Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders (Party Sandwiches)

These Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders are delightful little sandwiches full of flavor that are an absolute crowd-pleaser. Made with shredded chicken, crispy bacon, creamy ranch, and melty cheese all stuffed into sweet Hawaiian rolls, everyone will go wild for these and be begging you for the recipe!

I know that I’ve mentioned before how ranch dressing is the king of condiments in our family. There isn’t much that we wouldn’t eat with a generous helping of ranch, especially when it also involves chicken and bacon. The three of these foods go together like PB&J. 

We love that these Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders can be served as party sandwiches at your next get-together whether it be a holiday party, game day tailgating, or just as an easy dinner option when served with a few sides.

If you are also in love with this creamy, tangy condiment as much as we are, go check out our recipes for Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing and Air Fryer Ranch Carrots. You won’t be sorry. 

Ingredient Notes

Hawaiian rolls - King’s is the most popular brand of sweet Hawaiian rolls but there are other brands on the market. It’s also worth noting that King’s also makes a savory butter as well as a jalapeno flavor if you find the original rolls too sweet. 

Shredded cooked chicken - You can use leftover rotisserie chicken. Tip - Costco even sells pre-shredded, cooked chicken in the ready-made meal section. Freshly cooked, shredded chicken, deli chicken, or even canned chicken are all options as well. This recipe is a great way to use up leftovers!

Ranch dressing - We typically go with Hidden Valley Ranch when we have storebought, but we favor a homemade ranch. Our recipe for Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing is perfect for Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders, and it’s what I used when I made this recipe at home. Make sure to have a little extra on hand, we like to serve our sandwiches with a side of ranch for dipping. 

Bacon - Make sure it’s crispy and crumbled very well to evenly distribute it amongst the rolls. In a pinch, you can also sub in some bacon bits to your taste. 

Cheddar cheese - I used shredded, but sliced is also fine. You can also opt for a different type of cheese altogether such as Colby or Monterey Jack. 

Melted butter - You can use unsalted or salted depending on your taste preference.

Dijon mustard - I prefer this smooth mustard but feel free to try out a stone-ground mustard for a little extra texture. 

Seasonings - Worcestershire sauce, garlic/onion powder, and dried dill round out the seasonings to top off the rolls. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Slice the rolls in half horizontally. Spray a large baking dish (9x13) with oil and add the bottom half of the rolls to the dish. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, toss the chicken with the ranch dressing. 

Step 2: Spread the chicken ranch mixture evenly on the bottom half of the rolls. Then, top evenly with the crispy bacon. 

Step 3: Sprinkle the cheese all over and add the other half of the rolls on top. Set aside.

Step 4: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powders, and the dried dill. Brush this mixture on the tops of the rolls and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are warmed through. 

Tips and Variations

Swap the chicken with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving as a fun and creative way to use up holiday leftovers.

Instead of ranch, try blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce, or BBQ sauce. 

Add a smoky flavor by adding a ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke to the butter mixture. 

For extra creamy and cheesy sliders, spread a layer of softened cream cheese on the bottom half of the rolls before you add the chicken ranch mixture. Alternatively, you can mix in the softened cream cheese when you’re mixing the chicken and ranch dressing in the mixing bowl. 

Leftover Storage and Reheating

Refrigerating and freezing leftovers:

• Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
• You can also freeze the leftovers by wrapping each slider tightly in plastic wrap and adding them to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

Reheating leftovers:

• For frozen leftovers allow the sliders to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Place the sliders on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes. 
• All leftovers should be heated to 165°F for food safety reasons. 
• If your leftovers seem a bit soggy, remove the foil in the last few minutes of cooking to evaporate any excess moisture. 

Prepping in Advance

You can definitely prep these little sliders in advance, which is one of the many reasons they’re the perfect party sandwiches for entertaining. Here are some tips and instructions to help you do this prep in advance:

• Assemble the sliders in the baking dish up to 1 day in advance, and cover the dish tightly with foil. Do not add the seasoned butter mixture until ready to bake as usual. 
• You can freeze the assembled sliders (without the butter mixture) for 1-2 months in a freezer-safe baking dish covered tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as usual the next day.
  • Or, bake from frozen by removing the plastic wrap and covering the dish in aluminum foil only, then baking at 325°F for about 30-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are at least 165°F internally. 
• Mix the seasoned butter mixture and store in an airtight container or ziplock bag separately from the siders in the fridge or freezer. Just before baking, melt the mixture gently in the microwave or on the stovetop and brush on top of the rolls per usual. Or, opt to make the mixture fresh just before you’re ready to bake. 
• Just like when reheating any leftovers, if the rolls seem a bit soggy, remove the foil in the last few minutes in the oven to evaporate any excess moisture.