Name: Crispy Chipotle Chicken Ranch Sliders
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 155 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ Tsp Salt; 1 Tsp Pepper; 2 Tsp Chili Powder; 1 Tsp Garlic Powder; 1 Tsp Onion Powder; 1 ½ Tbsp Corn starch; 1 ½ Tbsp Flour; 4 Kings Hawaiian Slider Buns; 4 Boneless Chicken Thighs; 1 Chipotle Pepper; ¼ Cup Pickled Banana Peppers; ½ Cup Pickled Red Onions; 1 ½ Tbsp Butter (melted (for coating top of sliders)); 1 ½ Tbsp Butter (softened (for toasting buns)); 2 Tsp Ranch Seasoning; 2 Cups Buttermilk Ranch Dressing; 4 Slices Mozzarella Cheese (About ½” thick)

I'm not one to brag, but these Crispy Chipotle Chicken Ranch Sliders are one of the best things to have ever come out of the Clowers kitchen! The chicken is thoroughly seasoned and breaded for a crunchy crispy texture and the ranch and mozzarella come together for a contrasting creaminess. Then, I add some banana peppers and pickled red onions for some acidity and freshness. To top it all off, these chicken ranch sliders are sandwiched between perfectly toasted and seasoned buns.

I mean, what's not to love?!

These sliders are the kind of thing you see on a restaurant menu but there's no reason you can't make them yourself. One great idea for a fun dinner would be to make these chicken ranch sliders and my bacon and blue sliders and let people pick and choose which they want! Serve with something light on the side like chips and 5 minute salsa, and you have the perfect fun meal!

Make them your own!

You can certainly customize this recipe in so many ways! When we have bacon on hand, you can bet it ends up on the slider. Although WE love ranch, some people may not. This recipe is also great with honey mustard or with my BBQ sauce as well (buy yours here)! Have fun with it and let me know what you change up in the reviews !

Let's get to the full recipe starting with the ingredients

1 ½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic & Onion Powder
1 ½ tablespoon Corn starch
1 ½ tablespoon Flour
4 Kings Hawaiian Slider Buns
4 Boneless Chicken Thighs
1 Chipotle Pepper
¼ Cup Pickled Banana Peppers
½ Cup Pickled Red Onions
1 ½ tablespoon Butter Melted
1 ½ tablespoon softened butter
2 teaspoon Ranch Seasoning
2 Cups Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
4 thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. (About ½" thick)

Notes on Ingredients

Feel free to play around with different seasonings and cheese combinations!
You can use any rolls, but Hawaiian rolls give a sweetness that adds another layers of flavor this these chicken ranch sliders.
Chicken thighs are the way to go here. They stay moist through cooking and have more depth of flavor. But I know that some people prefer white meat and these will still be delicious if you go that route.

Items and Equipment

Here is the exact pot that I used to cook this dish --> Link
If you are interested in a full set and looking at more Hexclad products be sure to click this link to receive 10% off anything by clicking here
Air Fryer. If you haven't invested in an air fryer yet, I highly recommend! I used mine almost daily. If you love yours as much as I do, leave a "❤️" in the comments!

Detailed Instructions for Chipotle Chicken Ranch Sliders

First thing is to gather all your ingredients and lay them out on your prep station or cutting board on your counter.

Step 1 : Place chicken thighs in 1 cup of Buttermilk Ranch dressing and place that in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but it can be 6-12 if you prefer longer to marinate.

Step 2 : Mix the salt, pepper, 1 ½ teaspoon of the chili powder, onion & garlic powder, flour, and cornstarch in a bowl and mix. Remove chicken from ranch dressing and coat the thighs in the seasoning mix with spices.

Step 3 : Place thighs in a preheated air fryer at 375° for 15 minutes.

Step 4: While thighs are cooking dice one canned chipotle, and mix that together with one cup of Buttermilk Ranch dressing.

Step 5: Butter your buns and toast the top and bottom of the buns in a skillet. Then, start building your sandwich with the bottom bun, chipotle ranch dressing, pickled banana peppers, pickled onions.

Cheese going onto chicken in an air fryer.

Step 6: Remove chicken from air fryer and place one thick slide of fresh mozzarella and go back into air fryer at 325 for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese.

Step 7: Remove chicken from air fryer and place on top of the banana peppers, and onions, then the top bun, and then paint melted butter on top bun. To finish, simply sprinkle chili powder and ranch dressing powder on top of the buttered top bun and enjoy!

Recipe

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