Smoky Pulled Chicken Sliders (with Nashville-Style Vinegar Slaw)
My smoky pulled chicken sliders with a Nashville-style vinegar slaw are some of my favorite sandwiches! They’re smoky from smoked paprika and savory from pan-seared chicken, plus light and fresh from the slaw! These sliders are my take on my favorite sandwich served at Edley’s Bar-B-Que here in Nashville. My husband and I love that sandwich so much, I had to create my own version at home!
This recipe was inspired by a sandwich served at Edley’s Bar-B-Que in Nashville, Tennessee but my recipe is not affiliated with or endorsed by the restaurant. This post may contain affiliate links but only of items I use and love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I NEVER use AI (artificial intelligence) to develop recipes, write blog posts, take or edit photos, or make any other content for Plum Branch Home. My recipes are developed by me and tested multiple times to ensure success. What you see from Plum Branch Home is real. It’s made for a reason, tested, and loved!
I love serving these sliders by themselves for lunch or supper when the weather is warm. They’re so fresh and light! But if Tyler and I ever want something a little more filling, a little fruit, chopped salad, or macaroni and cheese goes great.
Inspiration Behind My Smoky Pulled Chicken Sliders Recipe
My husband and I’s favorite BBQ restaurant here in Nashville is Edley’s Bar-B-Que. They have the best BBQ in Middle Tennessee in our opinion! From their burnt ends to smoked Alabama white BBQ wings to their cornbread, it’s all fantastic!
But our all-time favorite item on the menu is their chicken sandwich. It starts with a whole chicken smoked in a smoker and shredded for sandwiches.
They toast the brioche bun, then add the freshly smoked chicken, a plug (AKA a heaping scoop) of their Nashville-style vinegar slaw, some red Nashville-style BBQ sauce, and Alabama white BBQ sauce. It’s a fantastic combination!
So, after enjoying that sandwich for a few years, I decided it was time to make my own version at home in slider form. I just use smoked paprika to get the smoky flavor since we don’t own a smoker (yet—haha!).
We will always visit the restaurant to enjoy their sandwich, but in between date nights, I can now make my version at home! I’m so excited for you to have a taste of Nashville, Tennessee, in your home!
Why We Love These Sliders and Think You Will Too!
- Restaurant-Style: They taste like the restaurant’s, but you can make them at home.
- Simple Ingredients: Each ingredient is wholesome and simple, especially if you make your own sauces.
- Light & Fresh: The vinegar slaw makes these sliders so light and fresh.
- Perfect for Summer: Because of the fresh and light flavors, they’re perfect for hot summer days.
- Easy to Make: The steps are easy and simple. It’s beginner-friendly!
What is Nashville-Style Vinegar Slaw?
Nashville-style vinegar slaw is usually a slaw mixture containing some combination of green cabbage, red onion, carrots, and bell pepper. Sometimes you’ll find more or less veggies. Mine (and Edley’s) doesn’t use carrots.
Then the slaw is covered in a boiled vinegar base instead of mayonnaise. Many Nashville/Middle Tennessee slaws will have a good amount of mustard in with the vinegar base, but not all. I left it out just like Edley’s.
The little bit of boiled vinegar base coats the slaw mixture, then gets chilled before serving so it really soaks into the veggies.
My Tips for Making the Best Pulled Chicken Sliders
- Read the full recipe before you get started. This will help you know what to expect.
- Don’t skip the chilling step of the slaw. It needs 2 hours to develop the flavor.
- Use avocado oil when pan-searing the chicken. It’s wholesome and has a high smoke point, keeping it a safe oil when searing on a higher heat.
- Be sure to butterfly the chicken breast so it cooks evenly in the pan. If you just toss the chicken breast in there, it won’t cook evenly.
- Make both BBQ sauces at home instead of buying them. They not only taste better and are easy to whip up, but they are so much better for you!
Best Buns to Use for Pulled Chicken
My favorite buns to use for this recipe are homemade sourdough slider buns! They’re so simple to make and they won’t have any nasty additives in them. They’re perfect for sandwiches like this. But if you’d like to use store-bought, you can.
Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements
- green cabbage: I like to get organic but you can use regular
- green bell pepper: I like to get organic but you can use regular
- red onion: you can use regular but organic is what I use
- apple cider vinegar: try to find an raw one but you can use any
- whole celery seed: I don’t recommend skipping this, it makes the slaw!
