These buffalo chicken puff pastry bites are the perfect appetizer for game day!
Flaky puff pastry envelops a spicy, cream chicken filling for the most delicious party bite.
If you love the flavor of buffalo wings, this is the appetizer for you!
I love appetizer dips like my Easy Cheesy Baked Pizza Dip and Cheesy Baked Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip for game day eats. And, while I enjoy buffalo chicken dips, these puff pastry appetizers are a fun new way to enjoy the same spicy chicken flavours! They’re like little buffalo chicken puff pastry pockets that are perfect for sharing and enjoying on game day.
why you’ll love these puff pastry bites
- They are the same flavour as your favourite buffalo chicken wings but in a fun, bite-sized way!
- An easy appetizer to make for a gathering.
- They’re a great game day appetizer but also fun for the holiday season too!
ingredients needed for this buffalo chicken appetizer
Puff pastry: you’ll need 2 sheets of defrosted puff pastry dough to make this appetizer
Chicken: use cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken to make this appetizer come together super quick
Cream cheese: just like a buffalo chicken dip, this recipe uses softened cream cheese as a main part of the filling
Greek yogurt: the plain greek yogurt adds some creaminess to the filling mixture
Shredded cheese: I like to use a mix of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese both in the filling and topping.
Buffalo hot sauce: what gives this recipe heat, you can’t forget the buffalo hot sauce for that buffalo wing flavor in the filling and to drizzle on top
Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder and salt add to the flavourful filling mixture
Toppings: I like the crunch of chopped chives or green onions to top these appetizers
step by step process to make this appetizer
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400F. In a medium bowl mix together cooked chicken, softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cut each defrosted sheet of puff pastry into 9 squares for a total of 18 squares. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and press a square into the bottom of each muffin tin (use two muffin tins or cook one batch at a time). Divide the chicken mixture evenly between the squares, using about a heaping tablespoon for each. Use the rest of the 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to divide evenly and sprinkle the top of each bite with a pinch.
Step 3: Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.
Step 4: Remove from the oven and top with minced chives or green onions and an extra drizzle of hot sauce if desired.
expert tips for making this buffalo chicken appetizer recipe
- Be sure to take your puff pastry out of the freezer ahead of time so it has time to fully defrost before make this appetizer; generally you can defrost the puff pastry overnight in the fridge.
- Make these buffalo chicken bites and serve on a large sharing board along with carrot sticks, celery, bell peppers and ranch dressing. It makes the perfect party snack!
- If you like blue cheese crumbles, add a few as a topping to these bites as well.
- Make the filling ahead of time, up to one day ahead and store in the fridge. Take out about a half our before making the appetizer so the mixture can warm to room temperature and make it easier to scoop.
common questions
Can I make these bites ahead of time?
These flaky puff pastry pinwheels are best enjoyed fresh from the oven! You could make them an hour or two in advance, then warm them up in the oven at 300F for 5 minutes. They’re also delicious at room temperature!
Can I bake and freeze these bites for later?
I do not recommend freezing these bites. They’re best enjoyed the day they’re made. However, if you’re looking for another cheesy puff pastry appetizer you can make ahead of time check out my sage puff pastry pinwheels recipe
Will phyllo pastry work instead of puff pastry?
Phyllo pastry is much thinner than puff pastry and is made with different ingredients, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for this recipe.
How to store these buffalo chicken bites
These puff pastry chicken bites are best served fresh from the oven! I don’t recommend storing them for longer than 2-3 hours.
More delicious game-day appetizers from the blog:
Easy Herb & Walnut Mini Cheese Balls Appetizer
Easy Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites Appetizer
Ingredients
- 2 defrosted sheets puff pastry
- 1 cup cooked & shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup buffalo hot sauce
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Minced chives or green onions and more hot sauce for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together cooked chicken, softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Set aside.
- Cut each defrosted puff pastry sheet into 9 squares for a total of 18 squares. Spray a regular muffin tin with cooking spray and press a square into the bottom of each muffin tin (use two muffin tins or cook one batch at a time). Divide the chicken mixture evenly between the squares, using about a heaping tablespoon for each. Use the rest of the 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to divide evenly and sprinkle the top of each bite with a pinch.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.
- Remove from the oven and top with minced chives or greens onions and an extra drizzle of hot sauce if desired.
Jeannie
Are you using regular muffin tins or mini’s?
Jess
Great question! I used a regular muffin tin. I’ll make sure to note that in the recipe!
Becca
I made these as a Xmas appetizer yesterday and they were excellent. I used a gluten free pastry sheet as we have a few in our family with celiac. I prepped and baked them ahead and then just put them back in the oven for a few mins with extra cheese on top to melt and rewarm them. Simple and delish!
Jess
So glad you enjoy them! And I love that you were able to make them with gluten free pastry too for all to enjoy 🙂