31 Buffalo Chicken Recipes That Go Beyond Just Wings (original) (raw)
Whether you’re in it for the game, the half-time show or the appetizers (ahem, that’d be us), there’s no denying the power of Buffalo chicken. And while we love wings as much as the next person, we also like to switch up the menu with dishes like decadent cheesy Buffalo chicken dip, easy Buffalo chicken sliders and tacos, and even healthy-ish salads and stuffed sweet potatoes. (What can we say? She’s versatile like that.) Here, 31 Buffalo chicken recipes to make for your watch party (or any time, if we’re being honest).
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Buffalo Chicken Wraps With Blue Cheese And Celery
With a few tricks up your sleeve (namely, rotisserie chicken and store-bought blue cheese dressing), you can have these spicy-creamy wraps on the table in a mere 20 minutes. Wrapped in wax paper, they also make a great addition to any lunchbox.
Aubrie Pick/Eat What You Love
2. Buffalo-stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Skip the bread and serve your Buffalo chicken nestled into roasted sweet potatoes for a healthy-ish entrée or side. Great news: You can make both the chicken and the spuds ahead of time and keep them in the fridge.
Erin McDowell
3. Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Behold, chicken wings without the need for a thousand napkins. These boneless bites are spicy, tangy, tender and ready in 40 minutes (not to mention white T-shirt friendly).
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
4. 15-minute Buffalo Chicken Sliders
You probably already know that sliders are a party food all-star. We don’t mean to brag, but these 15-minute cuties are even better, since they take almost zero effort to make.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
5. Buffalo Chicken Mac And Cheese
You can only choose one: hot wings or mac and cheese. Which is getting the boot? Just kidding, we’d never ask such a cruel question. You should indulge in both whenever you want, and this creamy dish is the best of both worlds. Up the ante with a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing.
The Modern Proper
6. Buffalo Chicken Bites With Blue Cheese Dressing
No one is asking, but we prefer boneless over bone-in. That’s why we’re making a double-batch of these chicken bites. Yes, a double-batch, because they’re going to disappear fast.
Spoon Fork Bacon
7. Buffalo Chicken Dip
It wouldn’t be a true Super Bowl party without a bubbling-hot tray of Buffalo chicken dip (and a giant bowl of chips to match). This version comes together in a skillet and looks totally gourmet, even though it’s ready in 30 minutes.
Carlsbad Cravings
8. Buffalo Chicken Salad With Blue Cheese Cilantro Ranch
Buffalo chicken, but make it (kinda) diet friendly. OK, OK, the lettuce is mostly filler for all the other toppings (oh hi, avocado and French bread croutons), but it adds a refreshing crunch to an otherwise hearty meal.
Plays Well with Butter
9. Easy Buffalo Chicken Bacon Pizza
Say yes to salad pizza. Seriously: This pizza is topped with a crunchy, slaw-like chopped salad and ranch dressing, and let’s just say we’re going back for a second slice.
How Sweet eats
10. Hot Honey Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Ooh, look who’s fancy all of a sudden! The combination of hot honey and Buffalo sauce is so smart, we wish we thought of it years ago. It’s sweet yet spicy, sticky but tangy and perfectly complemented with a generous sprinkling of blue cheese.
The Defined Dish
11. Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
These finger-food appetizers only sound involved. They actually take just 15 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook, since you’re working with rotisserie chicken and store-bought egg roll wrappers.
Foodie Crush
12. Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
She is beauty, she is grace, she is bursting at the seams with Monterey Jack, gorgonzola and Buffalo chicken. This grilled cheese doesn’t even need soup for dipping (although we wouldn’t say no).
The Clean Eating Couple
13. Buffalo Chicken Soup
It’s like Buffalo wings and chicken soup had a very delicious baby—and would you believe it’s dairy free, Paleo and Whole30-approved?
The Endless Meal
14. Buffalo Chicken Chili
When you love Buffalo wings but don’t like the whole frying-tossing-cleaning up ordeal, make this warming chili. It has all the flavors of your beloved game day snack but in a weeknight-friendly package.