- avocado oil: or any high heat oil like coconut oil
- large boneless skinless chicken breast: or two small
- sea salt: this is my favorite wholesome salt option
- ground black pepper: adds really good flavor
- garlic powder: make sure it’s salt-free
- onion powder: make sure it’s salt-free
- smoked paprika: don’t substitute this for regular paprika, it’s not the same
- butter: salted or unsalted works
- slider buns: sourdough or regular, I like to use my sourdough slider bun recipe
- white bbq sauce: you can use store-bought but homemade is best, I use my Alabama white BBQ sauce recipe
- red bbq sauce: you can use store-bought but homemade is best, I use my red BBQ sauce (it’s in my flatbread pizza recipe)
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
This section contains Amazon affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe.
- kitchen scissors (my favorite way to cut up chicken)
- stainless steel skillet
- tongs
- mixing bowl with lid
How to Make Pulled Chicken Sliders with Vinegar Slaw
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.
Make the Nashville-Style Vinegar Slaw
If you haven’t yet prep the veggies: slice cabbage in fourths, keep 1/4 out then store the others away. Take out the core and slice cabbage very thinly into shreds. Rinse with water and pat dry. Rinse bell pepper with water and pat dry. Remove seeds and membrane and finely dice into small chunks. Slice red onion into thin strips.
Add prepared cabbage, bell pepper, and onion to mixing bowl. Mix with your hands or tongs to evenly distribute. Set aside.
Add apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, sea salt, pepper, and celery seed to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
As soon as it begins to boil, immediately remove from heat and pour over cabbage mixture in bowl. Stir with tongs to evenly mix.
Add a lid or Saran wrap to the top of the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours (or until serving, it’ll last up to 1 week in the fridge).
Make the Smoky Chicken
When slaw has chilled for about 1.5 hours, start the chicken by slicing it in half horizontally almost all the way through so the breast opens up into 1 large piece (AKA butterfly it). This helps with even cooking. Set aside.
Add sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to a bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
Add avocado oil to skillet and heating over medium heat.
While pan is heating, season entire chicken breast (both sides) with half of the seasoning mix. Set other half of seasoning aside for now.
Once pan is hot, add chicken and sear on medium heat for 7 minutes until a dark golden brown crust forms. Do not move chicken while cooking.
Flip and cook another 7-8 minutes or until seared dark golden brown and fully cooked all the way through (do not move it again during this cook time).
Once chicken is cooked, remove from pan and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Then shred with forks or a hand mixer. Once shredded, add other half of seasoning and stir to fully coat chicken.
Assemble the Sliders
Optional: Toast buns by warming butter in a skillet until melted. Slice buns in half then lay crumb side down into pan with melted butter. Toast on medium heat until golden brown. Remove from heat.
Add a handful of shredded chicken to each slider bun, a big spoonful of slaw, a drizzle of white bbq sauce, and a drizzle of red bbq sauce.
Add top bun and enjoy! You will have extra slaw. Store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge and use for other uses!
My Favorite Sides to Serve with Pulled Chicken Sliders
These sliders are delicious by themselves, but they pair wonderfully with:
- Fruit Salad
- Pesto Mac and Cheese (Creamy Stovetop Recipe)
- Honey Sourdough Cornbread
- Sheet Pan Lemon Potatoes Recipe
- Old-Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
How to Store Leftover Sliders
You can store leftover BBQ shredded chicken sliders in the fridge or freezer. They’ll last about 2 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer (take off/leave off sauce and slaw when freezing). I love storing mine in the freezer. It keeps the taste much more fresh!
Freezing & Thawing (or Making Ahead) Instructions
Freezing
I recommend wrapping each one in parchment paper, then sticking them in a freezer-safe container, preferably glass. They’ll last up to 1 month in the freezer.
I don’t recommend adding slaw or sauce to freezer sliders. You’ll want to add it on after thawing and reheating.
Thawing
No need to thaw. When you’re ready to enjoy, place frozen sliders on a sheet pan and stick right in the cold oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and warm until they reach a desired temperature.
These sliders are already baked, so you are just reheating them. Add slaw and sauce just before serving.
Best Way to Reheat Leftover Shredded Chicken Sliders
The best way to reheat leftover chicken sliders is to take off the slaw and place them in the oven at 400 degrees until they’re warm. This keeps the flavors and textures similar to the day you made them! Just add the slaw back on before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Smoked paprika adds a smoky flavor but can be left out if desired.
