This might be the most exciting twist on pizza you’ll try this month — a perfect mix of spicy, tangy, and cheesy all in one bite. Let me introduce you to my go-to Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe, a dish that’s both incredibly flavorful and surprisingly easy to pull off at home.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve been making this Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe for game nights and casual dinners for years now, and honestly, it never disappoints. The combo of spicy buffalo sauce with melty mozzarella and that tangy blue cheese hit is just pure magic.
- Savory Spice Balance: The buffalo sauce offers the perfect kick without overwhelming the other flavors, creating a harmonious zing every time.
- Easy Prep: With store-bought dough and simple ingredients, you’ll have this pie ready in about 30 minutes—perfect for busy weeknights.
- Customizable Toppings: You can tweak the veggies or cheese to your liking, making it a crowd-pleaser for everyone.
- Garlic Butter Parmesan Crust: That finishing brush of garlic butter and Parmesan takes the crust from basic to clinching that perfect restaurant-quality experience.
Ingredients & Why They Work
What’s really great about this Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe is how each ingredient plays its part. The chicken is tender and soaks up the buffalo sauce, while the combo of blue cheese and mozzarella creates that creamy, melty texture. I always recommend fresh, quality ingredients because they truly make a difference.
- Shredded chicken: I like to use rotisserie chicken for a quick shortcut without sacrificing flavor, plus it holds the buffalo sauce beautifully.
- Buffalo sauce: Frank's RedHot Buffalo Sauce is my go-to for its classic heat and tang—spicy but not too overpowering.
- Blue cheese dressing: Marie’s Chunky Blue Cheese is fantastic for that authentic creamy punch, but ranch works well if you or guests prefer milder flavors.
- Pizza dough: Using refrigerated dough from the store saves time, but homemade dough adds an unbeatable fresh element if you’re feeling adventurous.
- Pizza sauce: A light spread here balances the buffalo sauce’s heat and keeps each slice saucy but not soggy.
- Mozzarella cheese: Low moisture mozzarella shredded from a block melts perfectly—avoid fresh mozzarella here because it releases too much water.
- Red onions and banana pepper rings: These add crunch and a little tang that contrast nicely with the creamy cheese and spicy sauce.
- Garlic butter, Parmesan, and garlic powder: This trio brushed on the crust gives you that irresistible golden edge with a burst of flavor.
Make It Your Way
One of the best parts about this Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe is how easy it is to customize. I love to add extra heat with sliced jalapeños sometimes or swap out blue cheese dressing for ranch for a creamier bite. Feel free to make it yours!
- Variation: When I want a bit more veggie goodness, I toss on some chopped celery or sweet bell peppers, which adds a fresh crunch that pairs well with the spicy sauce.
- Dietary modification: For a low-carb take, try this recipe on a cauliflower crust—it still delivers all that buffalo flavor without the extra carbs.
- Heat level: If you like things milder, cut back on the buffalo sauce drizzle at the end; if you crave spice, add some hot sauce-based seasoning to the chicken mix.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe
Step 1: Prep the Buffalo Chicken
Start by combining shredded chicken with buffalo sauce and a tablespoon of blue cheese dressing. This gives the chicken time to soak in all that spicy, creamy goodness while you get everything else ready. I usually let this sit for 10-15 minutes—trust me, it makes a big flavor difference.
Step 2: Roll Out the Dough
Spread your pizza dough onto a lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan or stone. I always poke holes in the dough with a fork to keep it from bubbling up too much in the oven—that little trick keeps your crust even and flat. If you have a pizza stone, heating it in the oven beforehand yields a beautifully crisp crust.
Step 3: Add Your Layers
First, spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the dough. Then sprinkle on most of the mozzarella before adding your buffalo chicken, red onions, and banana peppers. Top everything with the remaining mozzarella so it melts right over all those toppings. Don't forget to drizzle with blue cheese dressing and a bit more buffalo sauce for extra zing.
Step 4: Bake and Finish the Crust
Bake your pizza at 450°F for about 13 minutes until the cheese bubbles and starts to brown. Then mix melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder and brush it all over the crust edges. Pop it back in the oven for 2-3 more minutes to get that garlic butter crust golden and irresistible.
Step 5: Garnish and Serve
Once out of the oven, sprinkle chopped chives or green onions, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley over the top. This step adds a fresh, vibrant finish that really lifts the whole pizza. Slice it up and dig in!
Top Tip
After making this Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe multiple times, I’ve found a few tricks that truly elevate your results and keep everything tasting fresh and delicious.
- Chicken Prep: Use warm shredded chicken tossed in buffalo sauce to help the flavors meld better during baking—cold chicken right from the fridge can cool down your pizza and affect melt quality.
- Cheese Choice: Stick to low-moisture mozzarella because it melts evenly without making the crust soggy, unlike fresh mozzarella which can be too watery.
- Crust Perfection: Preheating your pizza stone and poking holes in the dough are key to preventing bubbles and achieving a crispy bottom.
