Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat outdoor gas grill to high heat (450°F), or arrange charcoal in a single layer and allow to become white-hot.
- Place ground chicken in a large mixing bowl and add salt and black pepper.
- Gently mix the seasoning into the chicken with your hands until just combined—do not overmix or the patties will become tough and dense.
- Divide the seasoned chicken into 12 equal portions.
- Form each portion into a small patty approximately 3/4 inch thick and 2.5 inches in diameter.
- Make a small thumb indentation in the center of each patty—this prevents the slider from puffing up and cooking unevenly.
- Place prepared patties on a baking sheet and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling, allowing meat to come to temperature for even cooking.
- Once grill is extremely hot, carefully place patties directly on the grill grates.
- Sear without moving for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is brown and crispy with good grill marks.
- Using tongs, carefully flip each patty and cook for 3 minutes on the second side.
- Move the sliders to indirect or cooler heat and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Place a slice of cheese on each patty and cover the grill briefly until cheese melts, about 1 minute.
- Toast slider rolls lightly on the grill for about 1 minute, creating a light golden color and crispness.
- To assemble: Layer spinach on the bottom bun, then add the melted-cheese-topped chicken patty.
- Top chicken with a slice of tomato and a slice of avocado.
- Drizzle lightly with BBQ sauce.
- Place top bun on slider and serve warm. Set remaining BBQ sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use ground thigh, not breast — Thigh meat has more fat, which means more flavor and a patty that stays juicy under high heat. Breast-only grinds go dry fast on the grill.
- Thumb-print every patty — Press a shallow indent into the center before they hit the grates. Without it, the center domes up during cooking and the patty cooks unevenly.
- Rest at room temp for 20 minutes — Cold meat against a screaming-hot grill shocks the proteins. Give the patties time to come up before they go on, and they'll cook more evenly end to end.
- Don't press down while they cook — Pressing squeezes the juices straight out. Let the grill do the work — the patty will firm up on its own.
- Toast the buns on the grates — About a minute, cut side down. A toasted bun holds the build without sogging out from the tomato and avocado.
- Pull at 165°F, not by color — Chicken doesn't show doneness the way beef does. Use the thermometer every time.
- Build these bar-style when cooking for a group. Set out the toasted buns, patties fresh off the grill, and toppings in separate bowls so people can put them together themselves. The baseline build — spinach, tomato, avocado, BBQ sauce — is the right starting point. Sriracha mayo or herb aioli on the side adds another level.
- For sides, grilled peppers and zucchini cut thick and seasoned the same way as the patties — salt, pepper, high heat — work well alongside. A cucumber and tomato salad with red onion and a splash of red wine vinegar keeps things crisp against the richness of the avocado.
- Two to three sliders per person hits the right portion for a main.
- Raw patties hold in the fridge on a baking sheet, covered, for up to 24 hours before grilling. To freeze uncooked patties, lay them flat on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag — this keeps them from fusing together. They'll hold frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let them come to room temp for 20 minutes before grilling.
- Cooked sliders keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a low oven at 275°F, uncovered, just until warmed through. The microwave turns the patty rubbery and the bun dense — skip it.
- Keep the toppings separate and assemble fresh after reheating.