You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. I love using it on tacos, sandwiches, or as a quick side to almost any supper.
You can do a salad, fruit, clean-ingredient potato chips, homemade French fries, or even a macaroni salad. The options are limitless! For more ideas, check out the section above where I share my favorite slider sides.
For my recipe, one large chicken breast makes three sliders that have about 1/4–1/3 cup of shredded chicken on each. You can add more chicken to each slider if desired, but I wouldn’t do any less.
Sure! Cook the chicken on low for 2–3 hours or high for 1.5 hours in your slow cooker. Just make sure the chicken is cooked fully before shredding. If you double this recipe, you’ll need to add extra time for slow cooking.
More Sandwich Recipes to Try
If you’re looking for more made-from-scratch sandwiches, try a few of these:
- Ham and Cheese Oven Baked Sliders
- Sourdough Chicken Minis (Inspired by Chick-Fil-A)
- Teriyaki Chicken Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwiches)
- Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
- Turkey Apple Sandwich
- Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich
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Recipe
Smoky Pulled Chicken Sliders (with Nashville-Style Vinegar Slaw)
Ingredients
Nashville-Style Vinegar Slaw
- 1/4 of a medium green cabbage, with core and outer leaves removed, sliced into thin strips (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 of a green bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 of a large red onion, sliced into thin strips (about 1 cup)
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp whole celery seed
Smoky Chicken
- 1 tsp avocado oil (or any high heat oil like coconut oil)
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (or 2 small)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (salt-free)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (salt-free)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Sliders
- optional: 1 tsp butter (for toasting)
- 2-3 slider buns (regular or sourdough)(my recipe is below in notes)
- white bbq sauce (my recipe is below in notes)
- red bbq sauce (my recipe is below in notes)
Instructions
Make the Slaw
- If you haven’t yet prep the veggies: slice cabbage in fourths, keep 1/4 out then store the others away. Take out the core and slice cabbage very thinly into shreds. Rinse with water and pat dry. Rinse bell pepper with water and pat dry. Remove seeds and membrane and finely dice into small chunks. Slice red onion into thin strips.
- Add prepared cabbage, bell pepper, and onion to mixing bowl. Mix with your hands or tongs to evenly distribute. Set aside.
- Add apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, sea salt, pepper, and celery seed to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- As soon as it begins to boil, immediately remove from heat and pour over cabbage mixture in bowl. Stir with tongs to evenly mix.
- Add a lid or Saran wrap to the top of the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours (or until serving, it’ll last up to 1 week in the fridge).
Make the Smoky Chicken
- When slaw has chilled for about 1.5 hours, start the chicken by slicing it in half horizontally almost all the way through so the breast opens up into 1 large piece (AKA butterfly it). This helps with even cooking. Set aside.
- Add sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to a bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- Add avocado oil to skillet and heating over medium heat.
- While pan is heating, season entire chicken breast (both sides) with half of the seasoning mix. Set other half of seasoning aside for now.
- Once pan is hot, add chicken and sear on medium heat for 7 minutes until a dark golden brown crust forms. Do not move chicken while cooking.
- Flip and cook another 7-8 minutes or until seared dark golden brown and fully cooked all the way through (do not move it again during this cook time).
- Once chicken is cooked, remove from pan and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Then shred with forks or a hand mixer.
- Once shredded, add other half of seasoning and stir to fully coat chicken.
Assemble the Sliders
- Optional: Toast buns by warming butter in a skillet until melted. Slice buns in half then lay crumb side down into pan with melted butter. Toast on medium heat until golden brown. Remove from heat.
- Add a handful of shredded chicken to each slider bun, a big spoonful of slaw, a drizzle of white bbq sauce, and a drizzle of red bbq sauce.
- Add top bun and enjoy! You will have extra slaw. Store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge and use for other uses!
Notes
- My Sourdough Slider Bun Recipe: https://plumbranchhome.com/sourdough-slider-buns/
- My Nashville-Style Red BBQ Sauce (the sauce is in my pizza recipe): https://plumbranchhome.com/bbq-chicken-flatbread-pizza/
- My Alabama White BBQ Sauce: https://plumbranchhome.com/alabama-white-bbq-sauce/