Home » Slow Cooker Recipes » Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

These Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Ranch Celery Slaw are so easy to make with just chicken, buffalo wing sauce and an optional (but oh so good) slaw topping!

A FLAVORFUL, SIMPLE CHICKEN SLIDER RECIPE

These Buffalo Chicken Sliders are incredible hand held smaller sandwiches that pack a lot of flavor! I thought I’d make a little twist on the usual Buffalo Chicken Wings. I wanted to have all the flavor of our favorite chicken wings, but maybe turn it into something a little more filling. Even though the ranch celery slaw is optional, I think it really makes these sliders stand out. It is absolute scrumptious!

A few Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

You can use frozen chicken breasts but please consult your slow cooker owners manual – some suggest to not use frozen meat.
Frozen chicken breasts can be cheaper than their raw counterpart and they cook up just fine in most crock pot meals. Some do tend to be on the smaller side though. So if yours are small, you may want to add an extra one into the pot.

Can I double this recipe?

You can always double this recipe if you have lots of folks coming over. Just make sure you have a big enough slow cooker.

Are these sliders spicy?

For those that may ask about the spiciness of this dish, it is not overly hot or spicy at all. It is no more spicy than the average mild Buffalo chicken wing. The chicken only cooks in all that sauce but it only imparts the flavor of the hot sauce – not the heat.

Can these be made ahead of time?

Partially, yes. You can make the Buffalo Chicken and the slaw separately and store them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Then wait to assemble them until you’re ready to enjoy these sliders. If you assemble them too early, you risk letting the bread getting soggy.

Can you make this in the Instant Pot instead of the Slow Cooker?

To make this in the Instant Pot:
1. Add chicken to your Instant Pot. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the Buffalo sauce for your slaw and then pour in the rest of the bottle over the chicken.
2. Cover the pot with the lid and turn to seal. Press manual or the pressure cook button and set timer for 15 minutes.
3. Let chicken cook and release pressure naturally. After all of the pressure has been released and it’s safe, you can open the lid and remove the chicken. Shred it with forks or using an electric mixer while it is still in the pot.
4. Then make your slaw and assemble as you would with the original Slow Cooker recipe.

What else could I add to these sliders?

When cooking the chicken, adding in some dry ranch seasoning mix. You could also add some shredded cheese to the sliders.

How to store sliders?

If possible, store slider rolls, slaw, and chicken separately so things don’t get soggy. Chicken and slaw can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Rolls should be stored at room temp as normal.

Looking closer at a couple Buffalo Chicken Sliders.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you can also use chicken thighs (they tend to be more affordable as well.)
  • Buffalo wing sauce– I like Frank’s Red Hot but any good wing sauce will work.
  • celery – if you don’t like celery you can use green pepper.
  • sliced red onion – red onion is the most mild of all the onions and are good for eating raw. You could also use shallots. They have a slightly garlic flavor to them.
  • ranch or blue cheese dressing – you can use store bought or a homemade ranch dressing.
  • dinner rolls or slider rolls – I used Hawaiian sweet rolls but you can use any of your favorite dinner or slider buns.
Hawaiian slider rolls, ranch dressing, celery, chicken breasts, hot sauce, and a red onion.

HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT BUFFALO CHICKEN SLIDERS:

Set aside two tablespoons of the Buffalo wing sauce. You are going to use this later for the dressing (celery slaw). Spray a 4-5 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Then add in chicken breasts. Season breasts with a little salt and pepper. Then pour in the rest of the bottle of Buffalo Wing Sauce. Cover and cook on low for about 3-4 hours.

A crock pot with raw chicken covered in Buffalo Sauce and a crock pot with cooked chicken and buffalo sauce.

When ready, put the breasts onto a plate and shred with two forks. Set aside a generous 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid that is left in the slow cooker (you can toss the rest). The chicken should be very tender and easy to shred at this point. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl. Pour in 1/2 cup of the leftover cooking liquid over the shredded chicken and stir well.

A plate of Buffalo shredded chicken and a bowl of shredded Buffalo Chicken with the cooking liquid.

At this point you can put the shredded chicken back into your slow cooker (after you have disgarded leftover cooking juices), cover and keep it on the warm setting until ready to serve. Now it’s time to make a quick little slaw to put on top. In a bowl, combine ranch or blue cheese dressing with 2 Tablespoons buffalo wing sauce, sliced onions and celery. 

