Buffalo Chicken Pizza
If you’re a fan of all things Buffalo wings when it comes to food, you’ve got to try Buffalo Chicken Pizza! Pizza crust is topped with Frank’s hot sauce bechamel, mozzarella, shredded chicken, tomatoes and scallions. It’s incredibly flavorful, and always a hit for game day. It’s ready in 25 minutes!
Buffalo chicken is one of the ultimate flavor combinations for pizza, and is just as easy to make as a regular pizza. But instead of tomato sauce, we’ll be making a Frank’s bechamel.
Bechamel sauce is what’s typically used for white pizza recipes, so it has that wonderfully creamy base, but with a spicy flavor that’s classic in Buffalo Sauce. You can even make this pizza low carb and use the crust of this Fathead Pizza, if you desire.
Even though I have a Buffalo Wing Sauce that I absolutely love for Chicken Wings, I don’t recommend using that alone as the sauce here. think it’s important that the sauce has more creaminess to it, so it’s sort of like a white sauce base. It’s still a spicy buffalo sauce, but the dairy helps temper the heat a bit.
As far as toppings go, know that you can simply do the buffalo bechamel sauce here with cheese on top and call it a day, but I like to add more toppings.
I add shredded chicken to the top (I just toss this Crockpot Chicken Breast with some of the Frank’s bechamel), and also add tomatoes, green onions or red onion, and maybe some parsley if I feel like it. But these are all optional, and you may customize the toppings as you like.
Tips for Best Results
Use the correct sauce – For the best flavor, I recommend using Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. This is the original, authentic sauce, and though other brands have come up with their own versions, they don’t taste the same.
Parbake the pizza crust – This is ultimately personal preference, but I always parbake my pizza crust before putting on the sauce and toppings. This just means you cook the dough partially before topping it, which makes for a more thoroughly done and crispy crust.
Step by Step Overview:
It’s exactly like assembling any other pizza.
You take a pizza crust and top it with the Frank’s bechamel sauce, then mozzarella cheese and any other toppings, like chicken, thick sliced tomatoes, and onion if you wish. This is a great place for using leftover rotisserie chicken.
I’ve also enjoyed this with fresh mozzarella cheese instead of the shredded part-skim. I recommend sticking with mozzarella though. I’ve seen some people use cheddar cheese or monterey jack cheese and don’t think the flavor would go as well with the Frank’s red hot sauce.
The Right Sauce to Buy
When you’re at the grocery store, the exact hot sauce you want to buy is “Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce.” They sell quite a few varieties, but it’s this original one that you want to use. It is commonly available, and its flavor will make for the best pizza.
For the crust, you may use store-bought dough, a store-bought pizza crust, or homemade dough here.
I have two options for a homemade pizza dough recipe on my site: Semolina Pizza Crust and Pizza Dough made with bread flour and whole wheat flour. I find fresh pizza dough to be superior for homemade pizzas, preferably made with olive oil.
For an extra crispy crust, use a preheated pizza stone or other pizza pan that’s made specifically for crispness. For extra easy transferring, assemble everything on a pizza peel, then gently slide it onto the preheated stone.
If you don’t care much about an extra crispy crust, you can simply bake this on a sheet pan. It doesn’t matter for bake time if you’re making something like a 12-inch circle or a rectangle shape. Just make sure you start the pizza in a preheated oven.
Here’s a video with the full process.
How to Serve
Serve the Buffalo Chicken Pizza while it’s piping hot, and if you like, you can add some tangy blue cheese crumbles on top or a drizzle of creamy ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing. Personally I don’t do this, as I think the pizza becomes a little too busy, but it’s personal preference.
Some great appetizers to pair here are Potato Croquettes, Stuffed Mini Peppers, and Homemade Mozzarella Sticks.
For more Buffalo Recipes, I love Buffalo Chicken Dip, Buffalo Garlic Knots, and Buffalo Chicken Pasta. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and FAQ
Keep any leftover pizza in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend placing pieces of parchment paper between slices to prevent sticking.
Yes, store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I recommend placing pieces of parchment paper between slices to prevent sticking.
The oven is the best option. Place the slices in a 300F oven for 7-10 minutes, until warmed through and slightly crisp on the bottom. You may reheat straight from frozen as well, just add a few extra minutes to the reheating time. The microwave will also work, heated in 30 second intervals, but will make the crust soggy.
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Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
For the Buffalo Pizza Sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cold milk
- 1/4 cup Frank’s hot sauce
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- ground cayenne pepper to taste and optional, if you want the sauce to be hotter*
For the Buffalo Pizza:
- 1 parbaked pizza crust **
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast diced or shredded
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced red onion or scallions optional
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour and keep whisking until fully combined.
- Keeping the whisk moving and add the cold milk. Whisk the liquid until it is combined, and add the Frank’s hot sauce, worcestershire, and cayenne pepper, if using. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Add a few spoonfuls of the Frank’s bechamel sauce you just made into the diced or shredded chicken, and toss to combine. This will prevent the chicken from drying out in the oven.
- Assemble the pizza: Spread the remainder of the sauce all over the pizza crust, then top with the cheese, sliced heirloom tomato, sauced chicken, and onion, if you desire.
- Bake at 450F for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in November 2018. Originally published April 2013.
35 Comments on “Buffalo Chicken Pizza”
can you substitue this Frank’s sauce with something else…we don’t have that in europe.?
Oh yeah! I need a slice or three of this!
Thanks Shelly! Buffalo chicken is irresistible, isn’t it?