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These easy Hawaiian Chicken Sliders are quick to make and loaded with BBQ shredded chicken, quick pickled red onion, sweet pineapple, and melted cheese.
For another great slider recipe, try my yummy Muffuletta Sliders.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Under 30 Minutes – By using prepped (or leftover) shredded chicken, these come together FAST.
- Fun Pull Apart – There is something about making sliders using the sheet of buns that is super fun to eat and serve!
- Sweet and Tangy – The sauce made of BBQ sauce, soy sauce, and pineapple juice adds the right amount of sweetness.
recipe walk-through
Ingredient Notes
- Package Hawaiian Sheet Rolls – The kind sold in a sheet so you can slice it in half horizontally to form two pieces.
- Shredded Chicken – This recipe is a great use for rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or you can easily cook up some chicken breasts (I include multiple ways to do this below!). You would need about 3 small chicken breasts to make 3 cups of pulled chicken.
- BBQ Sauce – Any BBQ sauce that you love will work here. I think a sweeter honey or brown sugar BBQ sauce tastes the best, such as Sweet Baby Ray’s original or you can make your own homemade BBQ sauce.
- Canned Pineapple Rings (including juice) – Fresh pineapple can be used for this recipe. When choosing canned pineapple, look for the pineapple in juice, and not syrup. If you can’t find rings, you could use tidbits or crushed pineapple – just make sure to drain them really well.
- Red Onion – This will be sliced thin and quick pickled, which makes the onions have less ‘bite’ than raw.
- Rice Vinegar – Rice vinegar is used to pickle the red onions. You can also swap in regular white vinegar.
How To Make This Hawaiian Chicken Sliders Recipe
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Pickled Red Onions – In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, water, salt, and sugar, then add the red onions and set aside.
Prep – Get the oven preheating and make the tangy sauce by adding the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, and pineapple juice to a small pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and toss in the shredded chicken.
Toast Sliders – Slice the rolls horizontally to form two sheets. Add the bottom half to a baking dish and toast for about 5 minutes in the oven. Top the buns with the BBQ shredded chicken.
Assemble Sliders – Pat some of the pineapple rings dry, then cut into quarters. Remove the onions from the vinegar brine and pat dry as well. Layer the onions on the chicken then top with the pineapple slices and shredded cheese. Place the top half of the buns on top.
Bake – Mix together the melted butter and minced garlic and brush on top of the sliders. Pop in the oven and bake until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with chopped cilantro. Slice and serve!
Ways To Make Shredded Chicken
Making shredded chicken for this, or any recipe, is easy and you have lots of options. For easy shredding, you can either use two forks, OR I like to use an electric mixer or my stand mixer for super fast shredding. I wrote a whole post on How to Shred Chicken so be sure to look there for more easy tips.
Serving Suggestions
I love that these can be served as a hearty appetizer, part of a party spread, or as the main for lunch or dinner. Some sides that go great with them are Baked Potato Wedges, Homemade Baked Fries, or Broccoli Slaw. To keep with the theme, also try making my Homemade Hawaiian Punch!
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Leftovers tend to get soggy as they sit and are best when eaten right away. Leftovers can be stored wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These are best reheated in an air fryer or in the oven at 350℉ until heated through.
Recipe Tips
- Cover with Foil – If the tops are getting too brown, you can loosely cover them with foil and continue to bake until hot in the center.
- Make Ahead – To prep in advance, you can assemble the sliders (but not brush with the butter), and cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge for up to 1 day. Then before baking, brush with the melted butter.
- How to Cut the Sheet of Rolls – Use a large, serrated knife to cut the sheet of rolls in half. Place the connected sheet of rolls on a flat surface and place the palm of your hand on top to keep them from moving, then use a serrated knife to carefully slice through the middle.
- Keep Warm for Serving – These are best served warm, so if they finish a little before party guests arrive or it’s dinner time, you can keep them in a low, warm oven (150 degrees F) covered with foil until time to eat.
More Slider Recipes
- Meatball Sliders
- Roast Beef Sliders
- Breakfast Sliders
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Hawaiian Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
For the pickled red onion
- 1/2 cup Red onion sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons Rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Water
- 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
Sliders
- 1 12 count package Hawaiian sweet slider buns sliced in half horizontally
- 3 cups Shredded chicken
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 20 ounces Canned pineapple rings, 2 tablespoons of juice reserved
- 8 slices Provolone cheese
- 6 tablespoons Salted butter
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Make the pickled onions: In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Add the red onions and let sit while you make the sliders.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- In a small saucepan, bring the bbq sauce, soy sauce, and pineapple juice to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and add in the shredded chicken, stirring to coat. Set aside.
- Lay the bottom half of the rolls in a 2 quart baking dish and place in the oven for 5 minutes, until they get lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and top evenly with the shredded chicken.
- Pat 6 of the pineapple slices dry with a paper towel and cut them into quarters. Remove the onions from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel. Evenly distribute the onions across the top of the chicken, followed by the pineapple slices and finally the cheese slices. Top with the top buns.
- In a small, microwave safe bowl heat the butter and minced garlic until the butter is melted. Brush this butter mixture on top of the rolls.
- Bake in the oven for 10- 5 minutes until the tops are golden brown, and the cheese is melted. If the tops are getting too brown, you can loosely cover them with foil and continue to bake until hot in the center. Remove from the oven and top with chopped cilantro. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
