Can I cook this recipe in the oven?

Yes. Toss chicken with buffalo sauce in a large baking dish and bake at 375° Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit. Keep in mind that quickly baked chicken may not shred as easily as slow cooker chicken: If you cook your chicken in the oven, you may find it's easier to slice it than to shred it. You can also cut baked chicken into several large pieces and use one piece per sandwich (instead of specifically making shredded buffalo chicken sliders).

Why is my chicken hard to shred in a crockpot?

If your chicken is hard to shred after a few hours of cooking, it may need more time at low heat in the slow cooker. That low + slow cook time is key to creating moist chicken that easily falls apart. For food safety, always be sure to cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.

Can I make this recipe with frozen chicken?

No. We always recommend thawing your chicken before cooking it in a crock pot! Slow cookers use a low temperature, which means frozen chicken defrosts slowly and can linger in the USDA's temperature "danger zone" (between 40-140°F) where bad bacteria thrive. If you only have frozen chicken handy, you can thaw frozen chicken in the fridge overnight or submerge an airtight bag of frozen chicken in a dish of cold water for 30 minutes until it thaws, then proceed with the recipe as written.

What is a good side for buffalo chicken sliders?

If you're making these crockpot buffalo chicken sliders as an appetizer for a crowd, we recommend pairing them with other fun, game-day style finger foods (like our bacon cheese tater tots , bbq chicken nachos , a tray of carrots and celery sticks with some ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping, or greek yogurt twice baked potatoes ). If you're serving these sandwiches as part of a full meal, add a side like our arugula lemon salad , greek yogurt potato salad , or some baked broccoli and parmesan !

Can I turn this recipe into a buffalo chicken dip instead of sliders?

Yes! Once the chicken is shredded, stir a few generous scoops of cream cheese into the crock pot and let the heat of the chicken melt it into a thick dip (don't forget to taste and add any seasonings as necessary!) Top with blue cheese and serve with chips, carrot sticks, or crackers. You can also add extra cheese (white cheddar, goat cheese, mozzarella) to the chicken if you'd like a richer, cheesier dip. If you prefer to serve this as a dip, we recommend leaving out the arugula and instead topping the dip with a handful of sliced green onions.

Can I make these sandwiches for a crowd?

Yes! It's easy to scale this buffalo chicken sliders recipe up for more servings: just plan to use about 2/3 cup of buffalo hot sauce or wing sauce for every 1 pound of chicken you cook. (Fun fact: You can also hit the handy "1x", "2x," or "3x" buttons in the recipe card below to scale any recipe for you!) If you're feeding a big group, save time by setting out each component on its own to make a build-your-own sandwich bar instead of assembling everything yourself. If the food will be out for more than half an hour or so, skip dressing the arugula so it doesn't wilt.

Can I make this chicken ahead of time?

Yes! This chicken is easy to make in advance. Cook the chicken in the slow cooker as directed, shred it, then let it cool completely. Transfer cooled chicken to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months (you may want to toss it with a bit of extra buffalo sauce after defrosting to help restore some of the flavor!)

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Description

Slow cooker buffalo chicken is the star of these easy sliders - perfect for game day or busy weeknights!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large pieces)
2/3 cup buffalo sauce
kosher salt, to taste

To Assemble the Sandwiches:

8-10 slider buns, halved
3 heaping cups fresh arugula
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
kosher salt, to taste
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

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Instructions

Make the Slow Cooker Chicken:

Toss chicken breasts, buffalo sauce, and a pinch of salt together in the bowl of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender.
Use two forks to carefully shred chicken (do this right in the bowl of the slow cooker: this helps the chicken soak up any extra buffalo sauce as it cools!) Set aside while you prep the rest of the sandwich ingredients.

Assemble the Sandwiches:

Toast slider buns using your preferred method. You can use the oven (lay the buns out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 400° F for 4-8 minutes until toasted), a toaster oven, or a cast iron skillet over medium high heat for this! Just don't skip the toasting step: Toasting the slider rolls adds some much-needed texture to these sliders.
In a medium bowl, toss arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
Time to assemble! Top each toasted slider bun with a scoop of shredded buffalo chicken, a few crumbles of blue cheese, and a handful of dressed arugula. Serve immediately.

Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Use sharp white cheddar, pepper jack, gorgonzola, or mozzarella in place of the blue cheese. Add pickles, coleslaw, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or extra buffalo sauce to the sandwiches during assembly if you like. Swap the arugula for spinach or mixed greens. Use BBQ sauce in place of buffalo sauce if you prefer. Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of breasts.

Which rolls should I use? Pretzel slider rolls, potato rolls, Hawaiian rolls, or mini burger buns are all good here (this is also great with our salted dinner rolls!). For larger sandwiches, use four regular-sized hamburger or sandwich buns (or try our whole wheat burger buns). Whatever rolls you use, be sure to toast them before assembling the sandwiches!

In a hurry? Cook chicken on the crockpot's high heat setting for 3-4 hours.

Store cooled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. This chicken also freezes well - it will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for 3-4 months (you may want to toss it with some fresh buffalo sauce once it's defrosted for extra flavor!)

Ingredients and Equipment. We used a 5 quart Crock Pot slow cooker in these photos. We've tested this recipe with a variety of buffalo wing sauces - use whatever you like! We typically have Frank's or a generic store brand of hot sauce on hand.

Food Safety Tip: Always make sure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165° Fahrenheit.