These crispy honey BBQ chicken sliders are loaded with tender chicken, sticky sweet barbecue sauce and crunchy pickles, all tucked inside soft, buttery slider buns.
If there’s one recipe guaranteed to disappear quickly at a party, it’s these honey BBQ chicken sliders.
Each little bun is filled with crispy chicken coated in a sticky honey barbecue sauce, then finished with tangy pickles. They’re sweet, smoky, crunchy and messy in exactly the right way.
Serve them for game day, parties, family dinners or whenever you need easy finger food that everyone will actually be excited to eat.
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Sliders
- Perfect for sharing: Make a full tray for parties, family gatherings or game day.
- Sweet and smoky: Honey adds sweetness while barbecue sauce brings that rich, smoky flavour.
- Deliciously crispy: The crunchy chicken works perfectly with the soft slider buns.
- Easy to customise: Add cheese, coleslaw, jalapeños or extra pickles.
- Family-friendly: Keep the sauce mild for an easy dinner that children can enjoy too.
- Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the chicken and sauce in advance, then assemble when you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients
For the crispy chicken
- 600g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 250ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
- 120g plain flour
- 40g cornflour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the honey BBQ sauce
- 180ml barbecue sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
To assemble
- 8 soft slider buns
- Sliced pickles
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, optional
- Melted butter, for brushing the buns
How to Make Honey BBQ Chicken Sliders
1. Prepare the chicken
Slice the chicken breasts into eight pieces that are roughly the same size as your slider buns.
Place the chicken in a bowl with the buttermilk and hot sauce. Stir until every piece is coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If you have time, leave it for two to four hours for even more tender chicken.
2. Make the crispy coating
In a shallow bowl, combine the plain flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Lift each piece of chicken out of the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip away. Press it firmly into the seasoned flour mixture until it is completely coated.
For an extra craggy coating, drizzle a spoonful of the buttermilk into the flour and rub it through with your fingertips before coating the chicken.
3. Cook the chicken
Pour enough vegetable oil into a deep frying pan to cover the bottom by approximately 2–3cm. Heat the oil over a medium-high heat.
Cook the chicken in batches for approximately four to five minutes on each side, depending on its thickness. The coating should be deeply golden and crisp, and the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper.
4. Make the honey BBQ sauce
Add the barbecue sauce, honey, butter, garlic powder and smoked paprika to a small saucepan.
Warm over a low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
5. Coat the chicken
Add the crispy chicken to a large bowl and spoon over the warm honey BBQ sauce.
Gently toss until every piece is generously coated. Do this shortly before serving so the chicken keeps as much of its crunch as possible.
6. Toast the slider buns
Slice the slider buns in half and arrange them cut-side up on a baking tray.
Brush lightly with melted butter, then toast under the grill for one to two minutes. Watch them closely because soft brioche-style buns can brown very quickly.
7. Assemble the sliders
Spread a little mayonnaise over the bottom half of each bun, if using.
Add one piece of honey BBQ chicken, followed by plenty of sliced pickles. Spoon over a little extra sauce before adding the top bun.
Secure each slider with a cocktail stick if needed and serve immediately.
Tips That Make These Better
Cut the chicken evenly
Keeping the pieces similar in size helps them cook at the same speed and makes the sliders easier to assemble.
Don’t crowd the pan
Fry the chicken in batches. Adding too many pieces at once lowers the oil temperature and can make the coating greasy instead of crisp.
Sauce just before serving
The longer the chicken sits in the honey BBQ sauce, the softer its crispy coating will become. Toss it in the sauce immediately before building the sliders.
Toast the buns
This small step helps stop the sauce soaking straight through the bread. It also adds a lovely buttery flavour.
Add plenty of pickles
The sharpness of the pickles cuts through the sweet, smoky sauce and balances the richness of the fried chicken.
Easy Variations
Add cheese
Place a slice of cheddar, Monterey Jack or smoked cheese over the hot chicken before closing the buns.
Make them spicy
Add cayenne pepper to the flour coating or mix hot sauce into the honey BBQ glaze. Sliced jalapeños also work brilliantly.
