March Madness arrives Sunday, and for the next four weeks, America's obsession with brackets and basketball will be the talk of sports pundits and offices around the nation.
But brackets aren't just for basketball. They extend far beyond - all the way into the epicurean world. It seems there are brackets for just about everything from snack foods to fast foods, pizzas and, of course, wings.
Sliders are also a March Madness favorite, and maybe there should be a bracket for sliders, too. With the many different ways to make them and the ingredients used, it could easily be a bracket all by itself.
I recently ran across a recipe for bang-bang chicken sliders at tasteofhome.com. It immediately made my mouth water thinking of the bang-bang shrimp at Bonefish Grill, so converting it to bang-bang chicken on a slider seemed like a win-win. The recipe calls for a half cup of Sriracha sauce, an amount I find quite appealing, but perhaps you wouldn't since Sriracha sauce has a little more kick to it than some people can handle.
This sauce is versatile, so you might consider using it as a dipping sauce for other meats, including fried shrimp for a different take on Bonefish's bang-bang shrimp.
These sliders are perfect for a March Madness crowd. And while you may not be watching a month's worth of March Madness and want to serve this for every game, it would definitely be a winner at any one game you may be watching.
Of course, you can adjust the amount of Sriracha sauce you put in. In the sauce for the chicken, you can add a little more ketchup. And in the recipe for the dipping sauce, you can almost leave it out and add a milder hot sauce instead.
Bang-Bang Chicken Sliders
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Sriracha chili sauce
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey, divided
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 mini pretzel buns, King's Hawaiian or other slider rolls, split
12 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, halved
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt, optional
2 green onions, chopped
Sriracha-Lime Dipping Sauce:
1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon olive oil, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together ketchup, chili sauce, 1/2 cup honey, water, lime juice and zest, garlic, ginger and pepper. Pour over browned chicken, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove chicken, and bring sauce back to a simmer; cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Shred chicken with 2 forks; toss with reduced sauce.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place bottom buns in a greased 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Place half a slice of cheese on each of the buns; spoon chicken mixture on top of cheese. Top with remaining cheese slices and bun tops. Stir together the remaining olive oil and honey and the red pepper flakes. Brush over bun tops. Sprinkle with the coarse salt, if desired.
Bake until tops are golden and cheese has melted, 10-15 minutes. Garnish with green onions.
For sauce, stir together all ingredients. Serve alongside sliders.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.
Anne Braly