Slow Cooker Sweet and Tangy Pulled Chicken Sliders with Cucumber Slaw—Tender shredded chicken with a scrumptious sauce and then a little crispness from cucumbers. An easy recipe with a lot of flavor and freshness. A perfect meal for a summer evening.
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Slow Cooker Sweet and Tangy Pulled Chicken Sliders with Cucumber Slaw
One of the cool things about these pulled chicken sliders is that they taste incredibly fresh. I love the bright cucumber, carrot and pepper slaw that’s served on top of the chicken. I love using the slightly sweet Hawaiian rolls for this recipe. They are soft and fluffy and actually quite addicting. I love the slight sweetness in these rolls to pair with the chicken and slaw. If you’re trying to cut down on carbs you could eat this chicken on lettuce wraps or even in a low-carb tortilla.
More Summer Recipes You’ll Love…
Slow Cooker Chicken and Asparagus
Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Sliders
What Slow Cooker Do You Use?
I used my Ninja Auto-iQ 6 Quart Slow Cooker.* My favorite feature of this slow cooker is that it has a stove top function. This is perfect for sauteing or browning before you slow cook. This slow cooker has four manual cooking functions: slow cook, stove top sear/Saute, steam, and bake.
Sweet and Tangy Pulled Chicken Sliders
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken:
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- Salt and pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 12 Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
For the slaw:
- 1 medium crisp cucumber (it will be about 3 cups of shredded cucumber)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and liberally salt and pepper it.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine the diced onion, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes and 2 tsp of olive oil. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. Add in the ketchup and molasses. Stir. Add mixture into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours. Chicken should be very tender and shreddable.
- Remove the chicken and shred on a cutting board.
- Add in the apple cider vinegar and the Dijon mustard. Stir. Add in the shredded chicken. Stir to coat.
- Grate the cucumber into nice, long shreds. Place grated cucumber into a colander and stir in the 1 tsp of salt. Let it drain of liquids for about 30 minutes (I was surprised at how much liquid drained out).
- Grate the carrot. Dice the red pepper. Add the cucumber into a bowl with the carrot and red pepper and toss in the olive oil.
- Portion out the chicken onto each of the rolls. Then portion out the slaw onto each of the rolls. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-5 quart
Can you use honey instead of molasses ?
Yep that sounds great!
Would using chicken breast instead of thighs change anything too much?
It just won’t be as tender. But you can use them.
So good! Made a double batch for a party with lettuce and cheese crisps as options to buns. They ate it all on top of anything they could find. LOL
★★★★★
LOL Lisa!!
I don’t see where I can save this recipe to my list
I agree with "Unknown". These have become a hit in my family. I also skip the microwave step. The slow cooker does the job just as well and saves me some steps, and dishes. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hooray for less steps!!!
I made these and they have become a favorite in my house. I skip the microwave direction. Works just as well. Delicious!
Okay glad to know that skipping the microwave worked! I'm always up for less time in the kitchen.
I’m excited to try this today, however I have about 2 3/4# organic chicken drumsticks on hand. Going to make pulled chicken burritos for dinner this evening. Improvise with what you/ve got right?! I’d say it’s about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4# meat. How long should I cook in slow cooker? You recommend 5-8 hours for your drumsticks with enchilada sauce. ny thoughts?
How did it work out for you? I would say about 6 hours.
I do love those Hawaiian buns Karen, and so does my husband Jon. We have some very excited football fans at our house too. These will be perfect for game day!!!!