Honey BBQ Chicken Sliders

Crispy, Spicy, and Sweet Perfection

These honey BBQ chicken sliders are absolutely incredible! Imagine crispy fried chicken, tangy coleslaw, and sweet hot honey sauce all piled high on a soft brioche bun. This is the kind of food that makes everyone at the table stop talking and start eating.

Perfect for game day parties, family gatherings, or any time you want to impress people with amazing food!

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What Makes These Sliders Special?

These aren’t your ordinary chicken sliders. This recipe takes it to the next level with:

Overnight Marinated Chicken: The chicken soaks in buttermilk and spices overnight, making it incredibly tender and flavorful.

Crispy Fried Coating: The special batter creates the crunchiest, most delicious coating you’ve ever tasted.

Hot Honey Sauce: Sweet honey mixed with hot sauce gives you that perfect sweet and spicy combo.

Ranch Dill Pickle Coleslaw: This isn’t boring coleslaw! It’s tangy, creamy, and loaded with pickle flavor.

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What You’ll Need

This recipe has several components, but each one is easy to make. Here’s everything you need:

For the Chicken:

• 4 small to medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Hamburger buns (Brioche buns work amazingly!)
• Oil for frying

For the Marinade:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup dill pickle juice
• ¼ cup Bear & Burton’s W Sauce – Fireshire
• ½ cup Crystal Hot Sauce
• ¼ cup Heath Riles BBQ Cajun Creole Garlic Butter Rub
• 1-2 tablespoons Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub

For the Ranch Dill Pickle Coleslaw:

• 1 (10-ounce) bag of angel hair coleslaw
• 1 tablespoon Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeño Rub
• ½ to ⅔ cup mayonnaise
• 1 splash white distilled vinegar or ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
• ¼ cup dill pickle slices, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning
• ½ teaspoon celery salt

For the Fried Chicken Batter:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-2 tablespoons Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub
• 2-3 tablespoons Heath Riles BBQ Cajun Creole Garlic Butter Rub
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeño Rub
• ¼ cup cornstarch

For the Hot Honey Sauce:

• 5 tablespoons honey
• ½ tablespoon Crystal Hot Sauce

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare and Marinate the Chicken (The Night Before)

Start by preparing your chicken breasts. Place each chicken breast in a large Ziploc bag and seal it.

Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten the chicken to an even thickness. This helps it cook evenly and makes it perfect slider size!

In a large bowl, mix together all your marinade ingredients:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup dill pickle juice
• ¼ cup Bear & Burton’s W Sauce
• ½ cup Crystal Hot Sauce
• ¼ cup Cajun Creole Garlic Butter Rub
• 1-2 tablespoons Beef Rub

Whisk everything until smooth and well combined.

Place your flattened chicken breasts in a bowl or container. Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure every piece is completely covered.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. This is important! The overnight soak makes the chicken super tender and packs it with flavor.

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Step 2: Make the Ranch Dill Pickle Coleslaw

This coleslaw is what takes these honey BBQ chicken sliders from good to amazing!

In a large bowl, add your 10-ounce bag of angel hair coleslaw.

Add all the coleslaw ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Garlic Jalapeño Rub
• ½ to ⅔ cup mayonnaise (start with less, you can always add more)
• A splash of white vinegar or juice from ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
• ¼ cup chopped dill pickles
• 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning
• ½ teaspoon celery salt

Mix everything together really well. Taste it and adjust if needed. Want it more tangy? Add more pickle juice. Want it creamier? Add more mayo.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. The flavors get even better as it sits!

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Step 3: Prepare the Fried Chicken Batter

In a large, shallow pan or dish, whisk together all your dry ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-2 tablespoons Beef Rub
• 2-3 tablespoons Cajun Creole Garlic Butter Rub
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon Garlic Jalapeño Rub
• ¼ cup cornstarch

Mix everything until well combined. The cornstarch is the secret to extra crispy chicken!

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Step 4: Coat the Chicken

Take your marinated chicken out of the refrigerator.

One piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade. Let the excess drip off, but keep it nice and wet.

Press the chicken into the seasoned flour mixture. Make sure you coat it really well on all sides. Press the flour into the chicken so it sticks.

Place the coated chicken on a baking rack and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. This resting time helps the coating stick better when you fry it!

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Step 5: Get Everything Ready for Cooking

While your chicken is resting, get everything else ready:

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Lightly toast your brioche buns in the skillet or on a grill. This adds great texture and keeps them from getting soggy.

Heat your frying oil to 350°F. Use enough oil so the chicken can be mostly submerged. A deep skillet or Dutch oven works great for this.

Oil tip: Use an oil with a high smoke point like vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil.

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Step 6: Make the Hot Honey Sauce

In a small pan on the stove or grill, combine:

• 5 tablespoons honey
• ½ tablespoon Crystal Hot Sauce

Warm it gently over low heat, stirring until combined. Don’t let it boil! Just warm it enough so it’s easy to brush on.

Keep it warm on the side of the grill or on very low heat.

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Step 7: Fry the Chicken

This is where the magic happens!

Carefully place your coated chicken pieces in the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan – fry in batches if needed.

Fry the chicken, flipping it every 20 seconds. Yes, really! This frequent flipping helps it cook evenly and creates an incredibly crispy crust.

Keep frying and flipping until the internal temperature reaches 170°F. Use a meat thermometer to check!

The chicken should be deep golden brown and super crispy.

Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

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Step 8: Brush with Hot Honey

While the chicken is still hot, brush it generously with your hot honey sauce.

The combination of crispy chicken and sweet-spicy honey is absolutely amazing!

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Step 9: Assemble Your Sliders

Now comes the fun part – building your honey BBQ chicken sliders!

Take a toasted brioche bun and place a piece of hot honey glazed chicken on the bottom.

Top the chicken with a generous portion of that tangy ranch dill pickle coleslaw.

Place the top bun on and get ready for the best slider of your life!

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Serving Suggestions

These honey BBQ chicken sliders are perfect for:

Game Day Parties: Make a big batch and watch them disappear!

Family Dinners: Serve with fries or potato salad on the side.

BBQ Gatherings: They’re a huge hit at any outdoor party.

Special Occasions: These are fancy enough to impress but casual enough for any event.

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Tips for Success

Plan ahead: Remember to marinate the chicken overnight for best results.

Don’t skip the resting time: Let the coated chicken rest before frying. This helps the coating stick.

Watch your oil temperature: Keep it at 350°F for perfectly crispy chicken. Too hot and it burns, too cool and it gets greasy.

Flip frequently: Those 20-second flips really do make a difference!

Use a thermometer: Don’t guess! Check that the chicken reaches 170°F internally.

Toast the buns: This small step makes a big difference in texture.

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Why This Recipe Works

The buttermilk marinade breaks down the chicken and makes it incredibly tender.

The pickle juice in both the marinade and coleslaw adds amazing tangy flavor.

Multiple seasonings create layers of flavor you won’t get from plain fried chicken.

The cornstarch in the batter creates extra crispiness.

Hot honey sauce gives you that perfect sweet and spicy combo everyone loves.

Ranch pickle coleslaw adds cool, creamy contrast to the hot, crispy chicken.

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The Bottom Line

These honey BBQ chicken sliders are worth every minute of prep time. From the overnight marinade to the crispy fried coating to that incredible hot honey glaze, every element works together to create something truly special.

The combination of crispy chicken, tangy coleslaw, and sweet-spicy honey on a soft brioche bun is absolutely unbeatable. Your guests will be talking about these sliders for weeks!

Give this recipe a try for your next gathering. Just be prepared – everyone will be asking for the recipe!