Why This Recipe Works
These buffalo chicken sliders are a spin on classic buffalo wings!
My husband and I love the taste of buffalo wing sauce, so I’ve been finding ways to put the flavor of buffalo wings into even more recipes.
So far I’ve made these buffalo chicken sliders, buffalo chicken tacos, buffalo chicken pasta, and buffalo chicken dip. Did I mention we like buffalo wing sauce?!
These buffalo chicken sliders are perfect for game day, tailgating, and even a quick weeknight dinner.
Top them with a batch of our homemade blue cheese dressing, if you like!
- Just 15 minutes to prep these sliders! And you can prep them ahead if you want to have them ready to go for a party or game day.
- You can make them more or less spicy to suit your tastes.
- All the delicious taste of buffalo wings wrapped up in a sandwich! Bonus: They are much less messy to eat than wings!
Ingredient Notes
- Sliders – The buns that had the best taste test reviews and were used for the photos are Aunt Millie’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls. They tend to be larger and firm enough to support the filling. You can also use regular Hawaiian rolls, and the recipe card includes adjustments.
- Chicken – Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken makes this recipe quick and easy. You can also use a whole chicken or cook your own chicken and shred it to use for this recipe. See details in the recipe notes in the recipe card below.
- Mozzarella Cheese – This makes these sliders extra melty. For best flavor, grate the mozzarella yourself.
- Celery and Green Onions – These add a nice crunch to the sliders, similar to eating celery sticks alongside wings, but you can skip it if you prefer.
- Blue Cheese – These are a classic with wings, but you can skip it if you don’t care for the flavor.
Easy Instructions
STEP 1. Prep the rolls. Cut the rolls in half horizontally, cutting evenly and keeping the rolls connected. Place the bottom half in a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
STEP 2. Make the filling. Mix softened cream cheese, green onions, celery, parsley, garlic powder, seasoned salt, pepper and hot sauce together until well combined. Fold in the shredded chicken and mozzarella cheese.
STEP 3. Assemble the sliders. Spread the creamy chicken mixture over the base layer of the rolls. Sprinkle with blue cheese then top with the top layer of the sliders.
STEP 4. Brush with butter and bake. Combine the melted butter and Italian seasoning and brush on top of the sliders. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until browned and heated through. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then slice and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to use dinner rolls or buns that come all stuck together. We assemble and bake them all together and wait to cut them when ready to serve.
- The dinner rolls we used are on the bigger side and stand up nicely to the creamy filling. If you are using smaller Hawaiian style type slider rolls, use just 4 ounces of cream cheese, ¼ -⅓ cup of wing sauce, and 2-3 cups of shredded chicken. No need to adjust the other ingredient amounts.
- Adjust the heat. You can use a little more hot sauce for more heat or less if you want to cut down on the spicy factor. Frank’s Wing sauce is not too spicy (and note that it’s the WING sauce, not the HOT sauce) and is a good place to start.
- Grate your own cheese. I like to buy cheese in blocks and grate it myself to add to recipes. It melts more quickly and tastes fresher this way! I use this rotary grater from Amazon that makes a big difference in how much cheese you get.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make the filling a day ahead of time. Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Fill the sliders and bake the next day.
You can also make the sandwiches (except for brushing the butter on them) a day ahead and cover the baking dish with plastic. Brush with seasoned butter and bake the next day.
Yup! You can freeze these sandwiches in individual portions. Then you can reheat in the microwave for a quick lunch or snack.
Leftover sliders will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days.
You can reheat individual sliders in the microwave until hot. You can also reheat 4 at a time in an Air Fryer at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes to get a crispy bun. Or bring them to room temperature and bake in a pan covered with foil at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
More Chicken Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Ring
- Pineapple Chicken
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Bourbon Chicken
- Tequila Chicken
- More Easy Main Dish Ideas
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 package (12 pack) Hawaiian-type sweet rolls
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 green onions, chopped
- ⅓ cup finely diced celery
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup Frank’s Wing sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- ½ cup Blue cheese crumbles (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Chopped chives (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375℉ degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- With a serrated knife, cut the rolls in half horizontally, cutting evenly and keeping the rolls connected. Once separated, there should be a large bottom “bun” and a large “top” bun.
- Remove the top half. Set aside. Place the bottom half, cut side up, in the pan.
- Mix softened cream cheese, green onions, celery, parsley, garlic powder, seasoned salt, pepper, and hot sauce in a medium-sized bowl.
- Fold in the shredded chicken and mozzarella cheese. Spread the mixture in an even layer over the bottom buns.
- Sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top of the chicken. Place the top bun on the chicken layer.
- In a small dish, combine the melted butter and Italian seasoning. Brush the tops of the rolls with the butter mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned and heated.
