4th July BBQ Chicken Sliders (Printable)

Tender BBQ chicken paired with fresh coleslaw on soft slider buns, ideal for summer gatherings.

# Ingredient List:

→ BBQ Chicken

01 - 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 cup BBQ sauce
03 - 0.5 cup chicken broth
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
08 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Coleslaw

09 - 3 cups shredded green cabbage
10 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
11 - 1 medium carrot, grated
12 - 0.25 cup mayonnaise
13 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
15 - 1 teaspoon honey
16 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Assembly

17 - 8 slider buns
18 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How to Prepare:

01 - Season chicken breasts with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and sear 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned.
02 - Add chicken broth and BBQ sauce to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-18 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.
03 - Remove chicken and shred with two forks, then return to the skillet. Toss with sauce and simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes until thickened.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
05 - Add shredded green and red cabbage and grated carrot to the dressing. Toss well to coat evenly and set aside.
06 - Brush slider buns with melted butter. Toast in a skillet or under the broiler until golden brown.
07 - Place a generous scoop of BBQ chicken on each bottom bun. Top with a heap of coleslaw and cover with the top bun. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, which means you can spend more time actually enjoying company instead of fussing in the kitchen.
  • Shredded chicken soaked in sauce stays impossibly tender, and the crisp coleslaw gives you that textural contrast that makes every bite interesting.
  • These sliders disappear fast at any gathering, and people always ask for the recipe because they taste way fancier than the effort required.
02 -
  • If your chicken starts looking dry during cooking, you can always add a splash more broth—it's better to have slightly loose sauce that you can reduce than to end up with rubbery meat that nobody wants to eat.
  • The coleslaw will get softer and more vinegary if it sits for more than a few hours, so make it ahead if you want, but dress it right before serving for maximum crunch and brightness.
03 -
  • Buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket and you can have these assembled in fifteen minutes flat—the shortcut works so well that nobody will ever know you didn't spend hours cooking.
  • Make the coleslaw the morning of your gathering and refrigerate it, but only dress it right before serving or it'll soften and lose that refreshing crunch that makes the contrast work.
Return