Are you tired of throwing together complicated snacks when company shows up? Me too! Finding that perfect game-day bite that disappears instantly is my personal culinary mission, and oh boy, have I succeeded this time. These sliders are spicy, cheesy, saucy, and they barely need any real work—seriously, 10 minutes of prep! You absolutely must try my Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe next time you host. They are total crowd-pleasers and I promise you won’t have any leftovers, so maybe double the batch!
Why You’ll Love This Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
Listen, when it comes to party food, if it isn’t fast, delicious, and slightly dangerous (in terms of how many you eat), what’s the point? These babies check every single box. I hope you’re ready for the compliments!
- Unbelievable Speed: We’re talking 10 minutes of prep because we use cooked chicken. Seriously, they’re ready to bake before the first guest even rings the doorbell!
- Flavor Explosion: That rich mix of butter, buffalo sauce, and the creamy ranch/blue cheese dressing makes the chicken taste like it simmered for hours.
- Ultimate Crowd-Pleaser: Who doesn’t love a mini sandwich loaded with cheese? They are gone the second they cool down enough to touch.
- Easy Cleanup: Since we mix everything in one bowl and bake it right in the dish, cleanup is barely a thought.
If you love this flavor profile, you should absolutely check out my recipe for the Ultimate Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe for Game Day—they make a great snack duo!
Essential Ingredients for Your Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
Okay, you don’t need a million things for this, which is part of why I love it so much! But the few things we do use? They have to be right. Don’t sweat the chicken part, though—I generally just grab rotisserie chicken to make life easy, but you need 1.5 pounds of it, and it must be fully cooked and nicely shredded before we start.
Here’s the lineup. Don’t skip the butter; it’s crucial for the top buns!
- 1.5 lbs Cooked, Shredded Chicken: Make sure it’s completely shredded so everything mixes evenly.
- 1 Cup Buffalo Wing Sauce: This is your flavor backbone! We’ll talk about dialing the spice up or down later.
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted: This gets mixed in with the sauce, so make sure it’s fully melted before adding it to the bowl.
- 1/4 Cup Ranch Dressing and 1/4 Cup Blue Cheese Dressing: Yes, you need both! They balance the heat perfectly.
- 12 Slider Buns: Honestly, the small, square Hawaiian-style ones are the best for sliders like these. If you like sweet rolls, they work great here too.
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Gotta have that melty blanket on top.
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley: Just for a pop of color at the very end. Don’t skip the garnish—it makes them look professional!
Expert Tips for the Best Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
These sliders are so simple, but honestly, the difference between a good batch and a truly show-stopping batch comes down to three tiny things I learned the hard way. First off, never, ever just dump cold butter into your sauce mixture! You have to melt that butter first so it emulsifies right with the buffalo sauce and ranch. It makes the coating glossy and keeps the chicken from getting dry while it bakes.
Also, since we are using a baking dish, the cheese on top gets amazing, but the chicken underneath needs the sauce to really soak in. I always use a silicone spatula to gently press the chicken mixture down before topping it with the buns. It gets the sauce right into every nook and cranny. If you want more ideas on using these flavors, check out how I make my Irresistible Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe—it’s great for lighter meals!
Adjusting the Heat Level in Your Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
If you’re serving a crowd with mixed spice tolerance, this is easy to tweak! For less heat, just use a milder buffalo sauce, or even pull out about a quarter cup of the total sauce and replace it with extra melted butter. If you need more kick, grab a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper—maybe just 1/8 teaspoon—and mix it right in with the sauce. Trust me, a little cayenne goes a long, long way in these!
Choosing the Right Buns for Maximum Flavor Retention
I usually grab those small, dinner-roll style slider buns, often Hawaiian rolls if I can find them. Why? Because they are slightly sweet, which cuts the spice beautifully, and they hold up really well under moisture from the sauce. They don’t get soggy the way cheaper white rolls sometimes do when they steam in the oven. They are sturdy enough to trap all that juicy chicken goodness inside!
Step-by-Step Instructions for the Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
Okay, this is the fun part where everything comes together! The best part about this recipe is that you don’t need a separate saucepan or dirty bowl for every single step, which is a win in my book. Just grab one good, medium-sized mixing bowl for the filling, and you’re basically done preparing!
- First things first, get that oven warm! You want to preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It needs a few minutes to get happy while you assemble everything else.
- Now for the filling! In your bowl, toss in that beautiful shredded chicken. Pour over that buffalo wing sauce, the melted butter—make sure it’s completely liquid or it won’t mix right—and then add both your ranch and blue cheese dressings. Stir it up really well until every single shred of chicken is coated in that spicy, creamy dream mixture.
- Next up are the buns! You need to slice the slider buns horizontally, keeping the top halves attached to the bottom halves as much as you can; that way, they bake evenly together.
- Place the bottom halves gently into your 9×13 inch baking dish. If you grabbed those sweet Hawaiian rolls, be extra careful not to tear them apart yet!
- Spoon that gorgeous buffalo chicken mixture evenly all over those bottom buns. I usually try to distribute the sauce heavily in the center where it might pool less.
- Time to cap them off! Place the top halves of the buns right over that delicious chicken pile.
- Sprinkle that half cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly across the entire top surface of the buns. This is what makes them golden and bubbly!
- Pop the whole dish into your preheated oven. Bake it for about 15 to 20 minutes. You’re looking for the cheese to be fully melted and bubbly, and the filling to be piping hot all the way through.
