Buffalo Chicken Pizza is a quick and easy pizza recipe, made in just about 30 minutes from start to finish!
Love Buffalo Chicken? Check out my Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Bread too!
Table of Contents
- Easy Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- What is a Buffalo Style Pizza?
- How To Make Pizza From Scratch Quickly
- How To Make Pizza Dough / Step By Step Instructions
- Let’s Make Buffalo Chicken Pizza / Instructions:
- Ranch or Blue Cheese?
- What Kind Of Hot Sauce Should To Use?
- Why Low Moisture Mozzarella?
- Can You Use A Pizza Stone?
- Variation Ideas:
- Storage and Reheating:
- Looking for more Pizza Ideas? I’ve got a bunch!
- Get the Recipe
Easy Buffalo Chicken Pizza
I grew up in a house where every Friday, without fail, was pizza night. Of course, as I’ve gotten older and started my own family, I can’t say that I am as religious about Pizza Friday as my mom was, but we do eat our fair share. Also, I live in an area where we don’t have a lot of pizza delivery options, so we make homemade pizza quite often instead of ordering out. Letting everyone get creative with their own toppings is really a fun part of the homemade pizza process!
So I’ve take everyone’s favorite buffalo chicken wings and adapted it as pizza…and the result is delicious!
What is a Buffalo Style Pizza?
Buffalo wings are wildly popular and for good reason: Everyone loves buffalo sauce! So for this fun spin on the classic appetizer, I’ve made a homemade pizza crust, topped it with ranch dressing, doused shredded chicken in buffalo sauce, then topped the whole thing with cheese. It’s pretty fantastic!
I grew up in a house where every Friday, without fail, was pizza night. Of course, as I’ve gotten older and started my own family, I can’t say that I am as religious about Pizza Friday as my mom was, but we do eat our fair share. Also, I live in an area where we don’t have a lot of pizza delivery options, so we make homemade pizza quite often instead of ordering out. Letting everyone get creative with their own toppings is really a fun part of the homemade pizza process!
How To Make Pizza From Scratch Quickly
You can have this pizza recipe done in under 30 minutes even with homemade pizza dough, which is less time than calling out for delivery because I used an instant yeast. This is easy to find at any supermarket and doesn’t require any rise time. It only requires one 10 minute rest period which is when you prep your ingredients for the toppings. We use this easy pizza crust recipe for all our homemade pizza. I’m telling you it all comes together really quickly!
Another part of what makes this Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe so easy is that you can use shredded rotisserie chicken! You could also make shredded chicken at home pretty quickly too with boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Or this a great way to use up some chicken leftovers.
How To Make Pizza Dough / Step By Step Instructions
This easy pizza dough recipe comes together in minutes, and you don’t need any crazy tools. You don’t even need a mixer…although you can absolutely use one if you prefer.
Mix the Ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil until a sticky dough forms.
Knead the dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 3 – 4 minutes until it forms a smooth ball. Or use the dough hook attachment on your mixer to knead for 3 – 4 minutes.
How To Know If You’ve Kneaded the Dough Long Enough: You’ll know the dough is ready when you lightly press the dough lightly with two fingers and it springs back!
Let the Dough Rest: Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes while you prep your topping ingredients.
Let’s Make Buffalo Chicken Pizza / Instructions:
Prep the Toppings: Simply toss the chicken, some melted butter, and the buffalo hot sauce until the chicken is evenly coated.
Press out the Dough: Lightly grease a pizza pan and press the dough out between 12 and 15- inches, depending on how thick or thin you prefer your crust.
Assemble: Spread ranch dressing on top of the dough, just like you would pizza sauce. You can add as much or as little as you like. I use about 1/2 cup. Top the ranch with the prepped chicken and then sprinkle with cheese.
Bake: Bake the pizza in a preheated 425°F oven for 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown!
Garnish: You can top your pizza with some chopped green onions, a drizzle more of hot sauce, or a little more ranch.
