Crispy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders
A game-day favorite featuring tender, shredded chicken thighs tossed in a tangy buffalo sauce, coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs, and served on sweet slider buns with blue cheese dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-4 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Frank’s RedHot hot sauce
- Unsalted butter
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Slider buns (Hawaiian or Kaiser rolls)
- Blue cheese dressing
- Cooking oil (for skillet)
- Salt and pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place them in the slow cooker.
- Melt butter with hot sauce in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Pour over chicken and toss to coat evenly.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2-3 hours until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Reserve about half a cup of the cooking liquid.
- Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker or a large bowl and stir in the reserved cooking liquid. Let sit for 10 minutes to absorb sauce.
- In a wide bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs with garlic powder and onion powder.
- Toss handfuls of shredded chicken in the panko mixture, pressing gently to ensure crumbs stick.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little oil. Add coated chicken in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
- Warm slider buns by toasting lightly in the oven or microwave.
- Assemble sliders by piling crispy chicken onto buns. Serve immediately with blue cheese dressing on the side.
Notes
For best results, pat chicken dry before cooking to ensure sauce adherence. Toast panko in a skillet or oven right before serving to maintain crunch. Do not store coated chicken as it will lose crispiness; store shredded chicken separately. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free panko and buns. For dairy-free, swap butter for olive oil and use dairy-free blue cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slider per person
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
Keywords: buffalo chicken, slow cooker, sliders, game day food, crispy chicken, panko, easy dinner, spicy chicken, finger food