Made with shredded chicken, cream cheese, cheddar, and your favorite wing sauce all wrapped in a tortilla, these Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels are a super easy game day appetizer. There’s no cooking required and they can be made the day before you need them.
Love pinwheels? Put out a variety! Our Chicken Salad Pinwheels and Reuben Pinwheels are so delicious, too.
Easy Buffalo Chicken Roll-Ups
If you’re a fan of buffalo chicken wings, then you’re going to love these buffalo chicken pinwheels. They have your favorite wing sauce, mixed with cream cheese, cheddar, and shredded chicken for all the flavor of chicken wings – without the mess. You can even add ranch or blue cheese for dipping.
These buffalo chicken roll-ups are quick and easy to make. The hands-on time is maybe 10 minutes and then it’s just a matter of letting them chill. I like to prepare them the night before so that on game day all I need to do is slice them and add them to a platter. A super easy game day appetizer that EVERYONE seems to love!
Ingredients Needed
These buffalo chicken pinwheels are made with many of the same ingredients as a classic buffalo chicken dip.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for all the measurements and details.)
- Cream cheese – Soften to room temperature so that it mixes better with the other ingredients.
- Cheddar cheese – Mozzarella or a Mexican blend will work as well.
- Buffalo wing sauce – Frank’s is the most popular brand but use any that you prefer.
- Dried ranch seasoning – Grab a packet of Hidden Valley or make our homemade ranch seasoning.
- Scallions – For a subtle peppery, onion flavor we love.
- Blue cheese crumbles – Optional but the blue cheese does pair nicely with the buffalo.
- Shredded chicken – You can use shredded baked chicken breast or leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Tortillas – Flour burrito-sized tortillas. You can use wheat or flavored tortillas, as long as the flavor pairs well with buffalo.
- Ranch dressing – Optional but perfect for dipping. Our homemade ranch recipe is so much better than store-bought.
Tips & Variations
There are many ways to switch up this easy pinwheel recipe and make it your own.
- Make the flavor a bit milder. These are a touch on the spicy side, if you don’t like too much spice, add half of the buffalo sauce, taste, and add more to your liking.
- Or make it a bit spicier. Alternatively, if you like the heat, use a spicier buffalo sauce and/or add in some diced jalapenos.
- Give it some texture. If you want some crunch inside, you can dice celery into tiny pieces and stir them into the mixture.
- Leave out the blue cheese. The blue cheese is very mild but if you do not like it, leave it out entirely.
- Serve as a dip. If you don’t want to make pinwheels, the mixture is also delicious simply served as a dip with crackers.
- Keep wrapped in plastic until serving. While you can make these a day in advance, be sure to keep them rolled into logs and wrapped in plastic until it’s time to serve. Otherwise, the tortilla can crack and dry out.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
These buffalo chicken roll-ups are quick & easy to make. Just be sure to make them in advance so they can chill for a few hours. Here’s a brief summary:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for all the measurements and details.)
- Make the filling. Blend together all ingredients except for the tortillas and chicken, until smooth and combined. Fold in the shredded chicken.
- Roll the pinwheels. Lay the tortilla out flat. Spread 1/4th of the chicken mixture on each tortilla. Tightly roll to form a long log.
- Chill. Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Serve. Remove the plastic and cut each log into 1/2 rounds. Serve with ranch dressing.
How Can I Keep These From Becoming Soggy?
If prepared as directed, these buffalo pinwheels shouldn’t become soggy. If you add more buffalo sauce, that is a risk, so I would recommend just serving with additional buffalo sauce on the side. Additionally, if they are prepared too far in advance they may become soggy so I recommend preparing them no more than a day in advance.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve these on a platter on game day with a side of homemade ranch dip for dipping. If you prefer, you can also serve them with blue cheese and/or a little bit more hot sauce on the side. These pair well with a veggie platter or next to cucumber sandwiches, too.
If you’re not in the mood for pinwheels, you could also serve this as a dip with tortilla chips, crackers, or some celery and carrots.
Make Ahead and Storing Leftovers
- Make ahead: You want these to chill for 4 hours so the flavors can meld and the tortillas can adhere around the filling. However, I don’t recommend preparing these more than 1 day in advance, otherwise they can become soggy. Also be aware if you add more buffalo sauce, that is a risk to soggy-ville, so I would recommend just serving with additional buffalo sauce on the side.
- Storing leftovers: Leftovers should be wrapped tightly and plastic and stored in the fridge. They’ll last for 2 to 3 days, then will start to become soggy. If you can, leave them rolled as logs until you’ll be enjoying them. If you’re not sure if you’ll need all 4 logs, just cut 1 or 2 at a time and keep the rest in the fridge.
More Party Appetizers:
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Little Smokies Recipe
- Crab Rangoon Dip
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Antipasto Squares
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried ranch seasoning
- 2 scallions (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles (optional)
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 4 burrito-sized tortillas
- ranch dip , for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese, cheddar, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, scallions, and blue cheese (if using) into a large bowl. Blend together with an electric hand mixer until smooth and combined. Add the cooked chicken and using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold it in until incorporated.
- Lay a tortilla on a clean work surface. Take 1/4th of the chicken mixture and spread it evenly on the tortilla, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Tightly roll the tortilla to form a long log. Repeat with the remaining tortillas/filling.
- Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap, fold the ends of the plastic wrap under. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
- Unwrap the pinwheels from the plastic. Cut into 1/2 inch rounds, serve with ranch dressing for dipping and enjoy!
YUMMY!
They’re in the fridge now! Can’t wait to try these!
Yay! Hope you liked them.