The easiest, most fun to eat slider of the summer! Just four thighs makes EIGHT hearty, cute little sammies that with only a few ingredients, have it ALL going on! From barbecued bacon, to the crispy onions, gooey co-jack cheese, and double sauces, you simply must make these before the summer is over!
Boy oh BOY were these little gems absolutely delicious!! And with a little prep, you can have these made in a flash!!
Huge tip: Whenever I bring home bacon, I bake the whole package in the oven, then wrap the slices in paper towel, and store them in a plastic zip top baggie in the freezer. That way, I always have bacon on hand already cooked for whenever I need it!
With that said, the only other 2 things to already have done before grilling your chicken thighs, is to make a batch of my Alabama White Lightning Barbecue Sauce, and fry up some crispy onions!
For these, I used shallots. Just slice off the ends, slice the garlic-flavored onion in half lengthwise, remove the outer layer, lay the halves cut side down onto your cutting board, and slice them!
Then just toss them into a bowl of beaten egg, then seasoned flour, then into a frying pan of hot oil. Fry them until golden, and remove them with a fish skimmer onto a layer of paper towels and…DONE. They really are super simple to make, and add SO MUCH fun to any sandwich, salad, or taco!
Once you have your basics prepped and ready to go, cut your boneless, skinless chicken thighs in half. Season them with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste, then grill them until they’re almost done.
Then totally coat them with barbecue sauce, and grill and baste them until completely done.
Now, I forgot to add cheese, so I had to add some cheese later and then run them under the broiler to melt it. But you can add the cheese while they’re still on the grill if you’d like.
As soon as you remove the chicken to rest, coat your strips of bacon on both sides well with barbecue sauce, and grill each side just for a minute or two on each side.
Grilling and barbecuing your bacon takes it to an entire new level! So, seriously, just do this!! It’s sooooo good! You might want to cook an extra strip or two just to munch on!
And just like that, it’s time to put these babies together!
I started layering them with baby spinach leaves, and garden-fresh roma tomatoes!
Then topped them with grilled chicken thighs smothered with melty co-jack cheese.
Next comes that incredible-tasting, grilled barbecued bacon, and nice little piles of crispy fried shallots!
Lastly, is one of my favorite sauces that compliments barbecue, my own Alabama White Lightning Barbecue Sauce! It’s light, creamy, and tangy, and goes with just about anything!
Give those cute little sandwiches a nice drizzle of it right over the whole top!
Don’t you just want to get in there and finger-swipe a taste of it? Trust me. You really do. It’s just so good!!
I honestly didn’t think my hubby would like the sauce, but he likes it even better than barbecue sauce! So much so, that he often requests it all by itself without any traditional barbecue sauce at all!
Then put your top bun on and find a way to get right in there!
It’s ok to give it a little smash! But don’t worry. These aren’t nearly as big as they look! Closeups can be very deceiving. You’ve got this!!
ALL the flavors of summer, right there!!
What a fun little sandwich!! Just have some bacon already cooked, the sauce already made and ready to go, and some fried onions waiting on the side, and the rest will all come together literally in minutes!
Prepping ahead of time will make these the perfect sliders for backyard get-togethers, parties, and late summer barbecues!
These Barbecued Bacon Chicken Thigh Sliders will also come in handy for a quick weeknight meal, too! So, what are you waiting for? Make a batch tonight!
Hope you all have a wonderful evening, and enjoy!
*This recipe uses my Alabama White Lightning Barbecue Sauce.
Barbecued Bacon Chicken Thigh Sliders
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved
- salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
- favorite barbecue sauce
- shredded or sliced co-jack cheese
- 4 strips peppered bacon, cooked until mostly done, halved
- 2 - 3 extra large shallots, ends trimmed, outer skin peeled, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 - 2 eggs thoroughly beaten
- about a 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste*, should taste salty
- oil for deep-frying
- baby spinach leaves
- thin slices roma tomatoes
- 1 batch of my Alabama White Lightning Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
Fry or bake peppered bacon until almost done. Place between paper towels and lightly press to absorb excess grease. Set aside.
Trim off ends of shallots, remove outer layer of paper skin, halve, and slice. In one small bowl, beat one to eggs as needed. In separate second bowl, add about a half of a cup or so of flour. Season well with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Add vegetable or canola oil to frying pan, 1 1/2 - 2 inches deep, and heat until hot enough to fry. Toss onions into eggs, remove with fork letting excess egg drip away, then add to flour and toss to coat well. Sprinkle onions into hot oil and fry until golden browned, turning as needed. Remove to several layers of paper towels to drain. Set aside.
Season halved chicken thighs, and grill until almost done inside, turning once. Coat both sides well with barbecue sauce and grill until chicken is done, basting with more sauce and turning as needed. Top with co-jack cheese, close lid, and melt. Remove to a platter to rest.
Split open slider rolls, top with baby spinach leaves, slices of tomato, a chicken thigh, one slice of bacon torn in half, and a handful of crispy shallots. Drizzle tops with Alabama Sauce, and place on top roll half. Dig in and enjoy!!
