Irresistible BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
Tender shredded chicken coated in smoky barbecue sauce and ranch is layered with crispy bacon, red onion, dill pickles, sharp cheddar, and Monterey Jack inside buttery Hawaiian rolls. The sliders are brushed with savory garlic butter and baked together until hot, golden, cheesy, and ready to pull apart.
Equipment
- 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- Large mixing bowl
- Small microwave-safe bowl
- Serrated bread knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Silicone pastry brush
- Aluminum foil
- Instant-read thermometer
- Spatula or serving knife
Ingredients
Chicken Filling
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- 1/2 cup thick barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Slider Layers
- 1 package 12-count Hawaiian rolls
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese freshly shredded
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
- 1/3 cup dill pickle slices drained and patted dry
Garlic-Butter Topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
For Serving
- Additional barbecue sauce optional
- Ranch dressing optional
- Sliced jalapeños optional
- Additional dill pickles optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Add the cooked chicken, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, dry ranch seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir until the chicken is evenly coated. The filling should be moist, but there should not be sauce pooled at the bottom of the bowl.
- Keep the Hawaiian rolls connected. Use a serrated knife to slice horizontally through the entire slab, creating one connected top half and one connected bottom half.
- Place the bottom half of the rolls inside the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle half of the sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack evenly over the bottom rolls. This cheese layer helps protect the bread from the moist filling.
- Spread the BBQ chicken mixture evenly over the cheese.
- Top the chicken with the crumbled bacon, diced red onion, and drained pickle slices.
- Sprinkle the remaining sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack evenly over the filling.
- Place the connected top half of the rolls over the cheese.
- Add the melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and optional sesame seeds to a small bowl. Stir until combined.
- Brush the garlic-butter mixture generously over the tops and exposed edges of the rolls. Allow some of the butter to settle into the seams between the sliders.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is completely melted.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the chicken filling in one of the center sliders. The filling should reach 165°F.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the sliders rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice or pull the sliders apart and serve with additional barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, pickles, or jalapeños.
Notes
Rotisserie chicken is the fastest and easiest chicken option.
Leftover smoked, grilled, baked, or slow-cooked chicken can also be used.
Use a thick barbecue sauce to prevent the bottom rolls from becoming soggy.
The chicken mixture should be moist and fully coated, but it should not be runny.
Drain and pat the pickle slices dry before adding them.
Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly, but packaged shredded cheese is acceptable when convenience matters.
Pepper Jack can replace Monterey Jack for a spicier version.
Colby Jack can be used for a milder, family-friendly version.
Smoked gouda can replace part of the cheddar for additional smoky flavor.
Store-bought barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, and ranch seasoning work perfectly well. There is no need to make them from scratch.
Killer Hogs, Kinder’s, and Meat Church offer good store-bought sauce and seasoning options, but any thick barbecue sauce your family enjoys will work.
For spicy sliders, add jalapeños, Pepper Jack cheese, hot sauce, cayenne, or spicy barbecue sauce.
For Buffalo chicken sliders, replace the barbecue sauce with Buffalo sauce and keep the ranch dressing.
For pulled pork sliders, replace the chicken with cooked pulled pork. Reduce the barbecue sauce and ranch if the pork is already saucy.
For a bacon-free version, leave out the bacon or replace it with crispy fried onions.
The sliders can be assembled up to 6 hours before baking. Refrigerate them without the garlic-butter topping, then brush on the butter immediately before baking.
Sliders baked directly from the refrigerator may require an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Do not assemble the sliders the night before because the filling may soften the bread.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheat leftovers in a 325°F oven until the center reaches 165°F. Remove the foil during the final few minutes to crisp the tops.
Individual sliders can be reheated in an air fryer at 325°F for approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
The microwave can be used, but it will make the rolls softer.
Nutrition is estimated and will vary according to the exact chicken, rolls, barbecue sauce, ranch, bacon, butter, and cheese used.