A slider topped with slaw, sriracha chicken, and ranch sauce sits atop a wooden cutting board on a marble counter.

A lot of times we reserve slow cooker meals for the cold weather months, but I’m here to tell you that your slow cooker can make easy work of summertime meals as well! Sure, these slow cooker chicken sliders are perfect for game day eats, but they’re also awesome for any random weeknight where you want to kick up your dinner!

They take just a few minutes of prep time, and then the slow cooker does all the work for you while you go about your life. Come back in the evening to flavorful, spicy chicken just begging to be slathered onto a bun! Let’s get cooking.

Overhead of two sliders on parchment paper, one of which is partially eaten.

What is in these chicken sliders?

There are four parts to these mini sandwiches: the pulled chicken which is cooked in a sriracha butter sauce (!), the creamy, sweet slaw, the cool ranch sauce on top, and the sweet Hawaiian rolls as the bread. You donโ€™t have to make the slaw or the ranch dressing, but I highly recommend it. The four flavors together are such an amazing combo.

And, trust me, you wonโ€™t be sorry to have the leftovers in your fridge. Iโ€™ve even been eating them on top of a bed of romaineโ€”itโ€™s a really delicious way to get all the flavor of the sliders in a lighter lunch.

Teach me how to cook shredded chicken sliders!

For the easiest chicken sliders, you’re going to want to break out your old friend, the slow cooker. Combine the chicken breasts with some butter, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and sriracha, and let them all cook together for a few hours while you prep the slaw and ranch sauce and go about your day.

By that point, all you’ll need to do is take two forks to that tender chicken, and it will shred like a dream!

A spoon drizzles greek yogurt ranch sauce onto the top of a sriracha chicken slider.

How big of a slow cooker do I need?

I only have one large slow cooker (this six quart Hamilton Beach beauty that Iโ€™ve been lovingly using since we were married a decade ago), but this is a great recipe if you have a smaller slow cooker, too. So many of the slow cooker recipes out there (most of mine, included) would overwhelm a smaller slow cooker, but not this one!

I sometimes borrow my Mamaโ€™s three quart Crock Pot (this one) for smaller dishes, and these sliders would be a great option if thatโ€™s all you have in your kitchen.

Wholefully Protip

This recipe also works using the slow cooker setting on your Instant Pot (AKA: an electric pressure cooker).

I need how much sriracha?

Youโ€™re going to look at the recipe and see it calls for a 1/3 cup of sriracha and either (a) think it’s a typo (those of you with a low heat tolerance) or (b) think that sounds awesome (those of you with stainless steel tongues).

The truth is, while a third of a cup of hot sauce sounds like a lot, it isnโ€™t unbearably spicy. In fact, I think some folks would even consider it to be mild. Something about the slow cooker seems to mild down sriracha nicely (which isnโ€™t super spicy anyway). It also helps that youโ€™re only eating the chicken in little bursts thanks to the size of the sliders.

Donโ€™t worry heat fans, itโ€™s still the have-to-blow-your-nose-after-dinner kind of spicy. But those of you that really want to scorch your mouth might want to drizzle on some more sriracha before biting in.

Wholefully Protip

Want to make these sliders even hotter? Add a teaspoon or two of your favorite burn-your-mouth hot sauce to the mix.

A spoon rests inside a mason jar filled with homemade ranch sauce.

How do I serve these sriracha chicken sliders?

We recommend setting them up buffet-style and letting folks build their own perfect sliderโ€”that way everyone can customize how much of each element they have on their sandwich. Some topping options to add to the slider bar, along with the ranch sauce and slaw:

  • Cheddar cheese
  • Red onion
  • Bacon crumbles
  • BBQ sauce
  • Garlic butter
  • More sriracha
  • Other hot sauces to test out!

What goes with chicken sliders?

We love serving these sliders with either Grilled Potato Wedges or Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries. To double the spice, serve them with our Buffalo Potato Salad! For something sweet on the side, our Melon Salad is a perfect summer picnic treat.

 

 
A slider topped with slaw, sriracha chicken, and ranch sauce sits atop a wooden cutting board on a marble counter.

Slow Cooker Sriracha Chicken Sliders

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

These Srirachaย chicken slidersย are wildly delicious! They are a snap to put together and perfect for parties, potlucks, and game night.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 1 pound chicken breasts (frozen is fine)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup Sriracha hot chile sauce

For the Slaw:

  • 2 cups shredded cabbage (about 1/2 small head)
  • 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Pinch salt

For the Ranch Sauce:

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For Serving:

Instructions

  1. In the slow cooker, combine the chicken breasts, butter, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and Sriracha. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 2-4, until the chicken is fall apart tender. Shred using two forks.
  2. While the chicken is cooking, assemble the slaw. Mix the cabbage and carrots together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  4. To make the ranch sauce, whisk together all ingredients (or blend in a blender or food processor).
  5. To assemble the sliders, place a small amount of slaw on the bottom of a slider bun. Top with chicken, and then drizzle with ranch sauce. Drizzle with additional sriracha, if desired. Top with the other half of the buns.

Notes

Use gluten-free buns to keep these sliders completely grain-free!

To take your sliders to the next level, after assembly,ย brushย the top of the buns withย melted butter. Pop in a 400ยบFย ovenย for about 5 minutes, until the buns areย golden brownย and delicious.

You can also addย bacon,ย red onion, orย slicesย ofย cheddar cheeseย to these slidersโ€”make them your own!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 542mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 22g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

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6 Comments

  1. I’ll give this a try! We have apps/dinner and TV Bingo on Saturdays with guests. This will be a great addition.
    Thanks, Cass!
    Mom Johnston

  2. These are literally to die for amazing. Seems so simple and basic, but seriously I’ve dreamed about it for weeks since I first made it and am making it again tonight. It’s addicting. My only recommendation for others is that this is quite spicy. If spice isn’t your thing or doesn’t sit well in your stomach, then it may not be the best recipe for you. If you like spice though, absolutely make it ASAP.

  3. I was skeptical of the simplicity of this recipe but was pleasantly surprised by the depth of flavor. Something absolutely changes the Sriracha during the cooking process and both tones down the heat and develops the flavor. I’m making it for the second time and am doubling the recipe.

  4. Looks yum! I’m a wimp with heat big time but curious to try. Do you think these would work in a wrap? Can never find slider buns where I live.