First, you’ll want to plan ahead. At least 2 hours, or ideally the night before, add the chicken to a baking dish and cover it with buttermilk. Allow it to marinate—this is crucial for flavor and tenderness. You can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours for the best results.
About an hour before you’re ready to bake the chicken, it’s time to make the biscuits. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F, as a hot oven is essential for achieving that perfect biscuit texture.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Ensure everything is well combined for an even distribution of flavors.
Next, using your fingers, a fork, or a pastry blender, add the butter and mix until coarse crumbs remain. This step is important; you want to see small chunks of butter throughout the mixture for flaky biscuits.
Now, stir in the buttermilk until a dough forms. You may need to use your hands to bring it together gently. Avoid overmixing to maintain the biscuit's light texture.
Transfer the dough to a floured workspace and roll or pat it until it’s about 1-inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut rounds from the dough. You should aim for about 8 to 10 biscuits. Place them on a nonstick baking sheet with at least 1 inch of space between each biscuit.
Bake the biscuits for about 10 minutes, or until they’re slightly golden and set. Keep an eye on them; you want them just right!
While the biscuits are baking, keep the oven at 450 degrees F. Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. This will help the chicken bake evenly and stay crispy.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the panko bread crumbs, fine breadcrumbs, flour, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. This breadcrumb mixture will provide that crunchy coating!
Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk. It should have a thick, creamy coating that allows the crumbs to adhere. Dredge each piece through the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to ensure it’s fully coated.
Place the coated chicken on the wire rack. Spray each piece lightly with canola or nonstick spray to help achieve that golden crispy finish.
Bake the chicken for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the pieces. Spray the other side with oil to ensure both sides get that lovely crunch. Bake for another 15 minutes until cooked through and crispy.
Once the chicken is done, it’s time to assemble your sliders! Start by spreading some of your favorite BBQ sauce on the warm biscuits. Place a piece of chicken on top, drizzle some honey for sweetness, and finish with a layer of butter lettuce and slices of tomato.
Serve your Crispy Buttermilk Baked Chicken Corn Bread Biscuit Sliders warm and enjoy the delightful flavors!
