Most buffalo chicken sliders go wrong in the same place. The tops brown too fast, the bottoms turn firm, and the filling ends up heavy on chicken with barely any cheese coming through.
I know because the first version of this recipe I tested had all of those problems. This version corrects all of them directly. These sliders pull apart clean, stay soft underneath, and actually taste like buffalo chicken with cheese instead of just shredded chicken in sauce. The difference comes down to when the butter goes on and how the sliders are baked.
Read This Before You Start
- The rolls bake as a slab — don’t separate them before baking or you’ll lose the structure that holds everything together.
- I find it easiest to take all of the chicken off the bones while it’s still warm. Cold rotisserie chicken is harder to shred finely and you want fine shreds, not chunks, so every bite has even coverage.
If you’re looking for a slider where you don’t need to shred the meat, you want our chicken parmesan sliders.
- Have your foil ready before you start. You’ll need it twice: once to line the pan, once to tent the sliders while baking.
Ingredient Notes
Get the full ingredients list here.
Buffalo Wing Sauce: I use buffalo wing sauce not Frank’s hot sauce. Wing sauce has a built-in butter base that coats the chicken differently and carries the flavor through the bake. If you have hot sauce, use it for crockpot buffalo chicken dip.
Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning: I found brand matters here. My recipe tester used another brand and the glaze clumped. Hidden Valley dissolves into the melted butter evenly. Note – you are buying the ranch dry seasoning packet, not the actual dressing.
King’s Hawaiian Rolls: The sweetness is doing real work against the heat of the buffalo sauce. A plain dinner roll won’t give you the same contrast. If you can’t find King’s Hawaiian, any soft sweet dinner roll in a 12-pack works, but the flavor balance will be slightly different.
Rotisserie chicken: Buy a 2½–3 lb chicken at the grocery store and you’ll get exactly 3 cups of finely shredded chicken. It’s the same recommendation I make with my crack chicken sliders and my BBQ chicken sliders.
Recipe Test Notes – April 2026
This recipe was originally published in 2019. It was tested in February 2026 by my independent recipe tester, Angela, to make sure it still holds up,
The Verdict: The flavor of the buffalo chicken sliders worked, but the method didn’t. The tops browned too quickly and the bottoms turned firm. Even tenting the sliders with foil wrap partway through baking didn’t fix the issue.
Tester Corrections: Angela’s test showed that the sliders needed a two-stage bake. Now, they’re covered for the first 10 minutes, then uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes. This heats the filling through without overbrowning the tops or letting the sauce soak into the rolls.
In addition, the butter now goes on when the foil comes off. This allows the butter to melt into the rolls instead of scorching on top.
Storage Instructions
Make Ahead Tips
Don’t fully assemble your sliders if you want to make them ahead. The bread absorbs the sauce and the texture is gone before baking.
The way I make them ahead is by prepping the chicken filling up to 24 hours in advance and putting it in the fridge. When I am rerefrigerate it separately, and let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before you assemble and go straight into the oven.
Storing Sliders
I’ve found that, by far, sliders are best eaten the day they’re made. I’d hesitate even If you do have leftovers, you can keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Skip the microwave when reheating as it makes the rolls rubbery and the bottoms damp. Wrap them in foil and reheat at 325°F for about 10 minutes, or use an air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes.
Saucy buffalo chicken and melty cheese tucked into soft rolls make these hard to pass up—check out more Super Bowl recipes for the party.
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 package Hawaiian sweet rolls (12 count), I used King’s Hawaiian brand
- 3 cups finely shredded cooked chicken, from 2½-3 pound rotisserie chicken
- ¾ cup buffalo wing sauce
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix, I used Hidden Valley brand
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a small 9×13-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Slice the sheet of Hawaiian sweet rolls in half horizontally, being careful not to separate them.
- Place the bottom half of the rolls in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Set the top half to the side.
- Stir together the chicken, buffalo wing sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the ranch seasoning mix until well combined.
- Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the bottom layer of rolls.
- Top the chicken with the shredded mozzarella cheese, followed by the blue cheese crumbles. Be sure to evenly distribute the cheese over the chicken layer.
- Place the Hawaiian sweet roll tops onto the sliders and press down gently to secure.
- Cover the buffalo chicken sliders with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
- While the sliders are baking, stir together the melted butter and remaining 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix until well combined.
- Remove the sliders from the oven and discard the aluminum foil.
- Brush the top of the sliders with the butter mixture.
- Return to the oven uncovered for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and allow the sliders to rest for 3-4 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Comments
Toni Thomason says
This is so tasty! I love the twist on this and makes a perfect appetizer or even dinner idea.
Sarah says
These are easy and yummy – great for dinner or snacks.
Beth says
Easy and delicious! Thank you!