Serve shredded chicken on rolls and spoon some of the celery slaw on top. Or if it is easier, you can just combine this slaw with the shredded chicken just before serving and serve it up that way.

Celery slaw in a bowl and a hand using tongs to put shredded chicken on slider rolls.

You can also serve this on full size hamburger buns. You would probably be able to get about 6 sandwiches if you served it that way.

A hand holding a Buffalo Chicken Slider made in the Crock pot.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: January 2013
Photos updated and republished: March 2024

Close up looking at a Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Slider.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

These Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Ranch Celery Slaw are so easy to make with just chicken, buffalo wing sauce and an optional (but oh so good) slaw topping!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the sliders:

For the optional celery slaw:

  • 2 celery ribs, ends and tops cut off and thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon thinly sliced red onion
  • cup ranch or blue cheese dressing

Instructions

  • Set aside two Tablespoons of the Buffalo wing sauce. You are going to use this later for the celery slaw dressing.
  • Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add in chicken breasts. Season breasts with a little salt and pepper.
  • Then pour in the rest of the bottle of Buffalo Wing Sauce. Use the whole bottle of sauce except for the 2 Tablespoons you set aside earlier.
    Buffalo sauce covered chicken breast in a crock pot.
  • Cover and cook on low for about 3-4 hours.
    A crock pot with cooked chicken and hot sauce.
  • When ready, put the breasts onto a plate and shred using two forks.
    Shredded buffalo chicken on a plate with tongs.
  • Set aside a generous 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid that is left in the slow cooker. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl.
    A bowl of shredded Buffalo Chicken.
  • Pour in 1/2 cup of the leftover cooking liquid over the shredded chicken and stir well.

Celery Slaw

  • In a bowl, combine ranch dressing with 2 Tablespoons buffalo wing sauce, celery and onions.
    A glass mixing bowl with red onion, buffalo sauce, and celery.
  • Serve shredded chicken on rolls and spoon some of the celery slaw on top. Or if it is easier, you can just combine this slaw with the shredded chicken just before serving and serve it up that way.
    A hand and tongs putting Buffalo Chicken on Hawaiian slider rolls.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 2133mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe was excellent and so easy to make. The shredded chicken was tender, juicy and so full of flavor. The ranch dressing with diced celery and sliced red onion added a nice texture and creaminess to the sliders. I opted to use Sweet Baby Ray’s buffalo wing sauce and shredded the chicken in the crockpot with the sauce. I also stored the leftover chicken in a freezer bag with plenty of sauce. Thank you for sharing!

  2. 5 stars
    These were easy and tasty. I like the celery slaw topping. Great for munching during a game (on TV).

  3. 5 stars
    made it loved it! not at all too spicy, i added more franks from the bottle(i had a bigger bottle of the buffalo sauce) to my slider to give it more kick. i also broiled some buns lightly, minus the coleslaw, but plus some part skim mozza. mmmmmm soo good!

  4. Such great flavor for so little effort I was delicious! I shredded the chicken in the crock pot and served on dinner rolls with a little honey as Karyn suggested, mixed bag cole slaw with blue cheese and some corn and it was amazing. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
    Lisa

  5. My boyfriend and I made these this weekend. We never took the chicken out of the crock pot, we just shredded it right in there and also left all the juice. We served it on buttermilk biscuits. One on biscuit, we put the chicken and lots of honey (the sweet & sour combo is one we learned from a Brookly restaurant called Pies & Thighs). On the other biscuit (we each ate two), we served it with blue cheese coleslaw, which was just a bag of cut up cabbage and carrots that we tossed in blue cheese dressing. Both were yummy and we each decided we didn't have a favorite of the two, we loved them both! Thanks so much for this great and VERY EASY recipe!

  6. These little fellas are the perfect party food. While these look delectable, I especially love that you added celery into the sandwich for some crispy texture!

  7. I make buffalo chicken slidders but I use butter with the Frank's to cut the hot sauce. Plus I melt crumbled blue cheese it because we love the blue cheese!! They look yummy and I have never made them in the crock pot so I just might have to try with some frozen chicken tenders that I have 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!!

  8. These look good. I know you said they are not that spicy but in my book it's hard to be too spicy!!!! Love spicy food…..