Add creamy coleslaw
A spoonful of crunchy coleslaw turns these into filling Southern-style chicken sliders.
Use ready-cooked chicken
For a quicker version, coat cooked chicken tenders in the honey BBQ sauce and assemble as usual.
Make pulled chicken sliders
Swap the crispy chicken for shredded cooked chicken mixed with the warm honey BBQ sauce. This is particularly useful when cooking for a larger crowd.
What to Serve With Honey BBQ Chicken Sliders
These easy chicken sliders work well with:
- French fries or sweet potato fries
- Homemade potato wedges
- Corn on the cob
- Creamy coleslaw
- Macaroni cheese
- A crisp green salad
- Potato salad
- Extra pickles and honey BBQ sauce
They’re especially good as part of a game day food table alongside chicken wings, loaded nachos and other easy finger foods.
When to Make These
Honey BBQ chicken sliders are perfect for:
- Game day food
- Summer parties and barbecues
- Birthday celebrations
- Casual family dinners
- Movie nights
- Holiday party food
- Feeding a crowd
- Weekend comfort food
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
These sliders are best assembled immediately before serving. Once the sauce and pickles are added, the buns will gradually soften.
Store leftover cooked chicken separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Keep the honey BBQ sauce in a separate covered container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Reheat the chicken in an air fryer or oven at 190°C/375°F until piping hot and crisp. Warm the sauce separately, then coat the chicken and assemble the sliders.
Avoid reheating assembled sliders in the microwave, as this will make the chicken coating and buns soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make honey BBQ chicken sliders ahead of time?
You can prepare the sauce and marinate the chicken in advance, but fry and assemble the sliders shortly before serving for the best texture.
Can I cook the chicken in an air fryer?
Yes. Spray the coated chicken generously with cooking oil and air fry at 190°C/375°F for approximately 12–16 minutes, turning halfway through. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. Make sure it reaches 75°C/165°F internally.
Can I bake the chicken instead?
Arrange the coated chicken on a lined baking tray and spray generously with oil. Bake at 200°C/400°F for approximately 20–25 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and completely cooked.
What type of BBQ sauce should I use?
Use your favourite barbecue sauce. A smoky sauce gives the sliders a deeper flavour, while a sweeter sauce creates a stickier glaze. If your barbecue sauce is already very sweet, reduce the honey slightly.
What are the best buns for chicken sliders?
Soft brioche slider buns work especially well because their slight sweetness complements the honey BBQ sauce. Small white rolls or Hawaiian-style rolls are also good choices.
How do I keep chicken sliders from becoming soggy?
Toast the buns, keep the sauce separate until serving and assemble the sliders at the last moment. You can also place the pickles on top of the chicken instead of directly against the bottom bun.
Honey BBQ Chicken Sliders Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus marinating
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes, plus marinating
Servings: 8 sliders
Category: Appetizer, dinner, party food
Method: Frying
Cuisine: American-inspired
Ingredients
Chicken
- 600g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 250ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
- 120g plain flour
- 40g cornflour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Honey BBQ sauce
- 180ml barbecue sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
To assemble
- 8 slider buns
- Sliced pickles
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, optional
- Melted butter, for brushing
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into eight slider-sized pieces.
- Combine the chicken, buttermilk and optional hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix the flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk and press it into the seasoned flour until thoroughly coated.
- Heat 2–3cm of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat.
- Fry the chicken in batches for four to five minutes per side, until golden, crisp and cooked to 75°C/165°F internally.
- Combine the barbecue sauce, honey, butter, garlic powder and smoked paprika in a small saucepan. Warm gently until smooth.
- Toss the cooked chicken in the warm honey BBQ sauce.
- Brush the cut sides of the buns with melted butter and toast lightly.
- Fill each bun with mayonnaise, honey BBQ chicken and sliced pickles.
- Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side.
Save This for Later
Save these honey BBQ chicken sliders for the next time you need an easy party appetizer, game day recipe or family-friendly dinner.
They’re sticky, crispy, sweet, smoky and exactly the kind of finger food people come back for.
