October 24, 2023
Review RecipeBuffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Table of Contents
These delicious buffalo chicken pinwheels are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Also known as buffalo chicken roll-ups, these pinwheels have a spicy chicken and cheese filling wrapped in a flour tortilla to create tempting bite-sized appetizers.
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels Ingredients
These pinwheels are a burst of flavor, combining creamy richness from cream cheese with the bold heat of Frank’s Red Hot cayenne pepper sauce.
Tangy blue cheese, melty Colby-Jack cheese, and tender shredded rotisserie chicken create a blend of textures and tastes.
Green onions add a fresh contrast, all wrapped in flour tortillas for a convenient and irresistible appetizer or snack.
You’ll need:
- 8 ounces of cream cheese
- 5 ounces of Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- ½ cup of blue cheese, crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 cup of Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup of green onions, chopped
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 5 large flour tortillas
Substitutions And Additions
ROTISSERIE CHICKEN: Leftover rotisserie chicken is an easy choice for this recipe, but chicken breasts can also be used.
Cook on the stovetop over medium heat until cooked through. Shred while still hot using two forks and allow to cool before adding to the cheese mixture.
SALAD: If you have vegetarian guests, you may wish to make some of the roll-ups without the chicken, perhaps using lettuce or tomatoes to add bulk.
COLBY-JACK CHEESE: Most cheeses will work in place of Colby-Jack, including Monterey Jack, cheddar cheese, gouda, or Muenster cheese.
HOT SAUCE: While Frank’s is the traditional sauce used to make buffalo chicken, you could use other hot sauces such as Tabasco or homemade buffalo sauce if you have a favorite.
DIP: A serving of ranch dressing provides an ideal dip for buffalo chicken pinwheels.
How To Make This Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels Recipe
To make these mouthwatering appetizers, you will mix up the filling before spreading it on the soft tortillas, rolling them, and slicing them into bite-sized pieces.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
Make sure to chop all of your ingredients to be the same size so that the mixture looks uniform.
STEP ONE: In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, hot pepper sauce, blue cheese crumbles, salt, garlic powder, Colby-Jack cheese, and green onions.
Using a hand mixer with beaters, blend until it’s well-mixed and there are no large chunks.
PRO TIP:
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with any lumps in your mixture.
STEP TWO: Shred the rotisserie chicken into small pieces. Add the shredded chicken to the buffalo mixture and stir well with a large spoon.
Coat all of the chicken with the buffalo mixture.
STEP THREE: Spread about three-quarters of a cup of the buffalo chicken mixture onto each tortilla.
Roll it up tightly, trying not to shift the buffalo chicken filling too much.
PRO TIP:
Use a cocktail stick or toothpick to keep each buffalo chicken tortilla roll up from unrolling.
STEP FOUR: Wrap the rolled tortillas in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two to four hours.
PRO TIP:
Don’t skip the chilling step as it will be much easier to slice the tortillas once they have chilled for a couple of hours.
STEP FIVE: After chilling, remove the plastic wrap. Use a sharp knife to cut it into slices (discard the end pieces) and serve.
When slicing, wipe your knife clean between each slice for the best presentation.
How To Serve
This recipe tastes great served cold, but it’s not necessary to refrigerate the pinwheels before serving them.
These buffalo pinwheels would be a fun and easy appetizer to serve on game day. Add a small bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.
Add our cucumber bites and cheese dip and chips to round out your offerings.
For guests who would like a less spicy option, serve these alongside our chicken tortilla roll-ups.
For more party food ideas, take a look at our buffalo chicken sliders and buffalo chicken meatballs.
MORE APPETIZERS RECIPES
Storage
Now that you’ve whipped up these mouthwatering buffalo chicken pinwheels, let’s chat about how to store them to keep that irresistible flavor intact for as long as possible.
MAKE AHEAD: You can prepare these pinwheels ahead of time. After rolling them up, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before slicing and serving.
This advance preparation is perfect for party planning or simply having a quick, savory snack ready to go.
IN THE FRIDGE: If preparing in advance of a party, wrap each whole tortilla roll-up in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Slice right before serving.
