Being an English girl, I wasn’t quite sure what buffalo chicken was when I first heard the term. Of course I knew what a buffalo was and what a chicken was but didn’t see how you could combine them. All became clear when I tasted this delicacy Stateside and fell in love with it! Keep reading for the best buffalo chicken recipe I have found.
So much so in fact that I have added it to our regular meal rotation because I adore the combination of crispy, spicy chicken, fresh vegetable sticks, creamy dressing and of course don’t forget the blue cheese!
This best buffalo chicken recipe, like most of mine, is really easy to make. You have the choice of using any kind of chicken. The first time I made it I used chicken breast but now I usually use chicken legs. Not
Chicken legs, chicken thighs or even breast – pick your preferred cut and the recipe will be perfect. I do love chicken legs though. I mean, not only are they cheaper here but they are also more flavorful, plus I like to crisp the skin up in the oven.
Crispy chicken skin on a best buffalo chicken recipe is always good! Use drumsticks if you like because they are also good in this easy buffalo chicken recipe.
Best Buffalo Chicken Recipe: Remember, Contrasts Work Here!
Buffalo chicken is a dish of contrasts, which is why the blue cheese and creamy dressing is a must! Although ranch dressing is the dressing of choice for buffalo chicken, you can use Caesar dressing if you prefer it.
While the chicken is baking you can prepare the crispy vegetable batons and other sides. My husband doesn’t like celery, which is why it’s missing from the photo, so I used carrot and bell pepper batons instead. I also shredded some iceberg and cubed some blue cheese.
Some buffalo chicken fans will always want a lot of hot sauce while others prefer a milder finish, so it is your call completely. Just offer it on the side.
Tweaking is Fine
Just like with any other dish, make this best buffalo chicken recipe how you personally like it, and you can’t go wrong. If one of you prefers spice while one prefers a milder end result, just serve extra hot sauce at the table so the spice fan can spice theirs up.
The ranch dressing and cheese in this best buffalo chicken recipe are lovely and cooling, contrasting so well with the spicy chicken, and the veggies are of course nutritious and add a nice crunch.
The Best Buffalo Chicken Dip
Buffalo chicken goes so well in a blue cheese sauce or ranch dressing. Really, those are my preferred options here. Make the best buffalo chicken dip to show off your tasty buffalo chicken recipe. A creamy dip is the perfect contrast since it tames the flavor of the chicken and contrasts beautifully to show it off.
Best Buffalo Chicken Recipe
Chicken is marinated in a hot sauce, butter, onion and Worcestershire sauce mixture, then baked to perfection. Serve with ranch dressing, crunchy veggies and blue cheese.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 chicken legs or breasts, or 4 drumsticks
- 1/4 cup (65g) melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Tabasco sauce, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Put the butter in a mug and melt it in the microwave.
- Stir in the hot sauce, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour 2/3 of this mixture over the chicken and rub it in.
- Let the chicken marinate for 1/2 hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C.
- Sprinkle salt over the chicken and bake for 45 minutes or until nearly done.
- Chicken breasts will need less time than legs, so keep an eye on the chicken.
- Pour over the remaining marinade and keep cooking until done.
- You can use the broiler to crisp up the skin at the end if you want.
- Serve the chicken hot, with the blue cheese, veggies, lettuce, ranch dressing and anything else you fancy.
Notes
If you have anything left over, the chicken is also good served cold the next day.
Keep the veggie batons in water in the refrigerator to keep them fresh overnight and stop them drying out.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 1075
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 2106mg
- Fat: 79g
- Saturated Fat: 41g
- Unsaturated Fat: 32g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 75g
- Cholesterol: 406mg