- Remove from the oven, and let sit for a few minutes before slicing between rolls.
Notes
Storage and Freezing
- You can make the filling a day ahead of time. Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Fill and bake the next day.
- You may also make the sandwiches (except for brushing the butter on them) a day ahead and wrap the baking dish with plastic. Brush with seasoned butter and bake the next day.
- Leftover sandwiches will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 or 5 days.
Reheating
- Oven - Allow the sliders to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350℉. Cover with foil and heat for 5-7 minutes or until heated.
- Microwave - We recommend reheating the sliders, one at a time, to prevent them from getting soggy. Heat the slider on a microwave-safe plate for about 15 seconds. This reheating method will create a very melty and creamy filling.
- Air-Fryer - Place 4 sliders on a piece of foil and set the air fryer to 370℉ for 5 minutes. This reheating method will result in a nicely crisped bun.
- All the taste of Buffalo chicken wings wrapped up in a slider! This easy recipe uses rotisserie chicken, making it perfect for Game Day! Buffalo wings are served with celery sticks and blue cheese dip. The crunch of celery, the tanginess of the sauce, and the creaminess of cream cheese make for a great slider.
- We picked the rotisserie chicken because it’s convenient, tender, and well-seasoned. You can either buy a whole chicken and shred it or buy it already shredded. Some brands are more heavily seasoned than others. Refer to the label for those details and adjust accordingly. This is why we listed a range for the seasoning salt amount.
- If you are using a whole chicken, some are larger than others. Anywhere between 3 and 4 cups of chicken will work. A grocery store brand will typically yield about 3 cups. Sometimes buying the pre-shredded is better when you need the larger amount.
- You can also cook chicken and shred it for the sandwiches. A 5-ounce chicken breast is about 1 cup shredded.
- Use the lesser amount listed if you are sensitive to hot sauce or are trying it for the first time. You can always add more, but it’s hard to correct if it’s too spicy. Frank’s Wing sauce is not too spicy and is a good one to start. We used the WING sauce variety, not the HOT sauce, which we find spicier.
- The buns that had the best taste test reviews and were used for the photos are Aunt Millie’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls. They tend to be larger and firm enough to support the filling.
- For making the sliders with smaller buns, like on a standard Hawaiian roll, we suggest using 4 ounces of cream cheese, ¼ -⅓ cup of wing sauce, and 2-3 cups of shredded chicken. The other ingredients stay the same.
- For the most creamy, melty sandwich, grate the mozzarella cheese. I used a 16-ounce round of cheese and got 2 cups from grating only half of it using this rotary grater from amazon. I love it, and it is so easy and makes a big difference in the amount of shredded cheese you can get.
- If you don’t like celery or green onions, you can omit them. We added them for a nice crunch to every bite.
- Don’t care for Blue Cheese? Feel free to omit it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 312Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 627mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 24g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
There is no option…blue cheese or ranch!! Oh my goodness…
Chicken wings in any form MUST be served with blue cheese.
Coming from an almost Buffalonian….
Buffalo, NY home of the chicken wing !! ??
i love this combination…and they are so adorable too! great recipe for the blue cheese dressing, btw. thank you for sharing with tuesday night supper club!
Congratulations Aimee,
You are featured on Full Plate Thursday this week, enjoy!
Miz Helen
Suzie- not stealing since I shared the recipe 🙂 Feel free to make and let me know what you think. Hard to go wrong on these!
Christina- ditto for me! I love buffalo!
Wow, this is easy! Sounds superb. Really, anything buffalo style and I’m there!
this looks so good! i love blue cheese and buffalo ANYTHING. new follower and recipe stealer 🙂
www.semihomemadesuzie.com
These sound wonderful! I am a huge fan of buffalo anything, so I know I would love them!!
Your buffalo chicken looks amazing. Yes, what a perfect combination to pair it with blue cheese! Love your recipe.
BTW, I’m hosting a little Giveaway on my blog. Please stop by to enter when you have a chance. Here’s the link: http://utry.it/2011/05/hong-kong-macau-and-australia-trippart.html
Have a wonderful weekend.
Amy
http://utry.it
Hi Aimee,
Your are leaving me with a little laugh from your post. The little sliders look great and that dressing looks delicious. Great combination and flavor. Thanks for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
Aimee…you cracked me up with this post! Tell your farmer over your shoulder I LOVE BEEF! 😉
Thanks for always linking up!
Yum! New to your blog, I found you over at Tasty Kitchen. I’m your newest follower.
mickey
Thanks 🙂
LOL. Loved reading about your dilemma. 🙂 I think BOTH the buffalo chicken and the homemade blue cheese look and sound delicious.