Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Recipe

Name: Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 Slices Sandwich Bread; 2 Cups Cooked Chicken Breasts (I like using Rotisserie Chicken); 2 Tsp Minced Garlic; 1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (Optional); 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper; 1/2 Tsp Paprika; 1/2 Cup Franks Hot Sauce; 1/2 Cup Homemade Ranch Dressing (Or your favorite store bought brand); 4 Oz Cream Cheese; 4 Tbsp Butter; 4-8 Slices Muenster Cheese; 4 Tbsp Crumbled Blue Cheese

Recipe Discuss

This Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese is the perfect simple lunch or dinner! Ready in under 20 minutes and packed with all the cheese plus buffalo sauce.

Buffalo chicken sandwiches stacked four high on a black plate with white background.

Looking for a tasty and simple lunch or dinner recipe for the whole family?! Check out this Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich loaded with cheese, buffalo sauce and ready in under 20 minutes!

This chicken grilled cheese sandwich is a family favorite and always one of the top requests from my husband and friends and family. This sandwich is easily customizable with several cheese, bread and spice options. Take your grilled cheese game up a notch and enjoy the best buffalo grilled cheese ever.

Ingredient Notes

Bread: I like using a white bread or sandwich bread for this buffalo grilled cheese. Texas Toast or a similar thick bread works wonderful as well.
Cooked Chicken: My favorite chicken to use for this recipe is rotisserie chicken. You can use any leftover baked, grilled or pan fried chicken for this sandwich just make sure the chicken is not seasoning heavily.
Hot Sauce: My go-to is Frank's and I recommend using it.
Ranch Dressing: I love using my homemade ranch, but you can use your favorite store-bought brand of course.
Cheese: I use a combination of cream cheese, crumbled blue cheese, and muenster. I think this combination pairs great with the hot sauce and ranch dressing and yields the perfect cheesy flavor. If you are not a fan of one or more of these cheeses you can swap them out for a different one.

Why You'll LOVE It!
Quick & Easy: Ready in 20 Minutes plus Simple Prep Work
Versatile: Customize with Different Cheese, Spices & Bread
Crowd Pleaser

Ingredient laid out on counter in small bowls and containers.

Instructions

This buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich is simple to make and requires little prep and a short cook time.

Ingredient Prep
In a small bowl combine softened cream cheese, blue cheese, paprika, and cayenne pepper then mash/stir to combine. Next, in a separate bowl, combine cooked shredded chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing and minced garlic then stir until the chicken is well coated.
Sandwich Prep
Take your slices of bread and spread a layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Turn the bread over and spread the cheese mixture on four of the bread slices (one for each sandwich) then top with the chicken mixture. On the other slice of bread place a slice or two of your favorite cheese and close the sandwich.
Cooking the Chicken Grilled Cheese
Place the buffalo chicken toasted cheese sandwiches on a large skillet on low heat and cook for 5 minutes or until the bread is golden and crispy. Flip and repeat on the opposite side.
Finishing Touches
Once finished remove the buffalo grilled cheese from the pan and enjoy with additional buffalo sauce, ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Four prep images with numbers of cheese spread and buffalo chicken being made.

Pro Tips

Don't Over-stuff: Try not to overload the sandwiches with too much chicken and cheese. I know it is very temping to pack the toppings on, but the buffalo chicken sandwiches will get soggy if there is too much on each.

Low and Slow: I like to cook my buffalo sandwiches over low heat. This helps all the cheese in the middle get nice and melty before the bread browns. Mine usually take anywhere from 5-10 minutes to fully cook, but yours may take longer or shorted depending on your range. Make sure to watch them and adjust the heat accordingly.

Four prep images showing grilled cheese be filled then cooked.

Leftover Storage

I suggest making these buffalo toasted cheese sandwiches right before you want to eat them, because they do not save great. You can store the chicken buffalo mix in the fridge for up to four days them add it to the sandwich and cook when you are ready to eat.

If you want to save the cooked grilled cheese then you can wrap the sandwich in foil and store in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to eat I recommend placing the sandwich (still wrapped in foil) on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until warm. This helps the bread stay crisp and the cheese melt.

Helpful Kitchen Tools
I recommend using either a stainless steal skillet, cast iron, ceramic, or something similar for this grilled cheese. You get a much better crisp on the outside of the bread than you would with a non-stick pan

Overhead shot of grilled buffalo chicken sandwich on a black black on a white counter.

FAQS

What cheese is best for grilled cheese?

I love a soft creamy cheese (like Muenster) in my grilled cheese, plus the blue cheese to add some flavor. Other good cheese options to try are Havarti, Monterrey Jack Cheese, Pepper jack Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Colby Jack, White Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese.

What veggies go well in a grilled cheese?

I love adding mashed avocado, diced tomatoes, or chopped celery to these buffalo grilled cheese sandwiches often. You can add your choice into the chicken mix, or spread it over top of the cream cheese mixture.

Do I have to use Blue Cheese?

No, you do not. I know blue cheese is a love it or hate it cheese for a lot of people and it is not required to make this sandwich. It is a love-it in my book and love the addition, but you can use less, or leave it out completely. Check out all the cheese options in the recipe card and above.

Is mayo or butter better for grilled cheese?

Personally, I have always preferred butter on the outside of my grilled cheese and never had an issue with mine burning when cooked over low heat. Mayo does have a higher smoke point, meaning if is harder to burn and you can cook your grilled cheese over higher heat. Many people swear by this and says it leads to a crisper outside.

Hand picking up buffalo grilled cheese from stack on a black plate.

You May Also Enjoy...

Thank you so much for stopping by, if you made this recipe I would love to hear from you below in the comments. If you want to keep up with what The Erhardts are Eating (and exploring) be sure to follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter & Youtube.

Happy Eating!

Comments