IN THE FREEZER: Most buffalo chicken rollups can be frozen with no issues. However, if you add any ingredients, such as lettuce or other leafy greens, these won’t freeze well.
If you plan on adding any salad to your pinwheels, you might want to serve it on the side rather than within the tortilla wrap.
You can store these easy buffalo chicken roll-ups in the freezer for up to three months.
Either freeze them whole before cutting or, in the case of leftovers, you can freeze individual pinwheels.
To prevent the pinwheels from sticking together, freeze them on a tray lined with parchment for two hours before transferring them to a freezer-safe storage bag. Defrost overnight in the fridge before serving.
Why We Love This Recipe
IRRESISTIBLE FLAVOR: These pinwheels are packed with bold and zesty flavors from the Buffalo sauce, creating a tantalizing combination of creamy and spicy that’s utterly addictive.
MAKE AHEAD CONVENIENCE: This recipe is perfect for busy schedules or party planning because you can prepare it in advance, allowing you to enjoy a delectable snack without the last-minute rush.
EASY TO CUSTOMIZE: You can personalize these pinwheels to your taste by adjusting the level of spiciness, adding extra cheese, or even incorporating additional ingredients like crispy bacon or diced celery.
These spicy buffalo chicken pinwheels are always a hit with guests at a party. The combination of the rotisserie chicken, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, and cream cheese mixture are as addicting as it is delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
We find that corn tortillas don’t roll quite as well in this simple recipe. Stick with soft flour tortillas if you can for the best result.
You can make this buffalo chicken wrap recipe ahead of time. Just leave them unsliced and wrap them in plastic wrap. Slice when you are ready to serve them.
These buffalo pinwheels can be frozen for up to three months.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Cheese Ball Recipe
- Chicken Roll-Ups
- Buffalo Chicken Fries
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Taco Ring
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Shake and Bake Chicken
- Zucchini Mushroom Chicken
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Caesar Salad
- Macaroni Pasta Salad
- Taco Pasta Salad
- 5 Cup Salad
- Pea Salad
- Air Fryer Beef Jerky
- Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Big Mac Salad
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 5 ounces Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce
- ½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup green onions, chopped
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 5 large flour tortillas
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce, blue cheese, salt, garlic powder, Colby-Jack cheese, and green onions. Using a hand mixer, mix until well blended and no cream cheese chunks remain.
- Add the shredded chicken to the buffalo mixture and stir well with a large spoon. Coat all chicken with the buffalo mixture.
- Spread about ¾ cup of the buffalo chicken mixture onto a tortilla. Roll up tightly, trying not to shift the buffalo chicken mixture too much.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to cut into slices. Discard the end pieces.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Regular oven-baked chicken that has been shredded also works great for this recipe.
- Make sure to chop all of your ingredients to be the same size so that the mixture looks uniform.
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with any lumps in your mixture.
- Use a cocktail stick or toothpick to keep each Buffalo chicken tortilla roll up from unrolling.
- Don’t skip the chilling step as it will be much easier to slice the tortillas once they have chilled for a couple of hours.
Comments
jay platte says
these are so delicious! one of ,y new favorites!
Jackie says
How long do these Jeep because I think they would make great lunch for my husband.
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Jackie – you could definitely make it ahead to send for lunch. Enjoy!
Gloria says
Such a great appetizer – perfect snacking, holidays, or game day.
Mitch Sims says
Five except for throwing the ends away. Aren’t those the chefs taste pieces?
Kim says
I would try with ranch or blue cheese.
Mary Frost says
These are wonderful! I love to add the heat. I thought it would be extra good to add some heat, I added Chipotle chilli powder for a pop.
Linda Younh says
I would serve this anytime. Looks awesomen cant wait to try this. Is it possible to substitute the bleu cheese, if so what would you recommend?
Laura Yarzebinski says
These sound interesting and tasty, as long as they aren’t to hot!
Amy Nisley says
Flavored spinach or tomato tortilla would be the bomb!
Chris Hoag- Apel says
Wonderful appetizer for summer outdoor gatherings. Thank you for sharing. If your guests like really spicy could use jalapeรฑo flavored cheese.