after baking.
Notes
- You can use Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken for the shredded chicken base.
- Coleslaw mix works well as a shortcut for the cabbage and carrots.
- For extra flavor, add a drizzle of ranch on top before serving.
- These sliders are great for parties, game day, or easy weeknight dinners.
Recipes That Pair Well With This
These Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sliders pair well with simple sides, especially when serving for dinner or parties. Side dishes like Fluffy Steamed White Rice, Garlic Butter Rice, Garlic Butter Pasta, or Cilantro Lime Rice make this meal more filling. For parties, serving these sliders with dips like White Cheese Dip, Jalapeño Popper Cheeseball, or Jalapeño Cranberry Dip works really well. Adding something sweet like Oreo Cheesecake after a spicy meal is always a good balance.
More Recipes to Try
If you like buffalo chicken recipes, this same shredded buffalo chicken can be used in:
Buffalo Chicken Street Tacos
Buffalo Chicken Dip (coming soon!)
or even as a pizza topping using Homemade Pizza Dough and Homemade Pizza Sauce.
Other easy dinner recipes to rotate with this one include Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings, Southwest Breakfast Burritos, and Classic Chicken Salad.
Tips for Little Helpers
Kids can help spread the ranch on the buns, sprinkle the cabbage and cheese layers, and brush the garlic butter on top of the rolls before baking. Older kids can help shred chicken and help layer the sliders.
Tips for Success
- Spread the ranch directly on the bottom buns to prevent soggy bread.
- Make sure the buffalo chicken is evenly coated before layering.
- Don’t skip covering the sliders while baking or the tops will get too dark.
- Broiling at the end helps the tops become golden and slightly crisp.
- Let the sliders rest before cutting so they hold together.
FAQs
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes, rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe and makes it even faster to prepare.
Are these very spicy?
Buffalo sauce has some heat, but the ranch, cheese, and cabbage help balance it. You can use mild buffalo sauce if you prefer less heat.
Can I assemble these ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble the sliders earlier in the day, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
What cheese works best?
Cheddar jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, Colby jack, or provolone all work well in these sliders.
Storage
Store leftover sliders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions
You can freeze the sliders after baking. Let them cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Reheat covered in the oven at 325°F until warmed through.
Variations
- You can add crumbled bacon for bacon buffalo ranch sliders.
- Blue cheese dressing can be used instead of ranch.
- Add sliced avocado after baking.
- Use provolone instead of cheddar for a milder flavor.
- This recipe also works well using shredded chicken from Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast.
Final Thoughts
These Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sliders are a reliable recipe to keep on hand for busy nights, game days, and gatherings. They’re warm, cheesy, flavorful, and easy to make ahead, which makes them a great go-to meal when you need something that everyone will be excited to eat.
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