- Once they come out and smell incredible, let them sit for just two minutes—careful, they’re molten! Slice right between the individual slider sections. Then, hit them with that fresh parsley garnish right before you serve them up. Enjoy them while they’re still nice and hot! You can find more tips on making great dinner rolls here, like these fluffy buttery ones, if you decide to bake your own buns next time!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
I always tell people that the brilliance of this recipe is how little time it takes, largely because we lean on a shortcut. If you’re rushing—and when are we not?—please use that store-bought rotisserie chicken! It saves so much time, and honestly, once it’s mixed into that rich sauce, no one can tell the difference. Just make sure you get a good amount, about 1.5 pounds worth, and that it’s nicely shredded.
Remember what I said about the heat? Don’t be afraid to adjust that buffalo sauce amount. If you use less, it’s milder, perfect for the littler ones. If you need a creamy alternative to the ranch and blue cheese, try mixing in a couple of spoonfuls of full-fat sour cream instead. It adds the thickness back without changing the flavor profile too drastically. For great bread ideas, check out how I make Irresistible Copycat Cheesecake Factory Honey Wheat Bread—those would make amazing buns, too!
Serving Suggestions for Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
Now that you have these amazing spicy, cheesy bites ready, you can’t just serve them alone, right? They need friends! Since these sliders are so rich and flavorful, I like to pair them with things that offer a fresh or crunchy contrast.
My top suggestion, hands down, is a really light, crisp green salad. Something simple is best so it doesn’t fight the buffalo flavor. Think about a Refreshing Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe for Summer Fun—the fruit keeps it light, and the vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cheese and butter perfectly. If you need something crunchier, some good old-fashioned celery and carrot sticks are mandatory for dipping in any leftover sauce!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
Don’t you just love having leftovers of the best party food? I always make sure to save a few, even though it’s a struggle! If you do have any of these spicy chicken sliders left over, you need to store them correctly so they don’t turn into sad, soggy buns by morning. Pop them into an airtight container right after they’ve cooled down completely—don’t seal them while they are warm, or you’ll end up with condensation and mush.
When you’re ready to reheat them, please, please skip the microwave! It makes the bread tough and chewy. The oven is your best friend here. Lay the leftovers out on a baking sheet, cover them loosely with foil so the cheese doesn’t burn, and heat them at about 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 12 minutes. That way, the heat gently warms the filling back up, and the bottom bread piece gets a little bit crisp again. It’s almost like they were just fresh out of the oven!
Frequently Asked Questions About the Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe
I get so many questions about these little guys, which just tells me how popular they are! It’s funny; once you make them once, you realize they’re so versatile for any kind of party or even just a quick dinner. If your question isn’t down here, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll try my best to answer it. Finding the perfect appetizer is serious business, and you can see all my other favorites in my appetizers section!
Can I make the chicken mixture ahead of time for this Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe?
Oh, absolutely you can! In fact, I encourage it if you are making these for a big event. You can mix the chicken, buffalo sauce, butter, and dressings together—just skip adding the cheese until you are ready to assemble and bake. Store that filling tightly covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When it’s game time, just pull it out, spoon it onto the buns, top with cheese, and bake as directed. It makes party day so much less stressful!
What is the best way to keep these spicy chicken sliders moist?
Moisture comes from two main places here, so pay attention! Number one: you must melt that butter completely before mixing it in! Cold butter just sits there and clumps a bit instead of coating everything evenly. Number two is avoiding overbaking. You only bake them until that cheddar cheese is melted and everything is heated through—usually just 15 to 20 minutes. If you bake them too long, all that lovely sauce dries out, and you lose the magic!
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of general cooked chicken?
You totally can, but remember, these sliders are designed to be super fast, so you have to do the work first! You can certainly boil or bake your own raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are cooked through. Then, you just need to shred them finely before you mix them with the sauce mixture. If you use raw chicken, it won’t work because you skip the initial cooking step; everything needs to be already cooked before it hits the cheese and goes into the oven!
Estimated Nutritional Data for One Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Slider
I always get asked about the numbers, so I’ve gathered the best estimates for one of these amazing sliders based on standard ingredients. Now, remember, my kitchen is a bit chaotic, so these figures are just guidelines! If you load up heavy on the blue cheese dressing or use a super high-fat cheese, your totals will shift a little.
Per serving (one slider), here’s the rough breakdown:
- Calories: About 350
- Fat: Roughly 18 grams
- Protein: A decent 22 grams!
- Carbohydrates: Around 25 grams
It’s a satisfying bite, packed with flavor and enough protein to keep you going through the party!
Print
Irresistible Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 12 sliders 1x
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
Simple recipe for spicy buffalo chicken sliders served on small buns.
Ingredients
Scale- 1.5 lbs cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
- 12 slider buns
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, buffalo wing sauce, melted butter, ranch dressing, and blue cheese dressing. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Slice the slider buns horizontally, keeping the tops and bottoms together in their original arrangement.
- Place the bottom halves of the buns in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture evenly over the bottom buns.
- Place the top halves of the buns over the chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top buns.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are heated through.
- Remove from the oven, slice between the individual sliders, and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of buffalo sauce for your preferred spice level.
- Use store-bought rotisserie chicken for faster preparation.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slider
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 750
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 22
- Cholesterol: 70
Keywords: buffalo chicken, sliders, spicy chicken, party food, easy appetizer