Plays Well with Butter
15. Grilled Buffalo Chicken Poppers
Jalapeño poppers, but make ’em fancy. Don’t worry, they’re not too pinkies-out for a party. They’re just modernized with bell peppers (to offset the spice) and a quick trip to the grill.
How Sweet Eats
16. Baked Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash
The beauty of this dish is that it tastes indulgent, but it’s filling and satisfying without a boatload of carbs. (If you want to use a meatless alternative, try swapping the chicken for roasted chickpeas.)
Gimme Some Oven
17. Creamy Buffalo Chicken And Rice Soup
Tender veggies, chicken and rice meet zesty Buffalo flavor in this steaming soup. And before you ask, you can make it in the slow cooker, Instant Pot or on the stove.
Pinch of Yum
18. Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Speaking of that Instant Pot, why not bust it out to make shreddy, spicy chicken for a batch of tacos? They’re topped with a limey slaw and homemade ranch (it’s worth the effort). Basically, we’re not saving them for a Tuesday.
Yellow Bliss Road
19. Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Oh look, our two fave appetizers are officially BFF. In all seriousness, we love that this crowd-pleaser comes together on one sheet pan and that you can customize it with all sorts of toppings.
Sally’s Baking Addiction
20. Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Fingers
We’re grown adults and we don’t need an excuse to enjoy chicken fingers. But if you’re not at that acceptance level yet, use your annual game watch as a reason to serve these glazed beauties.
Ambitious Kitchen
21. Cheddar-stuffed Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf
It’s moist, it’s flavorful, it’s brushed with Buffalo chicken and stuffed with cheddar cheese. Your usual ground-beef-and-ketchup combo doesn’t have a clue what’s coming.
All the Healthy Things
22. Crispy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Nuggets
What we said about tenders holds true for nuggets, too. These are coated in a ranch-spiced breading and baked, not fried. (Bonus, they’re gluten free.)
Half Baked Harvest
23. Crispy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad With Green Goddess Dressing
If you look up “dinner salad” in the dictionary, you’ll find a photo of this recipe. We’re obsessed with the yogurt-based dressing, which adds a hit of herby flavor that’s even better than ranch.
How Sweet Eats
24. Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
We’re here for the perfectly smoky-spicy chicken, obviously, but the gorgonzola slaw is not to be overlooked. It’s just barely creamy, so the sammie won’t totally fall apart in your hands or glop onto your lap.
The Clean Eating Couple
25. Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Upstate New York flavor meets totally Midwestern delivery. Psst: This casserole gets its creamy texture from Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese instead of the traditional (but questionable) canned cream-of-whatever soup.
Damn Delicious
26. Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites With Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip
Among the chips and dips, it’s nice to have a lighter bite for snacking that. These bites don’t taste overly healthy though—no one needs to know that they’re eating something that’s good for them.
Averie Cooks
27. Buffalo Chicken Burrito Bowls
These bowls are ready to eat in 15 minutes with the use of store-bought dressing. To make your own version, just combine Buffalo hot sauce and ranch.
Half Baked Harvest
28. Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull-apart Bread
We know the appetizers aren’t being judged as part of a contest, but we like to pretend anyway. This cheesy, easy pull-apart number is going to win, folks.
Carlsbad Cravings
29. Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Foil Packets
These one-and-done packets are filled with chicken, broccoli and potatoes, and can be cooked in the oven or on the grill. Either way, there’s practically no cleanup.
Foodie Crush
30. Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Breasts
The chicken gets a quick marinade in Buffalo sauce before being coated in panko for crunch. The best part? They’re baked in the oven (for just ten minutes!) so there’s no frying or major cleanup.
Erin McDowell
31. Oven Baked Buffalo Wings
You didn’t think we would skip the O.G., did you? Our Buffalo chicken wings are baked for easy cleanup and coated in a mix of sweet chili and hot sauces for a twist on the classic. Ingenious, no?
Former Senior Food Editor
- Headed PureWow’s food vertical
- Contributed original reporting, recipes and food styling
- Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education