When the foil comes off, the rolls are warm and the cheese is just beginning to melt into the buffalo chicken. That last stretch in the oven matters: uncovering the pan gives the tops a chance to warm without leaving the filling under a blanket of foil the whole time. These New Year’s Eve Buffalo Chicken Sliders turn one package of Hawaiian rolls into 12 easy-to-share sandwiches, with a little heat from buffalo wing sauce and a tangy finish from blue cheese.
I like that the chicken mixture comes together on the stovetop before the sliders go into the oven. The chicken is already cooked, so it only needs a few minutes in the sauce to heat through and pick up that buttery, garlicky coating. Keeping the rolls connected while slicing also makes assembly less fussy: you can lift the whole bottom half into the dish, layer everything across it, and set the top back in place. The result is soft, savory sliders with a little sweetness in every bite.
Kitchen Note
I get the rolls and cheeses ready before I heat the chicken. The filling only needs 3–5 minutes over medium-low, and letting it sit on the burner while you assemble can dry out the chicken.
Save these New Year’s Eve Buffalo Chicken Sliders for a party spread: buffalo-coated chicken, melted provolone, and blue cheese tucked into soft Hawaiian rolls.
Why the Provolone Sits Beneath the Buffalo Chicken
Soft rolls are good at soaking up sauce, which is lovely when you want a saucy sandwich but less helpful when you want the bottom of a pull-apart slider to stay together. In this stack, the provolone goes directly onto the bottom half of the rolls, with the buffalo chicken on top. As the cheese melts, it creates a thin layer between the bread and the sauced filling. It won’t make the rolls crisp, but it helps keep the sauce from sinking straight into the bread.
The order also keeps the blue cheese where you can taste it. The crumbles sit over the chicken, so their sharp, salty flavor comes through instead of disappearing under a heavier layer of meat. Then the top half of the rolls goes back on, holding the filling in place as the whole pan warms. Keeping that sequence makes each slider feel balanced: sweet bread, mild melted cheese, spicy chicken, and a little blue cheese tang.
What Each Ingredient Brings to These Buffalo Sliders
- Buffalo wing sauce and garlic powder — Use a buffalo wing sauce rather than plain hot sauce; wing sauce gives the filling its familiar tangy, buttery character. Heat levels vary by brand, so choose one whose spice level you already like. Garlic powder disperses evenly through the sauce without leaving larger pieces in the filling.
- Cooked shredded chicken — The chicken needs to be cooked and shredded before it goes into the saucepan. A plain, well-shredded chicken works best because the sauce supplies the seasoning; very large pieces are harder to spread evenly across the rolls. The budget-friendly cooked chicken you already have is fine here.
- Hawaiian sweet rolls — Their soft texture and gentle sweetness balance the buffalo sauce. Pick up a fresh package with the rolls still connected, since that makes it easier to slice and move the slab in one piece. A crushed or dried-out package won’t hold the filling as neatly.
- Provolone — Provolone melts into a mild, stretchy layer without competing with the buffalo sauce. Standard sliced provolone works well; there’s no need to seek out an aged or specialty version. Keep the slices laid out across the bread so the chicken doesn’t land on bare spots.
- Blue cheese crumbles — Blue cheese adds a salty, tangy contrast to the sweet rolls and spicy filling. Choose crumbles you enjoy eating on their own, since their flavor stays distinct in the finished sliders. Fresh, loose crumbles are easier to scatter evenly than a large piece of cheese.
- Unsalted butter — The butter has two jobs: some enriches the buffalo sauce, and the rest is brushed across the tops before baking. Unsalted butter gives you more control over the seasoning, while a fresh, ordinary grocery-store stick is all you need.
From Warm Buffalo Chicken to Pull-Apart Sliders
Get the Baking Dish Ready
Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. This gives the bottom of the rolls a little protection from sticking as the cheese melts. Have the rolls, provolone, and blue cheese ready nearby before you start warming the filling. That way, the chicken can go straight from the saucepan into the assembled sliders.
Coat the Chicken in the Buffalo Sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the buffalo wing sauce and garlic powder, then add the cooked shredded chicken. Stir until the chicken is coated and heated to 165°F, about 3–5 minutes. Keep the heat moderate; a hard simmer can cook moisture out of chicken that’s already cooked.
Layer the Filling on the Connected Rolls
Slice the rolls horizontally while keeping them connected, then set the bottom half in the prepared dish. Lay the provolone over the bread, spread the warm chicken mixture across the cheese, and scatter the blue cheese crumbles over the top. Replace the top half of the rolls as one piece. If the slab shifts while you add the filling, nudge the rolls back together before covering them.
Bake Covered, Then Uncover to Finish
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it over the rolls. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes; then uncover and bake for 5–8 minutes, until the rolls are warmed through and the cheese is melted. The covered portion warms the center, while the uncovered finish lets the tops heat without trapping steam for the full bake. Rest the sliders for 5 minutes before cutting and serving so the filling settles instead of sliding out with the first piece.
Simple Ways to Adapt These Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Choose a Milder Buffalo Sauce
For a gentler batch, use a mild buffalo wing sauce in place of the hotter one, keeping the same amount. You’ll still get the tangy buffalo character, but the heat won’t dominate the sweet rolls and blue cheese.
Make a Gluten-Free Batch
Replace the Hawaiian rolls with gluten-free slider rolls that give you 12 portions. Some gluten-free rolls aren’t attached in one slab, so set their bottom halves close together in the dish, add the same layers, and cap each one with its own top. The finished sliders may be a little less pull-apart, but you’ll still have the same buffalo chicken and cheese filling.
Make Them Dairy-Free
Use plant-based butter in both parts of the recipe, plus dairy-free provolone-style slices and blue cheese-style crumbles. Keep the same amounts and layer them in the same order. The cheese may melt less smoothly than dairy cheese, so look for products labeled as meltable and expect a slightly different texture.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat them within 3–4 days. The rolls soften as the sauce settles into the bread.
- Freezer: These freeze well for up to 2 months. Wrap individual sliders or the cooled slab tightly, then thaw in the refrigerator before reheating; the rolls may be softer after thawing.
- Reheating: Warm the sliders covered in a 350°F oven until hot throughout. Avoid a long stretch in the microwave, which can make the chicken tough and the rolls gummy.
Questions I Get Asked About These Buffalo Chicken Sliders
New Year's Eve Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the buffalo wing sauce and garlic powder.
- Add the chicken and stir until coated and heated to 165°F, about 3–5 minutes.
- Slice the rolls horizontally, keeping them connected.
- Set the bottom half in the prepared dish.
- Layer on the provolone, chicken mixture, and blue cheese crumbles.
- Replace the top half of the rolls.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush it over the rolls.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 5–8 minutes, until the rolls are warmed through and the cheese is melted.
- Rest the sliders for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
