Buffalo chicken pizza takes all of the classic flavors of buffalo wings and turns them into pizza! Plus, it’s so easy to make. Juicy shredded chicken is the star of the show. Ranch dressing and buffalo sauce are mixed together to make a tangy and creamy sauce. It is then put on a pizza crust with lots of mozzarella cheese, blue cheese, and thinly sliced red onions. Once the homemade pizza comes out of the oven, green onions, fresh parsley, and an extra drizzle of buffalo sauce tie all the flavors together.
This cheesy chicken pizza works well for busy weeknight dinners, on game day, or casual parties with friends. It only takes 10 minutes to bake and only needs a few simple ingredients. If you have a pizza stone, you can use that instead of a baking sheet. For more pizza recipes, try my cheese pizza, stromboli, and calzone.
Pizza dough — you can use store-bought pizza dough or my homemade pizza dough recipe. I used homemade dough in testing.
Sauce — you need buffalo sauce and creamy ranch dressing to make the spicy, tangy, creamy pizza sauce to coat the crust and mix with the chicken.
Chicken — this is a great opportunity to use up leftover cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken, that you have in the fridge! Or make my Instant Pot shredded chicken, roasted chicken, or air fryer chicken breast.
Cheese — mozzarella cheese adds the gooey, melty element, and blue cheese crumbles add extra tangy flavor.
Red onion — I used thinly sliced red onion this time, but I have plenty of suggestions in the Topping Ideas section for you!.
Garnish — sliced green onion and chopped fresh parsley add a pop of bright color and flavor.
When I first heard about buffalo chicken pizza, I was interested because I love anything cheesy, spicy, or saucy. Putting together the flavors of pizza and hot wings seemed too good to be true, so I looked into what goes into this dish to find out what makes it so addictingly tasty.
An Overview of Buffalo Chicken Pizza
For the uninitiated, buffalo chicken pizza brings together pizza dough, chicken, spicy buffalo sauce, melty cheeses, and sometimes ranch or blue cheese drizzle. It’s like taking the best flavors of hot wings and turning them into pizza form!
The star ingredient is the buffalo sauce – that iconic tangy, buttery sauce spiked with hot peppers that originated in (you guessed it) Buffalo, New York. When paired with tender chicken and ooey-gooey cheeses atop a crispy crust, you’ve got a slice of heaven.
While recipes can vary, most buffalo chicken pizzas include the following core components:
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Pizza dough – The foundation can be homemade or store-bought. A crispy, chewy crust holds all the delicious toppings.
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Shredded chicken – Cooked chicken breast or thighs are shredded and sauced for optimal coverage.
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Buffalo sauce – The namesake that delivers addictive heat and flavor. Frank’s RedHot is the OG.
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Cheese – Goopy mozzarella and crumbles of tangy blue cheese are classic
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Ranch or blue cheese drizzle – Taking cues from wing accompaniments.
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Onions – Sliced red onions or scallions add some bite.
With this winning combo of components, it’s easy to see why buffalo chicken pizza has earned a cult following Now let’s break down what exactly goes into making this bad boy
Constructing the Perfect Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Being somewhat of a pizza connoisseur after eating it at least once a week for the past 15 years, I like to think I know a thing or two about building the optimal pizza. And buffalo chicken pizza is no exception.
I’ve found the secrets to making great pizza after a lot of first-hand research and way too many 2am slices.
1. Start with a sturdy, crispy crust
It starts with the crust. Choose one that is thick enough to get crispy and golden brown but not too thick so it can hold all the toppings. I strongly believe that making your own dough from scratch gives it better taste and texture. But fresh dough from the store or even a crust that’s already made will work just fine.
2. Load up on the cheese
Let’s be real – the cheese pull is the best part of any pizza. With buffalo chicken pizza, a mix of mozzarella and blue cheese is clutch. The mozz melts smoothly while the blue cheese crumbles add tang. Aim for 75% mozz, 25% blue for ideal cheese coverage.
3. Sauce it up with authentic buffalo sauce
Buffalo sauce is the lifeblood of this pizza. For maximum flavor, make it from scratch by combining hot sauce (Franks if you can find it), butter, and seasonings. The butter balances out the heat. Tailor the spiciness to your tastes.
4. Pile on the chicken
Shredded rotisserie chicken is my go-to for an easy protein boost. For extra flavor, toss the shredded chicken in some of the buffalo sauce before scattering it over the cheese. This amps up the saucy chicken goodness in every bite.
5. Top with contrasting textures
A sprinkle of red onions and scallions adds nice texture and crunch to balance the tender chicken, melty cheese, and soft dough. Those tiny pops of onion are so satisfying.
6. Finish with drizzled dressing
A final drizzle of creamy ranch or blue cheese dressing pulls the whole masterpiece together. It cools down the heat and complements the other flavors perfectly.
Elevating Your Buffalo Chicken Pizza Game
Once you’ve mastered the basics, there are plenty of ways to customize your buffalo chicken pizza and make it your own:
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Mix up the hot sauces – sriracha, gochujang, harissa, etc.
