This buffalo chicken grilled cheese is FULL of flavor and a great way to use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. Warm, creamy, and a little spicy, this pulled chicken sandwich is easy comfort food at its finest.
Not that anyone needs a recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich, but I think this buffalo chicken grilled cheese is special enough to warrant its own post.
Reasons to Love This Recipe
- It's a grilled cheese sandwich with heft, as the chicken bumps up the protein.
- The creamy buffalo chicken mixture tastes like total comfort food - and easy comfort food, at that.
- This is a great recipe for using up a small amount of leftover cooked chicken, though it's perfectly suited for a rotisserie chicken, too.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken: Any kind of leftover cooked chicken breasts or thighs work here, but shredded a rotisserie chicken is easy if you don't have any cooked chicken on hand. You'll need about one-half cup of shredded chicken per buffalo chicken grilled cheese.
- Buffalo sauce: Use your favorite brand of buffalo/wing sauce. I'm partial to Frank's Red Hot Wings as it brings a big bite that meshes nicely with creamy sour cream and cheese.
- Cheese: Pepper jack, a nice sharp sliced cheddar, provolone, or gouda all mesh well with the zippy buffalo sauce flavors.
- Bread: Any kind of bread works (gluten-free will make this recipe gluten-free, though do check the other ingredients for hidden traces of gluten). I'm partial to multi-grain varieties or fluffy whole wheat potato bread, seen used in these pictures. Sourdough is also delicious!
- Sour cream: Since only a small amount is used in this buffalo chicken grilled cheese, any variety of sour cream or a creamy alternative, such as plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, will work.
- Spices: You can switch these up, though I keep things simple with garlic powder and dried basil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First stir together all of the buffalo chicken mixture ingredients in a bowl: cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, sour cream, and spices. (The quantities pictured below are for two sandwiches.)
Now all that's left is to assemble the sandwich and cook.
- Start by placing a slice of cheese on a piece of bread. If using shredded cheese, try and get it as even of a layer as possible, stretching out to all sides.
- Next scoop on the buffalo chicken mixture and press it down into a flattened layer.
- Top with another piece of cheese.
- Then add the last piece of bread. If cooking these grilled cheeses with mayonnaise (my favorite way!), spread one-and-a-half teaspoons of it all over the top piece of bread.
While you can certainly assemble this however you like, I prefer layering the buffalo chicken mixture between the two slices of cheese and not having it right up against bread. This way the cheese melts and acts like a buffer so the sauce doesn't sog up the bread.
Recipe Notes
- Add the buffalo chicken mixture to an air fryer grilled cheese if you'd prefer that way.
- If you've made slow cooker buffalo chicken, you can simply add a bit of sour cream to leftover portions to make this sandwich.
- The ingredient quantities featured in the recipe card below yield one grilled cheese sandwich. Since a rotisserie chicken will very roughly yield four cups of shredded chicken, you'll have plenty to make more grilled cheeses, or to use in other recipes. My archive of chicken recipes has many recipes to use shredded chicken if you're looking for inspiration.
- Frank's Red Hot Wings is always my choice for buffalo chicken recipes. It's thinner than other wing sauces out there and has the perfect amount of heat to it.
Related Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!
Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ cup shredded, cooked chicken
- 1 ½ Tablespoons buffalo wing sauce or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream or plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 slices bread your preferred variety
- 2 slices cheese your preferred variety
- Mayonnaise or butter for cooking the sandwich
Instructions
- Stir together the chicken, buffalo sauce, sour cream, garlic powder, and basil in a bowl until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Place one slice of cheese onto one slice of bread. Arrange the creamy buffalo chicken mixture evenly across the slice of cheese. Top with the other slice of cheese, then the other slice of bread.
