Buffalo Chicken Bites deliver big flavors in one-bite appetizers. Pre-made phyllo dough cups and deli rotisserie chicken make this a fast and easy recipe to whip together for Game Day or any other gathering!
As someone who is not a huge fan of super spicy food, I used to always be weary of anything with buffalo sauce. But buffalo sauce comes in such a range of heat levels - from very mild to super spicy. And now I love that I can enjoy the flavors in so many dishes while controlling the heat level!
I've shared my Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites before. If you love the flavors of buffalo sauce, here's another super delicious Game Day appetizer to try: Buffalo Chicken Bites!
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🌟 Why you will love this game day appetizer
This recipe takes one of the ultimate classic Game Day appetizers - Buffalo Chicken - and turns it into one-bite finger food perfect for your tailgating party!
- This recipe calls for just 7 ingredients.
- You can make this from start to finish in 20 minutes.
- This is a great make-ahead recipe. See my make-ahead tips and reheating tips below!
- It's easy to adjust the heat level of the flavors. Buffalo sauce tends to be tangy and spicy, but you can easily find mild versions of buffalo sauce to make this dish more mild.
- One-bite appetizers that are easy to pick up and eat with your hands are PERFECT for Game Day - no forks required!
🐓 Key ingredients for buffalo chicken bites
Chicken - This is a great recipe to use up chicken breast from that roast chicken you cooked earlier in the week! Or simply use store-bought rotisserie chicken and shred the chicken breast meat.
Cream Cheese - Make sure you use softened cream cheese, so it mixes smoothly in with the other ingredients. You can do this by simply taking the cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before you start to make the dish.
Cheddar Cheese - Use your favorite shredded cheddar cheese. I've also made these with my favorite dairy-free shredded cheese with success!
Ranch Dressing Mix - I like to keep 1-ounce packets of powdered ranch dressing mix in the pantry. They come in handy for so many dishes!
Buffalo Sauce - Use your favorite buffalo sauce. Frank's Red Hot Wings Sauce is a popular one that packs some heat. If you prefer mild flavors, try Sweet Baby Ray's Mild Buffalo Sauce.
Phyllo Cups - To save time, this recipe calls for phyllo cups that are pre-made and pre-shaped. You can, of course, make phyllo dough from scratch and form mini cups, if you wish. But the store-bought phyllo dough cups save SO much time! And, you can keep most refrigerated or frozen.
Chives - These add a lovely bright flavor to each bite! You can also use green onions (the green parts of the onions) instead.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Exact measurements of ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this post. Here are some helpful tips to guide you as you make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set the phyllo cups on a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken meat with cream cheese, buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and powdered ranch dressing mix. Combine all of the ingredients well.
Scoop about one tablespoonful of the filling into each phyllo cup.
Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the filling is hot and the cups are golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chives over each bite. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Buffalo chicken wings were invented in 1964 by Teresa Bellissimo, the owner of The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Since then, buffalo chicken has taken on many variations and so many different forms over the years. It continues to be a popular American flavor profile found in bars and restaurants throughout the US, most often associated with football and pub food.
The dish was named after the city of Buffalo, and has nothing to do with buffalo meat, as some might wonder ;)
Absolutely! You can make these up to 24 hours ahead of time. After baking, allow the bites to cool completely at room temperature. Once cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. Take the bites out of the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 325°F. Once the oven is preheated, place the buffalo chicken bites on a baking sheet and bake at 325°F for 4 to 5 minutes, just until warmed through. Serve.
⏲ Kitchen tools and equipment
For this recipe, you just need a few basic kitchen tools:
Cutting board and knife - You'll need a sturdy cutting board and sharp knife.
Baking sheets - Use a large baking sheet lined to cook these buffalo chicken bites in the oven.
Mixing bowl - You'll need a large mixing bowl to mix together the buffalo chicken filling ingredients.
🍽 Serving ideas
These are AWESOME Game Day bites! If you're serving them for Game Day, they'd be great on a tray along with Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower. Serve them with a side of celery with bleu cheese or ranch dip.
To complete an amazing tailgating spread, try also making these yummy football finger food appetizers too:
🥂 Best wine pairings for buffalo chicken
No matter what spice/heat level you choose to make your Buffalo Chicken Bites, you can't go wrong by popping open a bottle of dry Rosé. I've got some of my favorite rosé wines listed in the most recent Best Rosé Wines article.
I also enjoy these buffalo chicken bites -- and most buffalo chicken dishes -- with a dry Riesling.
More chicken appetizers and side dishes to love
- Curry Chicken Salad with Grapes
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package (12-count) frozen or refrigerated phyllo cups, thawed
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken meat
- 4 ounces cream cheese (equals ½ cup total), softened at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons buffalo sauce
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 package (1-ounce) powdered ranch dressing mix
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set the phyllo cups on a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken meat with cream cheese, buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and powdered ranch dressing mix. Combine all of the ingredients well.
- Scoop about one tablespoonful of the filling into each phyllo cup.
- Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the filling is hot and the cups are golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chives over each bite. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
Cindy says
Yes, can I use regular Pillsbury pie crust to make a stuffed buffalo chicken fried bites?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
You can try it, but I have not used it in any of my recipe testing so I can't say for sure how it will turn out. If you do try it, please comment back and let us know how it went!
Laurie says
I am wondering if the ranch dressing mix quantity is accurate? Four ounces? The packets are one ounce each, so I don’t want to over-ranch them.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Laurie! Thanks for catching that and asking. I updated the recipe card. It is a 1-ounce package! :)
cyndy says
These are great for any game day watch and super easy to make. I love all things Buffalo so this was right up my alley!
Sara says
Delicious, great flavour, easy to make and everyone loved them!
Casey says
Give me all the buffalo! Making these again for Super Bowl--super easy and everyone will love them..gotta make a double batch for sure!
Sharon says
These buffalo chicken bites are going to be a get-together staple!
Angela says
What a great appetizer! These are going to be perfect for game day!! Love anything buffalo chicken, YUM!