Last Updated on May 26, 2025 by Kimberly Stroh
Get ready to bring island-inspired flavors straight to your kitchen with these irresistible Hawaiian Chicken Sliders. Packed with tender shredded chicken, sweet pineapple, gooey mozzarella, and a homemade tangy-sweet sauce, these sliders are the perfect balance of savory and tropical. Enjoy them as a main dish or serve them up as an appetizer. You can’t go wrong hand-held sliders!
How To Prep These Sliders Ahead of Time
To prep the sliders ahead of time, make your sauce over the stovetop and add the shredded chicken. It’s easiest to shred chicken in a stand mixer and that’s my preferred way. Set the chicken aside, in the refrigerator. Prepare all of the topping ingredients as well, but don’t assemble the sliders until right before baking. Since the sliders are served immediately, bake before serving.
When To Serve Sliders
The Hawaiian Chicken Sliders have such a great summer flavor, with pineapple rings, but you can enjoy them any time of the year. Sliders cross-over between appetizers and a main meal. They’re great for tailgating and count as a finger food for parties. Our family loves these so much that they’ve become a weeknight meal! Our other favorite is Big Mac Cheeseburger Sliders, which have the “secret sauce” like McDonald’s Big Macs.
Hawaiian Chicken Sliders Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Ketchup
- Brown Sugar
- Pineapple Juice
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Ground Ginger
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Pineapple Slices
- Chicken (cooked and cubed or shredded)
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Red Onions
- Slider Rolls
- Melted Butter
Recipe Substitutions
Make the sliders your own and customize the ingredients. It’s easy to make half without onions, or half without pineapple if you prefer. If you need a substitute for pineapple, I like using fresh mango. It’s a similar tropical theme, without using pineapple.
Not feeling like a homemade sauce? Look for a thick teriyaki bottled sauce in your grocery store. That will save you time, but I like the homemade flavors best.
How To Make Hawaiian Chicken Sliders
Preheat oven to 350 and slice slider rolls in half lengthwise with a bread knife. Place the bottoms of the rolls into an 11″x7″ baking pan and set aside.
In a saucepan, combine olive oil, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, pineapple juice, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ginger, salt and pepper and mix well.
Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Boil for 1 minute, slowly mixing as it boils or until all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and carefully add chicken.
Return saucepan and chicken to stovetop. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until hot. Spread bbq chicken on bottoms of slider rolls in the pan.
Top with shredded cheese, six pineapple slices and red onion slices.
Place the top of the rolls onto the pan and brush with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Hawaiian Chicken Sliders
These Hawaiian Chicken Sliders include shredded chicken, melted mozzarella cheese, sliced pineapple rings and a sweet-n-tangy homemade sauce. They're perfect to serve as an appetizer or a main dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (from can of pineapple)
- I1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can, 20 oz, pineapple slices, drained and juice reserved
- 3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed or shredded
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
- 1 package, 12 oz, slider rolls
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and slice slider rolls in half lengthwise with a bread knife. Place the bottoms of the rolls into an 11"x7" baking pan and set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine olive oil, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, pineapple juice, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ginger, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Boil for 1 minute, slowly mixing as it boils or until all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and carefully add chicken.
- Return saucepan and chicken to stovetop. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until hot. Spread bbq chicken on bottoms of slider rolls in the pan.
- Top with shredded cheese, six pineapple slices and red onion slices. Place the top of the rolls onto the pan and brush with melted butter.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Refrigerate any remaining leftovers. Enjoy within 3-4 days of baking. Bread texture will change slightly upon reheating. Discard leftovers after 4 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 555mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 16g
**Nutrition is calculated by a third party. Actual values may vary.