BBQ Chicken Sliders
BBQ chicken sliders are full-flavored and smoky with a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce! Instead of one cut of chicken, this recipe uses a whole chicken, so you get a little bit of everything. The chicken sliders also feature a cool, creamy slaw for richness and crunch.
Equipment
- Z Grills 1000D3E Wood Pellet Grill
- Z Grills Cherry Wood Pellets
- Meat Fork
- Tongs
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ yellow onion, peeled
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 lemon, halved
Slaw
- 1 (10-ounce) bag shredded cabbage
- ¼ cup matchstick cucumber
- ¼ cup matchstick carrot
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, nonfat
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sliders
- 12 slider buns, toasted if desired
Instructions
Chicken
- Preheat your Z-Grills (preferably with branded wood pellets) or other wood pellet grill to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the giblets from the chicken, rinse under cool water, and pat dry.
- In a bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and paprika to make the dry rub.
- Apply the rub all over the chicken, including the cavity.
- Add the onion, garlic, and lemon to the chicken’s cavity.
- Transfer the chicken to the grill, close the lid, and smoke for 2 hours and 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slaw
- Meanwhile, add the cabbage, cucumber, and carrot to a large bowl.
- Whisk the remaining slaw ingredients together in another bowl, then add to the cabbage mixture. Toss to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the chicken is ready.
Sauce
- As the chicken smokes and the slaw chills, heat the oil for the sauce over medium heat.
- Sauté the onion for 4 minutes or until softened and fragrant, then add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
- Stir in the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, molasses, water, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the saucepan and stir. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth. Alternatively, remove it from the heat and use a stand blender or food processor.
- Return the sauce to a simmer once again, leave it for 5-7 minutes, then remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside.
Sliders
- Remove the chicken from the pellet grill using a meat fork and tongs. Set it aside to rest and cool slightly.
- Carefully remove the skin, then remove the meat from the bones.
- Shred the chicken using two forks or transfer it to a large bowl to shred with a hand mixer (on low speed). Toss the shredded chicken with about half of the sauce.
- Divide the chicken between the slider buns, drizzle with leftover sauce, and top with slaw.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
To toast buns, increase the heat on your grill to 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit, brush the cut side of each bun half with melted butter, and toast for 30 seconds to a minute.