Ranch or Blue Cheese?
I am a Ranch girl all the way, so I love using Ranch as the “sauce” on my Buffalo Chicken Pizza. If you are more of a traditionalist, go ahead and use Blue Cheese dressing instead! That’s the beauty of making homemade pizza!
What Kind Of Hot Sauce Should To Use?
This is totally a matter of taste! Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is a classic, so is Louisiana Hot sauce, but this is completely up to you. Sweet Baby Ray’s makes a great one too. They are all similar, but can vary slightly in flavor so whatever you like is great!
Why Low Moisture Mozzarella?
As much as I love fresh mozzarella or delicious full fat mozzarella cheese, for pizza using a low moisture mozzarella is better because as it states, it has less moisture, allowing it to melt beautifully. Mozzarella can release liquid as it cooks, and the last thing you want is soggy pizza!
Can You Use A Pizza Stone?
Yep, absolutely! Pizza stones are great to use to really get a crispy crust. I recommend preheating the stone as you preheat your oven. Prep the pizza as the recipes states, except press the dough out into a circle on a surface coated in corn meal. Use a pizza peel to transfer the prepped pizza right on to the hot pizza stone and bake!
Variation Ideas:
Besides blue cheese instead of ranch there are a few other ways you can adapt this base recipe! Here are a few:
- Add some diced red onion onto the pizza if you love onion. Just sprinkle it on before you add your cheese.
- Try a different kind of cheese. You could easily use Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or cheddar cheese in place of the mozzarella. Any creamy mild cheese will work.
- Add on some diced red bell pepper.
- Drizzle with olive oil when it comes out of the oven.
Storage and Reheating:
Store the pizza in an airtight container (I like to store pizza slices in large zip-top bags) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, preheat oven to 400°F. Place pizza on pizza stone or baking sheet and heat for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Looking for more Pizza Ideas? I’ve got a bunch!
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Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
This fast and delicious pizza recipe is great for a game day appetizer or a weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1–3/4 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup very warm water (120° to 130°F)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings
- 2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/3 cup hot sauce
- 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
- 1 1/2 cups grated low moisture mozzarella cheese
- Optional garnish – sliced green onions and extra hot sauce
Instructions
- Crust: In a large bowl combine 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil. Stir until smooth, adding more flour if necessary. Dough should be slightly sticky, but form a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternately you can mix the dough ingredients in your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Prepare toppings, while the dough is resting.
- Toppings: In a large bowl combine the chicken, melted butter, and hot sauce until coated. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Assemble: When the dough is ready, spread it out 12-15 inches, depending on desired thickness onto a lightly greased pizza pan. *see note
- Spread the ranch dressing evenly on top of the dough.
- Top evenly with prepared chicken, and sprinkle chicken with grated cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and garnish with green onions and and drizzle with extra hot sauce or ranch if desired.
- Allow the pizza to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
Notes
*if using a pizza stone, preheat the stone as you preheat your oven. Prep the pizza as the recipes states, except press the dough out into a circle on a surface coated in corn meal. Use a pizza peel lightly coated in cornmeal to transfer the prepped pizza right on to the hot pizza stone and bake!
To reheat, preheat oven to 400°F. Place pizza on pizza stone or baking sheet and heat for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 slices
- Calories: 866
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 1260.5 mg
- Fat: 50.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 56.5 g
- Protein: 45.5 g
- Cholesterol: 136.8 mg
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I’d like to give this recipe a try as I’ve never actually made pizza dough. Just out of curiosity, what pizza pan do you use?. And if you have a favorite pizza peel, do share. Thank you.
I just use a non stick round pan, or sometimes a pizza stone, but mostly the pizza pan. Here is one like I use: https://amzn.to/2SZ9ps0
Thanks Shelly, appreciate it…and the recipe ;-).
A few of the measurements in the recipe are showing up as question marks.
I fixed that! No sure what happened there, but it’s all fixed, thank you for letting me know!