The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Buffalo chicken sliders are the answer when you need something that disappears off a tray in twenty minutes. Shredded chicken tossed in hot sauce and ranch, Swiss cheese melting into it, all of it packed between Hawaiian rolls and brushed with garlic-dill butter. Twelve rolls, one pan, done.
Why This Works
The trick is in the order. Toss the chicken in sauce before it goes near the bread — not after, not on top. If you build the sliders dry and drizzle sauce over the finished stack, it pools at the bottom and the top layer of rolls stays plain. Mixing the sauce and ranch into the chicken first means every shred gets coated, and the Swiss cheese underneath has something to bind to when it melts.
The butter-dill brush on top isn’t decorative. Hawaiian rolls dry out fast in a 350°F oven because they’re thin and sweet, not enriched like brioche. That butter layer is what keeps the tops from turning into crackers by minute 25.
Ingredients
- 1 package Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, 12 count
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 8 large slices Swiss cheese
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, and ranch dressing.
- Mix until the chicken is fully coated in the sauce.
- Cut the Hawaiian sweet rolls in half horizontally, as if making one large sandwich — don’t separate them into individual rolls first, keep the whole slab intact.
- Place the bottom half of the rolls on a sheet pan.
- Lay the Swiss cheese over the bottom row.
- Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the cheese.
- Place the top half of the rolls over the chicken.
- In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, dried dill, and garlic powder.
- Brush the butter mixture over the tops and sides of the rolls.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, the chicken mixture is heated through, and the rolls are browned.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 12
Tips
Cut the sliders while they’re still in the pan, right after brushing with butter but before baking — a pizza cutter works better than a knife for this since the rolls shift around otherwise.
Use rotisserie chicken if you’re short on time. It shreds easier when it’s still slightly warm.
Don’t skip patting the shredded chicken dry-ish before mixing in the sauce if you used boiled or poached chicken — too much extra moisture and the bottom rolls turn gummy instead of toasted.
Variations
Swap Swiss for provolone if you want something milder — it melts just as well and doesn’t fight the buffalo sauce for attention. Pepper jack, though, I’d skip here. It adds heat on top of heat and the ranch stops doing its job of cooling things down.
Add a thin layer of crumbled blue cheese under the chicken if you like the classic buffalo-blue combo more than ranch.
Make-Ahead
Assemble the whole tray up to the butter brush step, cover, and refrigerate overnight — bake straight from the fridge, just add 5 minutes to the covered bake time. What doesn’t work: baking these fully, then reheating whole. The rolls go from soft to dense, and the cheese never really re-melts the same way. If you have leftovers, pull them apart and reheat individually in a skillet instead of the microwave or a full tray reheat.
FAQ
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking my own? Yes — it’s actually what I’d recommend if you’re making these on a weeknight. Rotisserie chicken shreds faster and picks up the sauce just as well.
Why are my sliders soggy on the bottom? Usually too much liquid in the chicken mixture. If you’re using boiled chicken breast, let it cool and shred it without adding any of the cooking liquid back in — the ranch and hot sauce provide plenty of moisture on their own.
Do I need to toast the rolls first? No.
Can I make these ahead for a party? You can assemble ahead, but don’t fully bake ahead — see the make-ahead notes above for why.
What’s the best cheese substitute for Swiss? Provolone. Pepper jack works but competes with the buffalo heat rather than balancing it.
Closing Thoughts
These hold up well next to a simple celery-and-carrot slaw with extra ranch on the side for dipping the edges — something crunchy and cold cuts the richness of the melted cheese and butter better than another hot side would.
Author Bio
I’m Kima, and I test every recipe on this site in my own kitchen before it goes up — sliders, bakes, and anything that needs to survive a crowd without falling apart.
One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
This One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi features tender, seasoned chicken thighs, pillowy potato gnocchi, mushrooms, and fresh spinach in a rich Parmesan cream sauce. It is an easy and comforting skillet dinner ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare and Cook the Chicken
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with the Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and completely cooked. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
- Transfer the cooked chicken thighs to a plate and set aside.
Prepare the Creamy Gnocchi
- Add the finely diced onion to the same skillet. Sauté over medium heat until softened and translucent, adding another drizzle of olive oil if the skillet is too dry.
- Add the sliced baby bella mushrooms, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
- Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and become tender.
- Pour the chicken broth and heavy cream into the skillet, then add the potato gnocchi. Stir well to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the gnocchi for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking.
- Stir in the freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh spinach. Cook briefly until the Parmesan melts and the spinach wilts into the sauce.
Finish and Serve
- Return the cooked chicken thighs to the skillet, nestling them into the creamy gnocchi and spooning some of the sauce over the chicken.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce is gently bubbling around the chicken and the gnocchi is tender.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Serve immediately, spooning the creamy Parmesan sauce and gnocchi over and around each chicken thigh.
Notes
- Chicken temperature: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the thickest part of each chicken thigh reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Extra olive oil: Add another drizzle of olive oil while sautéing the onion if the skillet becomes too dry.
- Gnocchi: Shelf-stable, refrigerated, or frozen potato gnocchi may be used. Frozen gnocchi may require a few additional minutes of cooking.
- Parmesan: Freshly shredded Parmesan melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese. Additional Parmesan may be added as a garnish.
- Sauce consistency: The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Add a small splash of chicken broth if it becomes too thick.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat. Add a splash of chicken broth or cream to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Nutrition: Nutrition values are not included because they may vary depending on the size of the chicken thighs and the brands of gnocchi, cream, broth, and Parmesan used.