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Add diced celery for more crunch.
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Swap in pepper jack or cheddar for melty spice.
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Garnish with fresh parsley, cilantro or chives.
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Stir ranch seasoning into the buffalo sauce.
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Top with crispy bacon crumbles – trust me.
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Drizzle with barbecue sauce for sweetness.
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Make it even saucier with buffalo chicken dip on top.
The possibilities are truly endless when you’re working with such decadent ingredients. I say embrace your creative license and get weird with different flavor combos.
Indulging in Buffalo Chicken Pizza to My Heart’s Content
I think it’s quite clear that I have a special place in my heart (and stomach) for buffalo chicken pizza. The nostalgic flavors bring me right back to carefree weekends spent with friends crushing a couple slices after a night out.
It’s the ultimate comfort food that soothes my soul and satisfies my spice-loving palette. I’ll gladly keep singing the praises of this indulgent pizza creation any chance I get. From the addictively hot and tangy buffalo sauce to the three cheese blend to the peppery onions – every element works in perfect harmony.
So do yourself a favor and whip up a buffalo chicken pizza ASAP. Just be warned that you won’t be able to go back to plain cheese pizza ever again. Embrace the magic my friends, and get ready for your new pizza obsession.
Buffalo Chicken Pizza RecipeBuffalo Chicken Pizza is the easy dinner recipe of your dreams. Very little prep, simple ingredients, and it’s ready in under 30 minutes.
- ▢ Pizza stone or large baking sheet
- ▢ Large sheet of foil
- ▢ One ball of pizza dough
- ▢ ¼ cup buffalo sauce plus more for serving (60mL)
- ▢ ¼ cup Ranch dressing plus more for serving (60mL)
- ▢ 1½ cups shredded cooked chicken (200g)
- ▢ 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (170g)
- ▢ ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (42g)
- ▢ ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (25g)
- ▢ 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. (If you have a pizza stone, put it on the oven’s middle rack before it gets hot.) ).
- First, make sure the pizza dough has risen enough. Then, stretch it out into a 12- to 14-inch circle on a large sheet tray (or an olive oil-sprayed piece of foil if you used a pizza stone).
- Mix the buffalo sauce and ranch dressing together in a medium bowl. Cover the pizza crust with half of this mixture, leaving about an inch of space around the edges. Toss the shredded chicken with the rest of the sauce mixture in the same bowl.
- Level out the blue cheese and mozzarella cheese on top of the pizza sauce. Top evenly with the chicken and red onion.
- Put it in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese melts all over and the edges turn golden. (If you use a stone, put the pizza on the foil with the whole piece on top of it.) You can put the sheet tray pizza on either the stone or the oven rack if you make the pizza on it. ).
- If you want, add more ranch dressing or buffalo sauce and top with green onions and parsley.
- What is the best store-bought pizza dough? You can use a ball of fresh pizza dough from the cool section of the grocery store. For this recipe, the dough should be about 12 to 16 ounces in weight. I do not recommend using canned pizza dough.
- If your dough feels sticky or tacky, flour the dough and baking sheet a little before you shape it. Any kind of flour, semolina, or fine cornmeal can be used for the pan. Use regular AP flour for the dough, if needed.
- Before you heat the oven, put the pizza stone on the middle rack if you want to use one. Place the pizza dough on a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with olive oil to keep it from sticking. When you’re ready to bake, put the pizza directly on the pizza stone from the piece of foil that has it on it.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers
Once the buffalo chicken pizza is completely cool, put it in a container that won’t let air in and put it in the fridge for up to three days.
Freezing: Store cooled pizza in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheating: If you’re a fan of cold pizza, feel free to eat buffalo chicken pizza straight out of the fridge! To reheat it, pop refrigerated or frozen leftover pizza onto a baking sheet and warm in the oven at 350°F until heated through. You can also air fry the pieces at 325°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
“Buffalo Chicken Pizza with 112g Protein?! Only 863 Calories for the WHOLE LARGE Pizza”
FAQ
What toppings go on buffalo chicken pizza?
Juicy shredded chicken is the star of the show. It’s bathed in a tangy, creamy mixture of ranch dressing and buffalo sauce and placed on a pizza crust along with lots of mozzarella cheese, blue cheese, and thinly sliced red onions.
What toppings are on Dominos buffalo chicken pizza?
Buffalo Chicken: grilled chicken breast, fresh onions, provolone, American cheese, cheddar, and cheese made with 100% real mozzarella cheese, all drizzled with a hot buffalo sauce.
What tastes good with buffalo chicken?
Buffalo wings are traditionally served hot, along with celery sticks and carrot sticks with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing for dipping. It is a bold, spicy flavor that works well with the cooling and smooth texture of the ranch dressing or bleu cheese.
What toppings are good on a chicken pizza?
What Pizza Toppings Go with Chicken?Buffalo Sauce and Ranch and/or Blue Cheese. That’s right – we’re talking about buffalo chicken pizza! . Bacon. Two different meats on one pizza? . Garlic. Bell Peppers. Pesto. Gorgonzola Cheese.