- Cook the grilled cheese in your preferred manner. Here are two options I use:Option 1: Add a small amount of butter to a pan set over medium-low heat. Place the sandwich in and cook until the bottom side reaches golden-brown. Flip and repeat for the other side, adjusting the heat and/or adding additional butter halfway through if needed.Option 2: Spread 1 ½ teaspoons of mayonnaise evenly across the entire face of one slice of bread. Cook mayo-side down in an ungreased pan over medium-low heat until the bottom side is golden brown to your liking. Spread another 1 ½ teaspoons of mayonnaise on the top side of bread before flipping the sandwich and cooking it on that side until golden-brown, as well.
Notes
- This recipe can be scaled up pretty easily. If you'd like to prep ahead, mix up the chicken mixture separately, assembling sandwiches just prior to cooking so they don't get soggy.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
The pictures in this post were updated in May 2022 from older updates in May 2019 and May 2015. If returning to this post from a saved link, you may recognize the photo above.
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Ashley says
A local cafe we visit makes a delicious grilled buffalo chicken sandwich, but since we are eating at home more I was looking for something similar. We made these and they were so good! Just what we wanted for lunch.
Beth says
I love everything about this recipe - using leftovers, grilled cheese and spicy buffalo sauce! Lunch today!!
Taryn says
This is like our favorite buffalo dip in sandwich form. Love it!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
I LOLd at this post Alyssa! I can so relate to the getting stressed out over something that's supposed to be relaxing. And I have to admit, I am craving this sandwich right now and it's 4:19 in the morning! Looks like breakfast to me. If I had chicken in the house, you know what I'd be having!
Alyssa says
Haha thanks, Kristi! I'm so with you - any time I look at this post I start craving this sandwich. For some reason it always seems to happen around 11 pm right before bed!
Amy (Savory Moments) says
Yum - this is a great idea. Being from Buffalo, we love out Frank's hot sauce with chicken! 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks, Amy! Frank's just may be tied with ketchup for my favorite condiment. "I put that #@*! on everything" describes me to a T, and this sandwich was no exception! 🙂
Ashley says
The flavors here are definitely awesome - I would love one of these right now! Such comfort food! And I hateeee photographing sandwiches - I can never get them to look the way I want them to in the photos!
Alyssa says
I cannot get the combo of buffalo chicken and melted cheese out of my head - so good! Thanks, Ashley!
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says
Wow, girl, these sandwich looks unbelievably amazing! What a comforting treat :--)
Alyssa says
Thanks, Consuelo!
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says
Grilled Cheese fanatic right here! I totally understand; sometimes the simplest meals taste the best!
Alyssa says
Thanks, Jessica! 🙂
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
Grilled cheese is SO hard to photograph, but I'm glad you didn't let the difficulty slow you down. Taste is what really matters in the end and it sounds like it triumphed!
Alyssa says
It triumphed indeed, Erin! Delicious.
Ashley @ My Midwest Table says
Grilled cheese is one of my ultimate comfort foods! I am thinking I need to add Buffalo wing sauce to the grocery list. This is one of the several hints in the past week that I need some Buffalo chicken on my menu. This grilled cheese is amazing.
And oh goodness, I just love. love. LOVE Park and Rec. No matter how crappy or tiring of a day I've had, that show always puts a smile on my face. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen an episode, it's still funny! 🙂
Alyssa says
I so encourage adding buffalo sauce to your grocery list! It's definitely one of my kitchen staples. If I'm eating something savory, there's a good chance buffalo sauce is on my plate, too. 🙂
And I'm the same exact way with Parks and Rec! I think it would be impossible for me to pick a favorite character - they all crack me up!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
Oh goodness, this sandwich looks great! I am craving grilled cheese so much right now!
Alyssa says
I think I'm grilled cheese obsessed. If there was a stove top in the kitchen at my workplace, I'm sure I would be having one every day this week!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
These are my favorite kind of recipes! Simple ones that I will actually make. When I see a cake recipe that has more than 10 steps I'm like, "um, I'll go to the baker". But grilled cheese I can get behind! Especially the buffalo chicken. yum!
Alyssa says
Thanks, Natalie! Super simple, but so delicious I had to have it two days in a row. 🙂
Lynette says
So true Alyssa. Sometimes we create stress over silly things. Great post AND great sandwich.
Alyssa says
Thanks!