- Final Sauce Drizzle: Adding a drizzle of extra buffalo sauce just before serving amps up the heat and flavor contrast, especially if you’re serving a crowd with varied spice tolerance.
How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe
Garnishes
I always add fresh green onions or chives for a mild oniony crunch, parsley for freshness, and red pepper flakes when we want a little extra kick. These garnishes brighten up the rich, spicy flavors wonderfully.
Side Dishes
I love pairing this pizza with crunchy celery sticks and cool ranch or blue cheese dip—they’re classic buffalo wing allies and keep the meal balanced. A simple side salad with a light vinaigrette can also help cut through the richness of the pizza.
Creative Ways to Present
For parties, I sometimes make mini buffalo chicken flatbreads instead of a big pizza—perfect for finger foods. I also tried serving slices on wooden boards with bowls of extra blue cheese and buffalo sauce for dipping, which always impresses guests!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once cooled, I wrap leftover pizza slices tightly in plastic wrap and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. This method keeps them from drying out and they usually stay great for up to 3 days.
Freezing
I’ve frozen slices before by wrapping them individually in foil and then placing in a zip-top freezer bag. When reheated, they lose a tiny bit of crispness but the flavor holds up beautifully, making it a perfect make-ahead meal.
Reheating
For the best reheating results, I pop leftover slices in a hot skillet over medium heat with a lid on for a few minutes. This crisps up the crust again and warms toppings evenly without microwaving’s dreaded sogginess.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! You can assemble the pizza a few hours ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Just add the garlic butter crust topping right before baking for the best texture.
Low-moisture mozzarella shredded from a block is ideal because it melts evenly without making the crust soggy. Blue cheese dressing adds creamy tang and a little heat, but you can substitute ranch if preferred.
I don’t recommend fresh mozzarella for this pizza because it contains more moisture and can make the crust soggy. Stick with shredded low-moisture mozzarella for the best texture and melt.
If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, ranch dressing is a perfect substitute and pairs well with the buffalo sauce. The flavor will be milder but still creamy and delicious.
Final Thoughts
This Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe holds a special place in my kitchen because it’s the perfect balance of easy weeknight dinner and indulgent treat. The combination of spicy buffalo, creamy blue cheese, and crisp crust always brings smiles around the table. I hope you’ll give it a try—you might just find it becoming a new family favorite, too!
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Delicious Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 31 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Buffalo Chicken Pizza combines tender shredded chicken tossed in spicy buffalo sauce with melty mozzarella and tangy blue cheese dressing on a crispy, garlic Parmesan crust. Perfectly balanced with red onions and banana peppers, this pizza is a flavorful twist on classic buffalo wings, baked to golden perfection and garnished with fresh chives, red pepper flakes, and parsley.
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- 1 ½ cups shredded chicken
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce, plus more to drizzle on top
- ¼ cup blue cheese dressing, divided (can substitute Ranch)
- 1 lb. pizza dough, at room temperature
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (low moisture whole milk preferred)
- ¼ cup red onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup banana pepper rings, patted dry
Garlic Butter Parmesan Crust
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
To Garnish
- Chives or green onions, chopped
- Red pepper flakes
- Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. For extra crispy crust, place a pizza stone inside while the oven preheats.
- Marinate Chicken: In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, ⅓ cup buffalo sauce, and 1 tablespoon of blue cheese dressing. Let it marinate while preparing other ingredients.
- Prepare Dough: Lightly grease a 12-inch pizza pan or pizza stone. Spread the pizza dough evenly onto it. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough to prevent bubbles during baking.
- Assemble Pizza: Spread ½ cup pizza sauce evenly over the dough. Sprinkle most of the 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Top with the buffalo chicken mixture, red onions, and banana pepper rings, then sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.
- Add Drizzles: Drizzle 3 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing and 1 to 2 tablespoons of buffalo sauce evenly over the assembled pizza.
- Bake Pizza: Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 13 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust just starts to brown.
- Prepare Garlic Butter: While pizza bakes, mix melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Brush Crust: Remove the pizza from the oven and brush the garlic butter mixture over the crust edges.
- Finish Baking: Return pizza to the oven and bake for an additional 3 minutes until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven. Sprinkle chopped chives or green onions, red pepper flakes, and parsley over the pizza. Slice into 8 pieces and serve hot.
Notes
- Use Marie's Chunky Blue Cheese dressing for authentic flavor, located in the refrigerated produce section; Ranch can be used as a milder substitute.
- Frank's Buffalo Sauce is the recommended brand for the perfect spicy kick.
- Use low moisture whole milk mozzarella shredded from a block for the best melt and texture; avoid fresh mozzarella as it's too moist.
- Store-bought refrigerated pizza dough is a convenient shortcut but homemade dough will enhance the flavor and texture.
- For extra crispy crust, preheat a pizza stone in the oven before baking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in the oven or air fryer for best results.
- Try this recipe as a base and experiment with other toppings like pineapple for a Hawaiian twist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
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