Crack Chicken Sliders
Creamy crack chicken sliders have a cream cheese and Ranch seasoned base tucked inside a golden brown, crispy Hawaiian roll slider bun. Bake a batch for your next party and watch as your friends can't eat just one.
Creamy chicken filling with seasoned Ranch and fresh green onions inside a buttery golden brown slider bun??
What could be more delicious than these crack chicken sliders for a big party with hungry guests??
This easy to prep party food is a great choice for the big football game coming up around the corner but you'll find tons of reasons to make it all year long.
Why This is the Best Recipe
I love making sliders for a fun family weekend dinner but they also make an excellent party recipe. I think this is the best crack chicken slider recipe because:
- Easy Prep: You can make the crack chicken filling in advance so these sliders are so easy to bake and serve.
- Creamy and Full of Flavor: Dishes as creamy as this need a good dose of seasoning to taste right. I love the balance of ranch and onion.
- Golden Brown and Crispy: The tops of the sliders bake up so pretty, golden brown and perfectly crispy. The texture pairs great with that ooey gooey creamy chicken filling.
Ingredients
These easy chicken sliders start with a simple list of ingredients:
- Hawaiian Slider Buns: The sweet pineapple flavor of Hawaiian slider rolls makes this recipe so delicious. You could substitute potato slider buns or your favorite small dinner roll if you prefer.
- Rotisserie Chicken: I like to keep things easy and use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken for these kinds of party recipes. If you have about 3 cups of cooked chicken meat on hand, you could substitute any cooked chicken breast or chicken tenderloin meat you have.
- Dry Ranch Seasoning: I keep a large jar of dry ranch seasoning in my pantry so I can measure it by the tablespoon. This recipe uses the equivalent of 1 packet of dry ranch seasoning if you prefer to buy that.
- Cream Cheese: I used full-fat cream cheese. Low-fat cream cheese could work but may separate a bit while baking the sliders.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: I bought a bag of pre-shredded cheese to keep it easy. You could grate your own from a brick and it would really enhance the flavor of the dish and melt sooooo much better.
- Italian Herb Blend: If you don't have this on hand, you could use dried oregano and dried basil.
- Onion Powder
- Green Onions
- Butter
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
A Note on Slider Buns
I purchased the 16-count package of Hawaiian buns at Costco.
Regular grocery stores carry 12-count packages.
With just 12 buns, you will have more chicken filling than you need. You could easily stretch the crack chicken across 24 Hawaiian buns if you don't mind a little less filling in each one.
Personally, I'd actually prefer that bun-to-chicken filling ratio. I do recommend this.
So in this case, buy 2 packages of 12-count buns at your grocery store so nothing goes to waste.
BONUS: More sliders to share with your friends!
Prep the Crack Chicken Filling
The first step is to prepare the crack chicken filling itself.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the cream cheese bricks.
Add the dry ranch, onion powder, and black pepper and stir it in.
Add the shredded chicken and chopped green onions. Gently fold them in.
Add just half of the shredded cheddar and stir it in until it melts.
If you prefer to set it and forget it, you could always make a batch of this crock pot crack chicken instead.
Assemble the Sliders
Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray (unless you're baking 24 buns, then set out a large baking pan lined with aluminum foil.)
Slice the slider buns in half, leaving a hinge piece on one side so they open like a book.
Fill the buns with the prepared crack chicken filling and top with a pinch of the remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
Melt the butter and stir in the dried Italian herb blend.
Brush the melted butter over the top of the sliders.
Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the top.
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Loosely cover the pan of slider with aluminum foil. You just want to protect the grated parmesan and butter from getting too dark.
Bake the sliders for 15 minutes and then remove the foil.
Bake for another 5 - 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is nice and hot.
Variations
There are several ways you could mix up these crack chicken sliders for fun variations:
Spicy Crack Chicken Sliders: Use a spicy ranch seasoning or add cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to the crack chicken filling.
Pepperjack Chicken Sliders: Substitute a grated pepperjack cheese for the cheddar.
Bacon Ranch Chicken Sliders: If you love bacon, you might be interested in my chicken bacon ranch sliders.
Herby Chicken Sliders: Substitute 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives for the green onions and add 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil to the filling.
Make Ahead Tips
Just like most slider recipes, these crack chicken sliders taste best when served fresh from the oven.
If you want to save time and make them easier to serve at a party, you could prep ahead the crack chicken filling and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You could also slice and fill the slider buns in the morning and keep them covered in the fridge. Then just bake and serve later in that same day during your party.
We did have some leftover baked sliders. I stored them in the fridge and they reheated perfectly for us for an easy lunch the next afternoon. I just popped them back in the oven to warm through.
They weren't quite as delicious as when I first baked them, but they were good enough to enjoy as leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve my sliders on a big platter with a sprinkling of more fresh green onions over the top for a pop of color.
This is a fantastic recipe to make for a football party or any open house type event.
More Slider Recipes
If you love slider recipes like I do, you won't want to miss these other delicious chicken sliders:
📖 Recipe
Crack Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz) bricks of cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning or 1 ranch seasoning packet
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 rotisserie chicken shredded
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 16 Hawaiian slider rolls see notes
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prep the Crack Chicken Filling:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the cream cheese and melt it until smooth.
- Add the dried ranch seasoning, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir the seasonings in.
- Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and chopped green onions to the skillet, stir them in.
- Add just 1 cup of the shredded cheese to the filling and stir it in to melt.
Assemble and Bake the Sliders:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. (If you're baking 24 sliders at one time, you can use a large baking sheet instead.)
- Slice the Hawaiian sliders in half, leaving a hinge pieces so they open like a book. Line them up in neat rows in the baking dish.
- Fill the buns evenly with the creamy crack chicken filling. Top the chicken filling with a sprinkle of the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Close the sliders up.
- Mix the Italian herb blend into the melted butter and brush over the tops of the sliders. Sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan cheese.
- Loosely cover the sliders with aluminum foil. Don't pinch the edges over the baking pan, you don't want the sliders to steam. You just want to protect the tops from over-browning. Bake the sliders for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the crack chicken filling is piping hot. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Note on Slider Buns:
I purchased the 16-count package of Hawaiian buns at Costco. Regular grocery stores carry 12-count packages. You could easily stretch this crack chicken filling across 24 Hawaiian buns if you don't mind a little less filling in each one. So in this case, buy 2 packages of 12-count buns at your grocery store so nothing goes to waste.BONUS: More sliders to share with your friends!
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