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Trisha Yearwood—a Grammy award-winning singer, New York Times bestselling author, and the host of the Emmy award-winning show "Trisha's Southern Kitchen"—loves hot chicken, but it's a bit of a process to prepare. These sliders are her answer to how you can make hot chicken simpler, and Rach calls the addition of blue cheese "brilliant."  

Pro Tip from Trisha: "I use Louisiana hot sauce, which was my dad's favorite, but you can use whatever you like." 

Adapted from Trisha's Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends and Family by Trisha Yearwood. Copyright © 2021 by Trisha Yearwood. Used with permission by Mariner Books. All rights reserved. 

For more dishes by Trisha that are ideal for a party or game day, check out her Caramelized Onion Dip and Sausage Hors d'Oeuvres.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 ounces blue cheese, cut into 12 (¼ inch) cubes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the Sauce:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter
  • ½ cup Louisiana hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
For Sliders:
  • Pickle chips (I like bread-and-butter pickles)
  • 12 slider buns

Yield

Serves: Makes 12 sliders

Preparation

Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 375°F.  

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, hot sauce, brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and garlic and gently mix with your hands until combined.  

Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions, then form them into meatballs using wet hands. (Meat sticks to dry hands.) Push a piece of cheese into each meatball and pinch the meat mixture around it to enclose the cheese.  

In a large ovenproof sauté pan, heat the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat until combined and shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs.  

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small saucepot, combine the butter, hot sauce, honey, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring continuously, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the mixture comes together, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir until smooth.  

Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the sauce over them. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with the parsley. Add a pickle chip to each bun, then set a meatball on top. Skewer with a toothpick. Serve warm.