It’s friYAY and summertime and I need some BBQ in my life. You feel me? On the weekends in summer, I’m on the constant verge of drooling thinking about BBQ and beer while soaking up the sun. Do you know what’s even more glorious? BBQ that’s so tender that IT. HAS. SHREDDED APART! Can it get much better than that? Or you might be thinking – “Could there be anything more gross?!” For some people the thought of pulled meat might give them the heebie jeebies, but I on the other hand am a big fan. 

In my hometown in Florida, there’s a little bbq sand on the side of the road in town and at least once a week I would stop and get a bbq sandwich. I love the way the sweet barbecue sauce would soak into the bread a little. I would take a bite of the sammy and then a bite of coleslaw for crunch – pure perfection. 

While I love grilling, BBQ can be just as easy to make from your kitchen. These chicken sliders are the ultimate summer party food! So easy to make and definitely a crowd pleaser. Sweet Hawaiian rolls, piled with juicy pulled chicken, and then topped with a tangy crunchy slaw to balance it all out. You guyssss. Put this on repeat all summer long because it is that goood.

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BBQ Chicken Sliders

Ingredients

– 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, or a mix of thighs and breasts
– 1 large onion, diced
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– salt and pepper to taste
– 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade plus more to serve
– Hawaiian rolls for the sandwiches, or any other slider bun that you like

Coleslaw
– 1/2 small head of purple cabbage, shaved thinly, I love using a mandolin for this
– 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
– 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, also used the mandolin for this
– Juice of half a lime
– a big pinch of salt

What to do

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Remove the chicken from the packaging and pat it dry with paper towels.
2. In a Dutch oven or heavy pot (with a lid) heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken one piece at a time, stirring to mix well with the onion. Stir in the salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Pour in your favorite barbecue sauce and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
3. Cover the pot with a lid and put in the oven. Bake, covered, for 90 minutes, or until the chicken is extremely tender. Remove from the oven and use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a large bowl. 
4. While your chicken is baking, make your coleslaw. Mix the cabbage, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl and let sit until ready to serve. 
5. Use two forks to shred the chicken. While you’re shredding, put the sauce, uncovered, back on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid in the pan to about half of its volume. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to incorporate.