With three simple steps, you’ll have this finger-licking good BBQ Chicken Sliders recipe on the table. Make it in the crock pot or Instant Pot as a dump-and-go meal. Be sure to double and freeze the recipe to save your future self time!
“My family absolutely loves this recipe! A healthy, budget friendly alternative to pulled pork or beef…I highly recommend making the Thriving Home BBQ sauce to use in this recipe.”
– Anna
Why We Love BBQ Chicken Sliders
Dump-and-go meal for the crockpot OR Instant Pot .
Takes just minutes to prep.
All ages like it.
Can easily be prepped as a chicken freezer meal (so double and freeze one for later using our instructions).
Easy to serve for large group meals .
With the popularity of our Ham & Cheese Sliders and our Chicken Parmesan Sliders , we have a hunch this BBQ Chicken Slider recipe will be a winner for you, too.
Ingredients Needed
You will be amazed at how easy this barbecue chicken sliders recipe is. Besides the buns, here’s what you’ll need…
Ingredient Notes:
Pantry seasonings – Keep onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and S & P in your pantry to make this recipe anytime. You could also had in some smoked paprika.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Chicken thighs will also work and can cook a little longer than chicken breasts in the slow cooker (up to 4 hours).
BBQ sauce – We prefer to use our Homemade BBQ Sauce , but feel free to take a short cut from the store. My favorite cleaner brand that’s easy to find is Stubb’s Original or Sticky Sweet . We use this same sauce on our BBQ Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks .
Slider buns – Sometimes these are hard to find at the store, especially ones that don’t have a lot of yucky ingredients. You can always make Bread Machine Wheat Rolls or cut hoagie or hot dog buns in half.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Sliders
Season the Chicken Breast
The first step to making your sliders will be to season your chicken. Stir the seasoning mixture in a small bowl.
Then, sprinkle the seasoning over all sides of the chicken. Tip: You may want to put the chicken down the crockpot for this part for less mess!
Cook in the Crockpot or Instant Pot
Ah, now to the fun part–pressing a button and walking away!
Place the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker and top evenly with 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Turn the chicken to make sure it’s coated in the sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. That’s really it…otherwise you’ll dry out your chicken.
Keep scrolling if you want Instant Pot directions, too!
Instant Pot Directions
Add 1 cup of water or chicken broth and the steamer rack in the bottom of the pot.
Put the seasoned chicken breasts in a single layer on the rack and top evenly with 1 cup of BBQ sauce (turn halfway through so each side gets coated).
Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and quick release the remaining pressure. (If the chicken isn’t done, pressure cook for 1 more minute.)
Shred and Serve the Chicken Sliders
After your chicken is fully cooked (use an internal meat thermometer to ensure it is 165°F), you will remove it from the cooker and place it on a cutting board. Let it rest for about 5-10 minutes, and then use two forks to shred the chicken breast apart.
If you want a shortcut on shredding, consider tossing it into a Kitchen Aid Mixer (or a large mixer of your choice) and use the paddle attachment. Put it on low and watch it closely to make sure the chicken doesn’t get too shredded.
Once it’s shredded, add the chicken back into the crockpot or Instant Pot and stir in remaining 1/2 cup of BBQ Sauce .
When serving, I’d recommend laying out optional toppings for the sandwiches like pickle chips, 5-Ingredient Coleslaw (it’s fast and delicious), cheese slices, and Pickled Red Onions .
What to Serve with BBQ Chicken Sliders
Oh man, I have so many ideas for you! Here are a few really easy sides that would go great with this recipe (as well as our Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks )…
5-Ingredient Coleslaw
Microwave Corn on the Cob
Oven Roasted Asparagus
6-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Make It a Freezer Meal
It’s no secret we are big fans of freezer meals around here. In fact, we have 2 freezer meal cookbooks , 1 Hour Freezer Prep Sessions , and even a round-up with healthy freezer meal recipes that you will love !
So, yep, we have freezer meal instructions for the sliders.
Freeze For Later: Follow Step 1. Add the seasoned chicken and 1 cup of BBQ sauce to the bag. Seal, squish around to distribute the sauce, squeeze out any excess air, and freeze alongside the buns (and extra sauce in a small bag, if desired). (Note: If you want to cook this from frozen in the Instant Pot, place the bag in a round container in the freezer until frozen and then remove. Try not to stack the chicken, but place it in one flat layer.)
Prepare From Frozen: Two options for cooking:
Thawed in either cooker: Thaw completely and follow Steps 2-4.
From frozen in the Instant Pot: Do not thaw. Place the frozen meal in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of chicken broth. Lock and seal the lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Follow Steps 3-4.
Recipe FAQs
How long should I slow cook the chicken? Wait wait wait! We want to make sure you don’t overcook your chicken. For a long time, I chronically overcooked and dried out chicken breast in the slow cooker. After testing hundreds of recipes in the crockpot, we’ve honed in on the perfect timing: 2 1/2 – 3 hours on low. Yes, you read that right. Chicken breast only takes 2 1/2 – 3 hours on low to be fully cooked. It makes us cringe when we see recipes out there that tell you to cook chicken for 6-8 hours. In fact, we have written an entire post about how long to cook your chicken in the crockpot if you want to read about it in more detail. Can I use frozen chicken in the crockpot? As cookbook authors and freezer meal experts, we commonly get the question, “Can I cook frozen food in the crockpot?” I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but simply put, the answer is no. You should not put frozen food in a crockpot. I know, we are sad too.
More Delicious Slider Recipes
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Italian Sliders
Turkey Burger Sliders
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
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