Fried Chicken Sliders with Hawaiian Lava Sauce

Love Chicken Sliders? Try these Fried Chicken Sliders with Lava Sauce! Crispy fried chicken piled on mini slider buns with creamy slaw, red onions, and parsley. A drizzle of Homemade Hawaiian Lava Sauce takes these babies to the next level- they are SO delicious.

My husband comes home early when he knows I am making Fried Chicken Sliders for dinner! You won’t believe how tasty these are, and how easy they are to make. The crisp chicken paired with coleslaw and a hot sauce to finish makes the perfect combination.

Perfect for a party, game day, or just a delicious weeknight dinner. All components can be made in advance!

I like to add sweet chili sauce to the fried chicken itself, that way it tastes amazing straight from the pan, with or without added lava sauce. My kids eat the chicken and a bun, and the rest of the family gets the real deal. Something for everyone.

In Hawaii they sell this bottled hot sauce called “Lava Sauce” or “Big Island Lava Sauce”.

Today, I will show you how to make Lava sauce at home with a few simple ingredients. It is the cherry on top of these chicken sliders and if you love a spicy kick, you’ll love it!

Backstory

When i was a girl, my parents flew us out to the Big Island of Hawaii for a vacation(it is a 30 minute flight from Kauai, where i grew up), and we took a trip out to the volcano. It wasn’t actively erupting at the time but lava flowed down from the mountain in the distance, crossed the road, and steamed into the ocean.

I remember it was so hot that i ran back to the car every couple minutes to drink water. When the Mauna Loa volcano, the largest in the world, erupted this year for the first time in almost 40 years, it brought me straight back to my childhood. Of course, I had to make a sandwich and honour that experience!

This recipe was featured in @whisk magazine. COVER SHOT photographed by Shoshi Sirkis and styled by @teimonet.

Homemade Lava Sauce

Hawaiian Lava Sauce is simple to make at home and great for topping sliders, burgers, nachos, and eggs.

Simply blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, and then boil on the stovetop to thicken. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

What you need:

• apple cider vinegar
• sweet chilli sauce 
• brown (or demerara) sugar 
• sriracha(hot sauce)
• sweet paprika 
• ground ginger 
• salt 
• 1-2 red chilli pepper (use 2 if you have a high heat tolerance!)
• garlic

What makes the Crispiest Fried Chicken?

For the crunchiest crispiest chicken(that STAYS crispy!), use cornstarch instead of flour. Dredge the chicken in cornstarch, dip in egg, and then coat with Japanese Panko crumbs.

To prepare the crispy chicken lay out three plates.

First plate: cornstarch seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Second Plate: 2 eggs whisked with 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce.

Third Plate: Japanese Panko Crumbs. If you have only regular breadcrumbs on hand you can use those but the chicken will not stay crispy for as long! Panko is the best for a super crispy breading.

TIP: to prep the chicken in advance bread each cutlet and then place in a ziplock bag with a piece of parchment paper/wax paper/plastic bag/in between each one. Freeze for up to 2 weeks, and fry straight from the freezer.

Spicy Chicken Slider Toppings

Pair these spicy fried chicken sliders with creamy coleslaw, crisp purple onion and a soft bun. Garnish the top of each sandwich with fresh parsely leaves.

On it’s own our Homemade Lava Sauce is pretty spicy but it mellows out when paired with creamy coleslaw. You can use purple onion, white onion, or pickled onions on top of the slaw, and finish with something green: fresh parsley or sliced green onion.

Make a full Hawaiian BBQ:

Serve these sliders with more Hawaiian finger food:

Huli Huli Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

Hawaiian Kalbi Recipe- Korean BBQ Short Ribs

Chi Chi Dango

Fried Chicken Sliders with Hawaiian Lava Sauce

Estee

Mini slider buns with crispy fried chicken, homemade lava sauce, slaw, and onion. so delicious!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 12 mini sliders

Ingredients

  

Fried Chicken

• 1 lb chicken cutlets pounded as for schnitzel
• ¾ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup panko japanese bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbs sweet chilli sauce

Lava Sauce:

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
• 2 Tbs brown or demerara sugar
• 1 tsp sriracha hot sauce
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1-2 red chilli pepper cut into pieces (use 2 if you have a high heat tolerance!)
• 2 cloves garlic cut into pieces

To serve:

• 12 mini slider buns
• Ready made coleslaw
• Sliced purple onion or pickled red onion
• Chopped parsley

Instructions

 

Prepare the sauce:

• Add all sauce ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Place in a heat proof container and set aside, or refrigerate for up to one week.

Prepare the chicken:

• Lay out three shallow bowls. In one, add cornstarch and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In another add panko. In the third, whisk the eggs with sweet chilli sauce.
• Dredge each chicken cutlet in cornstarch mixture first, then in egg, and coat with panko.
• Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a fry pan and fry cutlets until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel or rack to drain. Slice each cutlet in half so they fit with a bit of overhang onto the mini slider buns.

Serve:

• Slice open slider buns and top each with a chicken cutlet. Top with coleslaw, purple onions, and a generous drizzle of lava sauce. Sprinkle chopped parsley or add a full small parsley sprig to each sandwich. Add the second half of the bun and secure each slider with a decorative toothpick. Serve immediately.

Keyword fried chicken sliders, lava sauce, sliders