Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites
If you are looking for a crowd- pleasing, easy appetizer for a get together, these Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites are for you! They are super simple to prepare and can be assembled in advance, so you just have to pop them in the oven when your guests arrive. If you want a healthier spin on them, swap bell peppers in for the puff pastry.
This recipe is simple because it uses ready- to-eat rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breasts. You are more than welcome to cook and shred some chicken if you prefer, but it will increase the preparation and cooking time. However, cooking your own chicken breasts will be cheaper.
The Ingredients:
- Rotisserie Chicken- Rotisserie chicken is a great time saving item to purchase. Rotisserie chicken also tends to be cooked perfectly, unlike baked chicken which can turn out dry if it is over cooked. You can bake your own chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Red Onion- Diced red onions adds a nice sharp flavor and a bit of sweetness to the bites, complementing the spicy buffalo sauce.
- Buffalo Sauce- Here comes the heat! Choose your favorite buffalo sauce to add spice and flavor to the chicken. The sauce also helps keep the chicken moist when baking.
- Mozzarella Cheese- How could these bites not have cheese? The cheese tones down the spicy buffalo sauce just a bit and adds that wonderful cheesy texture we all love. If you can handle the heat, use pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella.
- Butter- Just a tablespoon of butter adds a richness to the bites! You could probably leave it out if you wanted to.
- Spices: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Red Pepper Flakes- Just these three spices are all you need! I almost always add onion powder and garlic powder to my recipes. Feel free to omit the red pepper flakes or add more depending on your spice preference!
- Puff Pastry and/or Bell Peppers- The puff pastry or the bell peppers will be the vessels that hold the delicious buffalo chicken mixture! The puff pastries get light and crispy in the oven and the bell peppers slightly soften but still hold their structure. Make both and see what version your favorite is!
- Green Onions- The perfect topper. They add a pop of color and a nice mild onion flavor.
How to make the spicy treats:
- Pre-heat your oven to 400F.
- If you are using puff pastry, set it out on the counter to thaw for about 30 minutes while you prepare the chicken mixture. You will want to be able to unfold the puff pastry without it breaking.
- If you are only using puff pastry as the vessel, you will need 2 sheets. If you are using both bell pepper and puff pastry for the vessels, you will need 1 sheet of puff pastry and 1 large bell pepper. If you are using the bell peppers only, you will need 2 large bell peppers.
- Shred about 1.5 cups of a rotisserie chicken and place the shredded chicken into a mixing bowl.
- Add the diced red onion, buffalo sauce, mozzarella cheese, melted butter, and spices to the chicken and mix until will combined.
- When the puff pastry is thawed, unfold it and press the creases together so you have a smooth sheet. Cut the sheet into 4ths length wise, and then cut the strips into 4ths again, to make 16 squares. If you are using a bell pepper, slice it into 4ths, cutting the bell pepper where has its natural indents so the pieces are kind of like boats. Then cut those strips into 3rds.
- Put the puff pastry squares into the mini-muffin tin and the bell peppers on a parchment lined baking pan.
- Add a heaping ½ Tbsp of chicken mixture to each puff pastry cup and bell pepper boat. You should get about 28 appetizers out of the chicken mixture.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and the bell peppers are slightly softened.
- Top with sliced green onions.
Tips and Variations:
- You can use mini bell peppers instead of the large bell peppers. Just cut them in half, remove the seeds and stuff with the buffalo chicken mixture!
- Don’t spray your mini- muffin pan! This will cause the puff pastry to burn.
- If you want larger appetizers instead of bite sized ones, cut the puff pastry into 9ths and use a standard sized muffin pan to bake the puff pastry in.
- Remember- If you are only using puff pastry as the vessel, you will need 2 sheets. If you are using both bell pepper and puff pastry for the vessels, you will need 1 sheet of puff pastry and 1 large bell pepper. If you are using the bell peppers only, you will need 2 large bell peppers.
Storage:
- If you are preparing these in advance, you can fully assemble the bites and put them in the refrigerator for a few hours until you are ready to bake them.
- For the puff pastry bites, you can freeze the assembled bites in the mini muffin pan. Once fully frozen, remove them from the muffin pan and place in a Ziplock bag or storage container. When you are ready to make the puff pastry bites, remove them from the freezer and place them back into the muffin pan. Allow them to defrost for 15-20 minutes before baking.
- Store any uneaten bites in a storage container in the refrigerator. To reheat, place them in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
Need another delicious appetizer? Check out my Crispy Zucchini Fry recipe! They are made with whole grains and are sure to please a crowd!
Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites
If you are looking for a crowd- pleasing, easy appetizer for a get together, these Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites are for you! They are crunchy, spicy and full of flavor! If you want a healthier spin on them, swap bell peppers in for the puff pastry.
Equipment
- Mini- Muffin Pan
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Rotisserie Chicken shredded
- 1/2 cup Red Onion diced
- 1/4 cup Buffalo Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Butter melted
- 1/3 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes optional
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry Or use 2 Bell Peppers instead of the Puff Pastry. You can also use 1 sheet Puff Pastry and 1 Bell Pepper.
- 1 Tbsp Green Onions sliced for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 400F.
- If you are using puff pastry, set it out on the counter to thaw for about 30 minutes while you prepare the chicken mixture. You will want to be able to unfold the puff pastry without it breaking. If you are only using puff pastry as the vessel, you will need 2 sheets. If you are using both bell pepper and puff pastry for the vessels, you will need one sheet of puff pastry and one large bell pepper. If you are using the bell peppers only, you will need 2 large bell peppers.
- Shred about 1.5 cups of a rotisserie chicken and place the shredded chicken into a mixing bowl.
- Add the diced red onion, buffalo sauce, mozzarella cheese, melted butter, and spices to the chicken and mix until will combined.
- When the puff pastry is thawed, unfold it and press the creases together so you have a smooth sheet. Cut the sheet into 4ths length wise, and then cut the strips into 4ths again, to make 16 squares. If you are using a bell pepper, slice it into 4ths, cutting the bell pepper where has its natural indents so the pieces are kind of like boats. Then cut those strips into 3rds.
- Put the puff pastry squares into the mini-muffin tin and the bell peppers on a parchment lined baking pan.
- Add a heaping ½ Tbsp of the chicken mixture to each puff pastry cup and bell pepper boat.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and the bell peppers are slightly softened.
- Garnish with sliced green onions.
Notes
- If using raw chicken instead of Rotisserie chicken, place 1 chicken breast in a sauce pan and add the 1/4 cup buffalo sauce and 1 tbsp of butter to the pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until the chicken reaches 165F or is no longer pink in the middle. Let cool slightly and shred. Add the diced onion, spices, and cheese and mix well. Proceed to step 5 of the recipe.