- September 29, 2022
- 30 Minute Meals
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
These Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders are the ultimate game day or party snack, featuring juicy shredded chicken, crispy bacon, and creamy ranch dressing all layered on soft slider buns. Baked until golden and melty, they’re easy to pull apart and packed with savory flavor in every bite!
Why This Recipe Works
Crowd-Pleasing Appetizer: If you’re trying to really wow your friends and family at your next party or game day get together, then you need this recipe. Sliders are always a huge hit and I can count on zero leftovers when I make them. While I will always be obsessed with these famous pull apart cheeseburger sliders recipe, this chicken, bacon, and ranch-flavored version works just as well to entice the taste buds.
Flavor Packed: The shredded chicken provides a hearty, satisfying base, while the crispy bacon adds the perfect crunch! The combination of cheeses here adds some sharpness and mild heat, all brought together by the ranch dressing. For a bit of freshness, I also added sliced green onions. Everything in these chicken sliders layers on top of each other to create the ultimate, flavor-packed slider recipe!
Easy to Make: This is a simple recipe you can whip up and bake in just 30 minutes! I love that you can prep these ahead of time as well and they are easy to make in large batches if you need to serve a bigger crowd! Whether you make them for sharing or just for a quick and delicious family dinner, this chicken recipe will no doubt be one you’ll remember.
Supplies Needed
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Aluminum Foil
- Pastry Brush
- Knife
Ingredients
- Cooked Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is the most convenient option, but any leftover chicken you have on hand works well! Just shred it up and you are good to go. Or, prep some smoked pulled chicken!
- Bacon: I like to use thick-cut bacon, but any bacon will work as long as it is crispy. Precook your bacon (I use the oven or you can do it on the grill with this pellet smoker bacon recipe).
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese & Pepper Jack Cheese: The combination of cheeses adds to the creaminess and also adds a hint of spice!
- Ranch Dressing: I use a mixture of sour cream, mayo, milk, and dried spices (dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried onion pieces along with salt and pepper) to create the perfect homemade “dressing”. You can use store bought dressing to keep this simple but the homemade mixture is what really takes this dish to the next level.
- Green Onions: I add this for a little flavor, color, and texture.
- To assemble: You will need slider buns, and some melted butter mixed with fresh parsley and garlic to brush the tops of the sliders with.
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
Prepare the Chicken Bacon Ranch Filling
Combine Filling Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing. Mix until well combined. Add chopped green onions, if using, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the Sliders
Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Make the Dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. It will be slightly thicker than a traditional ranch but it works well as a binder for the shredded chicken.
Slice Buns: Slice the slider buns in half and place the bottom halves on a baking sheet.
Make the Filling: Combine the shredded cooked chicken, homemade ranch dressing mixture, green onions, and two shredded cheeses in a large bowl.
Layer Filling: Evenly distribute the chicken bacon ranch filling over the bottom buns. Layer the cooked bacon over the filling and place the top halves of the buns over the bacon.
Make Parsley Garlic Butter: In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with chopped parsley and garlic. Brush the tops of the sliders with the butter mixture.
Bake the Sliders
Bake Covered: Cover the sliders with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are heated through.
Bake Uncovered: Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Serve & Enjoy: Remove from the oven and let the sliders cool slightly before serving. Enjoy these delicious Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders as a perfect appetizer or main dish!
Serving Suggestions
I love to place these on a platter with some pickles, a side of BBQ sauce, and a side of ranch dressing for dipping. They can be served completely on their own, or with some delicious side dishes to make it a full meal! Here are some of my favorite to pair with chicken bacon ranch sliders:
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Crispy Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Dill Pickle Coleslaw
- Traditional Deli Potato Salad
- Smoked Corn on the Cob
Helpful Tips
- Use warm chicken! If your chicken is freshly cooked or warm, the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese will start melting as you mix the filling, making it even creamier.
- Crisp the bacon well. Make sure the bacon is super crispy! This ensures that it will stay crispy even after baking inside the sliders.
- Switch up the cheeses! If you prefer a mild flavor without any spice, swap out the pepper jack cheese for more cheddar, or try replacing it with mozzarella for a super epic cheese pull.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! To make ahead, just pre-make the chicken filling and prep the layers but do not assemble until ready to bake. Warm the filling up before adding to the bread to reduce the cooking time (if it’s cold and goes into the oven this way you will need to add about 20 additional minutes to the cooking time).
Yes! You can add extra toppings to this chicken bacon ranch sliders recipe like fresh jalapeños for heat, avocado slices for a little creaminess, or a drizzle of Memphis-style barbecue sauce for a smoky flavor!
More Recipes to Try
- Pulled Beef Sliders
- Big Mac Sliders
- Animal Style Sliders
- Grilled Shrimp Rolls
- Brie Sliders Recipe
- Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders
- Maxwell Street Polish
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
Ingredients
For the Chicken Bacon Ranch Filling
- 1 lb Chicken Cooked and shredded
- 8 slices Thick Cut Bacon cooked
- 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Pepper Jack Cheese
- 4 Green Onions sliced thin
Ranch Dressing
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 cup Mayo
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Dried Dill
- 1 tbsp Dried Parsley
- 1 tbsp Dried Chives
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Minced Onions
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
For the Sliders
- 12 Slider Buns
- 2 tbsp Butter melted
- 2 tsp Fresh Parsley minced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken Bacon Ranch Filling
- In a small mixing bowl, make the ranch dressing mixture by combining the sour cream, mayo, milk, and dried spices together.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, shredded cheeses, and ranch dressing mixture. Mix until well combined. Add chopped green onions, if using, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the Sliders
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Slice the slider buns in half and place the bottom halves on a baking sheet.
- Evenly distribute the chicken bacon ranch filling over the bottom buns. Layer the cooked bacon over the filling and place the top halves of the buns over the bacon.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with chopped parsley and garlic. Brush the tops of the sliders with the butter mixture.
Bake the Sliders
- Cover the sliders with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are heated through.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let the sliders cool slightly before serving. Enjoy these delicious Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders as a perfect appetizer or main dish!