Slow cooker BBQ chicken sliders with 13g protein each. A dietitian's easy crowd-pleasing recipe with healthy coleslaw and pickled onions.
Honestly? I've been making these slow cooker BBQ chicken sliders for family gatherings for years, but I never thought to share the recipe — it felt too easy to count as a real one.
As a dietitian, I'm always chasing that sweet spot: food that feels like an indulgence but quietly isn't. These sliders land right in it.
Here's why I know you'll love them:
The slow cooker does the heavy lifting. The chicken cooks low and slow while you do literally anything else — last-minute tidying, prepping the sandwich toppings, or just letting the house fill up with that smell.
They work for every eating pattern. Set out a head of butter or iceberg lettuce and anyone going low-carb can build a wrap with the exact same fillings. My healthy coleslaw can be made dairy-free, too.
They feed a crowd. Scale the recipe up without scaling up the work.
BBQ Chicken Slider Ingredients
These sandwiches come together quickly by combining:
- Hawaiian rolls - any brand you like. For a high fiber option Hero Bread makes a pretty good one, or for a low carb option use iceberg or butter lettuce.
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken - my recipe is just 3 ingredients. A lot of bloggers really like to add a lot of extras to their slow cooker BBQ chicken, but I find that unnecessary. My simple easy recipe will have everything cooking in less than five minutes.
- Healthy Coleslaw - I've been making this for years and it always receives rave reviews! The secret to great tasting coleslaw is to swap out half the mayo, not all of it. You still get that great tasting coleslaw taste but with half the calories. It can also be made dairy-free.
- Pickled onions - I think this is a must right now to bring this recipe together. I buy mine at the store, but I decided I'm going to learn how to make them myself this year! (the raw fermented kind, I know how to quick pickle.)
Tips To Make the BEST BBQ Sliders
Lightly Toast Your Buns
No soggy buns here, lightly toast them so they hold up when you pile a bunch of delicious saucy chicken, coleslaw, and juicy pickled onions.
Make Ahead For Parties
You can make the chicken ahead for parties and reheat in the microwave. You can also make the coleslaw ahed of time so that all you have to do day of is assemble.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
- 2.25 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 18 oz barbecue sauce
- ½ yellow onion or sweet onion
Healthy Coleslaw
- 8 cups tricolor cabbage mix
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup yogurt any plain
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
Sliders
- 24 Hawaiian bread rolls
- 1 cup pickled onions
Instructions
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
- Brush about ¼ cup of the 18-ounces BBQ sauce (one bottle) across the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading it around to coat evenly Lay the boneless skinless chicken breast and boneless skinless chicken thighs on top of the sauce. Spread another ¼ to ½ cup of the 18-ounces BBQ sauce (one bottle) over the top of the chicken, brushing to coat. Scatter the 0.5 yellow onion, chopped evenly, over the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours (or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours). The chicken is done once it reaches 165°F internally and shreds very easily. Shred the chicken with two forks, then combine it with the remaining 18 ounces BBQ sauce (one bottle) until evenly coated.
Healthy Coleslaw
- Combine mayo, yogurt, honey, celery seed, and mustard powder in a bowl. Toss with tricolor cabbage and enjoy!
Sliders
- To toast the buns: Slice rolls in half and place cut-side up on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 4–5 minutes, until lightly golden. Watch closely — they brown quickly.
- Butter or mayo on the toasted buns is optional — we skipped it. Layer on about half the BBQ chicken, then the healthy coleslaw, then the pickled onions. Top with the other half of the rolls.
Notes
- Note you will absolutely have leftover chicken, the nutrition facts were calculated using half the chicken. If you want to use it all double the coleslaw and buns and onions. If you don't want leftovers, cut the chicken down by half.
- For tips and tricks on the crockpot barbecue chicken, see this post.
- For tips and tricks on the healthy coleslaw recipe, see this post.
Nutrition
FAQ
What goes on BBQ chicken sliders?
BBQ Chicken + Coleslaw + Pickled Onions
How many sliders per person for a party?
Depends on the how much and what side dishes you will have, but I'd plan at least three per person to be safe.
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