Buffalo Chicken Sliders

These Buffalo Chicken Sliders layer tangy, saucy chicken and melted cheese inside soft, slightly sweet Hawaiian rolls. The Buffalo sauce brings heat and vinegar tang, the cheese melts into the chicken, and garlic butter adds a savory finish without making the rolls heavy.

Hawaiian roll Buffalo chicken sliders are great for game day, parties, or an easy dinner. For this recipe, I use my Hawaiian Dinner Rolls, but a pack from the store works too! I love serving them with other handhelds like my cheeseburger sliders and BBQ pulled pork sliders, or adding them to a bigger game-day spread.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made with cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken works for a quick option, or you can use homemade shredded chicken.
• Bakes all at once: Layer everything on one slab of rolls instead of assembling individual sandwiches.
• Easy to serve: Cut or pull the sliders apart for game day, parties, potlucks, or a casual dinner.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Grab the exact ingredient amounts from the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For the Sliders

• Hawaiian dinner rolls: I use my homemade Hawaiian Dinner Rolls, which make a 15-roll slab. You can also use a 12-count package of Hawaiian sweet rolls from the store. Keep the filling amounts the same; the store-bought sliders will just be a little meatier.
• Shredded chicken: Start with fully cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken is the quickest shortcut, or use my Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken or Instant Pot Shredded Chicken.
• Buffalo sauce: Use your favorite Buffalo sauce and add more to taste.
• Unsalted butter: A little melted butter goes into the chicken mixture.
• Garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika: These add savory flavor and a little smokiness to the Buffalo chicken.
• Salt and black pepper: Season the chicken before assembling the sliders.
• Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese: Both melt well without competing with the Buffalo sauce. Pepper Jack also works if you want more heat.

For the Garlic Butter Topping

• Unsalted butter: This forms the base of the topping.
• Fresh garlic: Gives the butter fresh garlic flavor.
• Garlic powder: Adds garlic flavor throughout the melted butter.
• Salt: Seasons the topping.
• Fresh parsley: Adds a fresh finish to the garlic butter.

For Serving

• Coleslaw: My Vinegar Coleslaw gives the hot sliders a cool, tangy crunch. For something creamier, use my Southern Coleslaw.
• Creamy dressing: Serve Blue Cheese Dressing or Ranch Dressing on the side for dipping.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Making Hawaiian roll Buffalo chicken sliders is mostly about getting the layers right. Use the photos below as a guide.

Coat the Chicken Without Drowning It

Mix the shredded chicken with the Buffalo sauce, butter, and seasonings until every piece is coated. It should look moist and saucy, but there shouldn’t be extra sauce collecting at the bottom of the bowl.

Start With Cheese

Slice the slab of rolls horizontally, then cover the bottom half with cheese from edge to edge.

Add the Chicken & More Cheese

Spread the Buffalo chicken evenly over the first layer of cheese, then add the remaining cheese on top.

Brush the Tops With Garlic Butter

Put the top half of the rolls in place, then brush on the garlic butter. Coat the tops evenly and let a little butter work into the seams rather than pouring it heavily over one area.

Bake Until Hot & Melty

Keep the sliders covered for the first part of baking so the centers heat through and the cheese melts before the rolls brown too much.

Finish With Golden Tops

Uncover for the final few minutes. Look for melted cheese around the edges and lightly golden roll tops, then let the sliders rest briefly before pulling or cutting them apart.

How to Keep Buffalo Chicken Sliders From Getting Soggy

Start with the amount of Buffalo sauce listed in the recipe and add more gradually. The shredded chicken should be completely coated, but you don’t want extra sauce collecting underneath it.

I also put cheese directly on the bottom rolls before adding the chicken. As it melts, the cheese creates a layer between the moist filling and the bread.

If you’re adding coleslaw, wait until after baking. That keeps the cabbage cold and crunchy without adding extra moisture to the rolls.

Pro Tips

• Make the Buffalo chicken from scratch: My Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken is a good option when you want to make the Buffalo-flavored chicken from scratch before assembling the sliders.
• Try ranch seasoning instead: Replace the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in the chicken with my Ranch Seasoning, adding it to taste. Keep the garlic butter topping as written.

What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Sliders

I especially like vinegar coleslaw with these sliders because the cold, crunchy cabbage and tangy dressing balance the hot Buffalo chicken, melted cheese, and sweet rolls. My Southern Coleslaw gives you the same crunch with a creamier dressing.

For dipping, I put out homemade blue cheese dressing and homemade ranch and let everyone choose. If you want another hearty handheld on the table, my pulled pork sliders work well alongside these too.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating

• Make ahead: Mix the Buffalo chicken and garlic butter ahead of time and refrigerate them separately. Assemble the sliders closer to baking so the filling isn’t sitting against the rolls for hours.
• Store: Keep leftover sliders in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the coleslaw and dipping sauces separately.
• Freeze: You can freeze the baked sliders without the coleslaw, but the rolls will be softer once thawed. For the best texture, I prefer freezing extra Buffalo chicken separately and assembling fresh sliders later.
• Reheat: Cover the sliders loosely with foil and warm them in the oven until heated through. Uncover for the last few minutes so the tops can get lightly crisp again. The microwave works for one or two sliders, but the bread will be softer.

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