I’ve always loved the simplicity of a grilled cheese, but this buffalo chicken grilled cheese recipe has become my holy grail of comfort food! Shredded chicken and blue cheese is smothered in buffalo hot sauce then topped with Monterey jack for a deliciously melted sandwich that I just can’t get enough of. It’s ready in 20 minutes, and it always hits the spot!
Whenever I make grilled cheese sandwiches for my kids, I just add some spicy buffalo chicken to mine and call it a day. It makes lunch time so much easier because everyone gets what they want! I always have leftover shredded chicken in my fridge, so it’s really easy to add some buffalo sauce and turn it into these tasty little sandwiches.
What’s in this Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Recipe?
- Cooked Shredded Chicken: This grilled cheese recipe is a great use for leftover chicken, or use a rotisserie chicken.
- Buffalo Sauce: This hot sauce gives grilled cheese a classic buffalo flavor!
- Cheese: Mix blue cheese into the shredded buffalo chicken, and top with melty Monterey jack. Swiss or mozzarella will also work well.
- Unsalted Butter: Helps the sandwiches brown in the pan.
- Garlic Powder: Adds an earthy flavor to the sandwich filling.
- Parsley: Adds a pop of freshness and herbal flavor.
- Sourdough Bread: Use a hearty bread like sourdough that holds up well to all that filling.
Variations to Try
You can make these buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwiches with a variety of cheeses and sauces to jazz them up. Instead of blue cheese, try gorgonzola. Instead of Monterey jack, try Swiss or mozzarella. Add a bit of blue cheese dressing or ranch into the chicken mixture for even more flavor, or try mixing a ranch seasoning packet into the butter instead of the garlic and parsley. If you want a bit of freshness and texture, mix some minced celery pieces or green onions into the buffalo chicken filling.
For serving, it’s absolutely delicious with a bowl of this Spicy Tomato Soup!
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover buffalo chicken grilled cheese in an airtight container, or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan coated with butter set over medium-low heat until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze shredded buffalo chicken grilled cheese tightly wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Notes and Tips
- If I have leftover buffalo chicken dip, I’ll just use that as my pre-made filling for these grilled cheese sandwiches. It makes this already-easy recipe just a little bit easier!
- Serve this shredded chicken grilled cheese with more buffalo sauce, blue cheese, or ranch on the side for dipping!
Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature (½ stick)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- ½ cup Buffalo sauce
- ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 4 slices sourdough bread cut approximately ½-inch thick
- 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese or swiss or mozzarella
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the butter, garlic powder and parsley, set aside.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- In a medium size bowl, mix the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and crumbled blue cheese.2 cups cooked shredded chicken, ½ cup Buffalo sauce, ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
- Spread one side of each piece of bread with the butter mixture, then turn over so the butter side is down.4 slices sourdough bread
- On two pieces of the bread, add ½ cup of shredded cheese, then top with the buffalo chicken mixture and the remaining shredded cheese.2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
- Place the remaining pieces of bread on top to close the sandwiches.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and place the sandwiches on the skillet. Cover with a lid and cook approximately 5 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned.
- Carefully flip the sandwiches and gently press to help seal them then cover with the lid and cook another 3-5 minutes until both sides are browned and cheese is melted.
- Remove from the skillet and serve with blue cheese dip or hot sauce.
Notes
- This recipe can easily be scaled up or down as needed.
- As these sandwiches are thick, covering the skillet with a lid helps them heat through without burning the bread.
- If you don’t like blue cheese, you can leave that out or replace with extra cheese of your choice.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Step by Step
Make the Seasoned Butter: In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of softened unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of dried parsley.
Make the Buffalo Chicken Filling: In a medium size bowl, mix 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken, ½ cup of Buffalo sauce, and ⅓ cup of crumbled blue cheese.
Butter the Bread: Prepare 4 slices of sourdough bread to make 2 sandwiches. Spread the butter mixture onto one side of each piece of bread, then turn over so the buttered side is face-down.
Add the Chicken and Cheese: Add ½ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese to 2 slices of bread (1 cup total); then top each slice with half of the shredded buffalo chicken mixture.
Assemble the Sandwiches: Add another ½ cup of shredded cheese on top of each sandwich, then finish with the other slices of bread.
Grill the Sandwiches: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and place the sandwiches in the skillet. Cover with a lid and cook approximately 5 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned.
Flip and Continue Cooking: Carefully flip the sandwiches and gently press down, then cover with the lid and cook another 3-5 minutes, until both sides are browned and the cheese is fully melted.
Serve: Remove the buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwiches from the skillet and serve with blue cheese or hot sauce.
Blue cheese is the classic pairing for buffalo flavor, but to make this grilled cheese melty and delicious, opt for a mild-flavored melting cheese like Monterey jack, Swiss, or mozzarella.
That’s up to personal preference. I like using butter since it pairs really well with buffalo sauce.
These sandwiches are hefty and filling at over 1200 calories per sandwich. You can definitely make them more petite for fewer calories.
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