Buffalo Chicken Bites from the stove

Buffalo Chicken Bites deliver big flavors in one-bite appetizers. Pre-made phyllo dough cups and deli rotisserie chicken make this a fast and simple recipe to whip together for Game Day or any other gathering!

As someone who is not a huge fan of super spicy food, We used to always be weary of anything with buffalo sauce. But buffalo sauce comes in such a range of heat levels – from quite mild to super spicy. And now We love that We can enjoy the flavors in so many dishes while controlling the heat level!

We've shared the Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites before. If you love the flavors of buffalo sauce, here's another super tasty 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 simply 7 ingredients.
You can make this from start to finish in 20 minutes.
This is a great make-ahead recipe. See the make-ahead tips and reheating tips below!
It's simple 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 simple 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. We've also made these with the favorite dairy-free shredded cheese with success!

Ranch Dressing Mix – We 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, simply 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

Where does Buffalo chicken come from?

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 ;)

Can We make these ahead of time?

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, simply until warmed through. Serve.

⏲ Kitchen tools and equipment

For this recipe, you simply 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. We've got some of the favorite rosé wines listed in the most recent Best Rosé Wines article.

We also enjoy these buffalo chicken bites — and most buffalo chicken dishes — with a dry Riesling.

More chicken appetizers and side dishes to love

Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!

Buffalo Chicken Bites

By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 12 appetizers These two-bite appetizers are fast & simple to make!

Equipment

Baking Sheet

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, simply 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

Cream cheese: Be sure to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you start making the recipe. It should be softened to room temperature before you incorporate it into the filling mix. Chives: you can substitute the green parts of green onions/scallions. Buffalo sauce: You can adjust the heat level of this appetizer based on the buffalo sauce you use. For medium to high heat, use Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce. If you want a mild yet still flavorful appetizer, try Sweet Baby Ray's Mild Buffalo Sauce. This recipe is adapted from the Buffalo Chicken Phyllo Bites recipe in the cookbook, The Super Simple Teen Baking Cookbook.

Nutrition

Calories: 101 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 31 mg, Sodium: 374 mg, Potassium: 15 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 161 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 26 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.