The search for the perfect game-day appetizer has come to an end with these Buffalo chicken pretzel bites. Convenient store-bought yeast dinner rolls get a makeover with a creamy, tangy chicken filling and a pretzel-like exterior. The result is a delicious, handheld parcel of goodness!
These buffalo bites will go perfectly with your favorite appetizers like spinach artichoke dip, cream cheese pinwheels, mushrooms neptune, biscuit taco pockets, and grilled onion cheddar sliders! For another pretzel favorite, try these auntie anne's copycat pizza pretzels!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
Store-bought shortcuts: Delicious, party-ready appetizers do not need to be overly complicated. This recipe uses quality store-bought shortcuts to cut down prep time, with equally as delicious results.
Customizable: Once you get the method down for these pretzel bites, you can stuff them with just about anything!
Familiar flavors: If you like the flavors of buffalo chicken (like in these buffalo chicken lasagna roll ups), you will love these pretzel bites. The filling of these pretzel bites will remind you of a classic buffalo chicken dip, and you cannot go wrong with that!
🥘Ingredients
- Shredded chicken: Using cooked shredded chicken is a great shortcut instead of going through the trouble of freshly making chicken at home. I recommend either using rotisserie chicken that has been taken off the bone, or pre-shredded chicken from the grocery store. Chicken breast meat works best, as it will not add too much fattiness.
- Frozen yeast dinner rolls: You can generally find these rolls in the freezer section with other breads like garlic bread. I like to use Rhodes brand dinner rolls, as they rise quite a bit once they have thawed. Using a yeasted dinner roll gives these a light and fluffy texture, with a good amount of chew.
- Mozzarella cheese: I always recommend using freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, as it will always melt better than pre-shredded cheese.
- Buffalo hot sauce: I like to use a hot sauce like Sweet Baby Rays. It is a good balance between acid and spice, and works really well in Buffalo chicken recipes.
- Ranch dressing: A good quality store-bought ranch dressing works perfectly in the filling for these bites. If you prefer, you can make a homemade ranch dressing and use that, too.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Chicken: If you have leftover chicken in the fridge, this is a great way to use it up. You can also poach fresh chicken breasts and shred them for this recipe.
- Mozzarella cheese: Monterey jack is another fantastic melting cheese that will work well in this recipe, instead of mozzarella.
- Louisiana hot sauce: Your favorite hot sauce, or premixed buffalo chicken wing sauce will work instead.
- Frozen dinner rolls: You can use canned biscuit dough, or portioned pizza dough in place of frozen dinner rolls.
🔪Variations
- Blue cheese: For an authentic Buffalo vibe, add some blue cheese crumbles to the chicken filling.
- Deep fried: Instead of making these into pretzels, try deep drying these stuffed dough balls for a crispy and decadent twist.
- Wontons: This filling will work perfectly in wonton wrappers, too!
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Thaw the bread dough balls - Take the bread dough balls out of the freezer 3-4 hours before you are ready to use them and arrange on a baking sheet. Make sure the dough balls are covered so they do not dry out as they defrost.
Preheat the oven - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Add the ingredients for the chicken filling to a large mixing bowl. Mix everything together using a rubber spatula, or your hands as I recommend. Ensure that the cream cheese is completely broken down, and there are no large clumps of unmixed cream cheese. Set the mixed filling aside. [photo 1]
Flatten down a dough ball, and stretch it out with your fingers. You will want the edges to be thinner, and the middle of the dough disc to be thicker. [photo 2]
Using a 1 ½ tablespoon ice scream scoop, scoop in one portion of the chicken filling. [photo 2]
Bring up the sides of the dough to cover the filling, and pinch the dough together to close it over the chicken filling to form a large stuffed ball.
Bring 10 cups (2 ½ quarts) of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Once the water has come to a boil, sprinkle in the baking soda. The baking soda will make the water fizzle, which is normal.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the pretzel balls into the baking soda & water mixture. Boil the pretzel bites for 30 seconds, and remove carefully with a slotted spoon. [photo 3]
Arrange the boiled buffalo bites on a parchment lined or silicone mat lined sheet tray. Sprinkle the coarse sea salt on top while the dough balls are still moist out of the water, so it sticks well. [photo 4]
Bake the pretzel balls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked on the bottom. I recommend to start checking on them at the 15 minute mark, as different ovens can vary.
💭 Expert Tips
Do not make the dough too thin: Avoid making the middle of the dough disc to thin, as it will either burst in the baking soda bath or the filling will burst out as it bakes.
Give the dough a good pinch: Make sure to pinch the closure of the dough balls well, to avoid the balls from opening up in the water or in the oven.
If you forgot to soften your cream cheese: place the unwrapped cream cheese in a bowl and microwave in 10-second increments on 50% power.
To make the filling: You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, if you do not like to use your hands.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
- The chicken filling can be made 2-3 days in advance. Store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Baked pretzel bites will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container or fridge-safe storage bag.
- Cooked buffalo chicken bites can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or container. Reheat in the oven from frozen or thawed.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
You may not have used enough baking soda, or boiled the pretzel bites long enough. The baking soda and water solution is what helps with the classic pretzel color and texture. If you do not use enough baking soda, or do not give the pretzels enough time to boil in the solution, you may not get the best golden brown color.
The key to keeping the filling inside the pretzel balls is to not roll the dough too thin. The filling has a good amount of cheese in it, which will melt in the oven. If the dough is too thin, the melted cheese will seep out of the thin dough.
📝More Appetizer Recipes
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Buffalo Chicken Pretzel Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 Frozen yeast dinner rolls - defrosted
- 2 cups Shredded chicken
- 8 oz Cream cheese - softened
- ¾ cup Mozzarella cheese - shredded
- ½ cup Buffalo hot sauce
- ¼ cup Ranch dressing
- 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion powder
- 2 teaspoon Dried chives
- 10 cups Water
- ½ cup Baking soda
- 2 tablespoon Coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Add the ingredients for the chicken filling to a large mixing bowl. Mix everything together using a rubber spatula, or your hands. Ensure that the cream cheese is completely broken down, and there are no large clumps of unmixed cream cheese. Set the mixed filling aside.2 cups Shredded chicken, 8 oz Cream cheese, ¾ cup Mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Buffalo hot sauce , ¼ cup Ranch dressing, 2 teaspoon Garlic powder , 2 teaspoon Onion powder, 2 teaspoon Dried chives
- Flatten down a dough ball, and stretch it out with your fingers so the edges are thinner, and the middle of the dough disc is thicker.20 Frozen yeast dinner rolls
- Using a 1 ½ tablespoon ice scream scoop, scoop in one portion of the chicken filling.
- Bring up the sides of the dough to cover the filling, and pinch the dough together to close it over the chicken filling to form a large stuffed ball.
- Bring 10 cups (2 ½ quarts) of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the water has come to a boil, sprinkle in the baking soda.10 cups Water, ½ cup Baking soda
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the pretzel balls into the baking soda & water mixture. Boil the pretzel bites for 30 seconds, and remove carefully with a slotted spoon.
- Arrange the boiled buffalo bites on a parchment lined or silicone mat lined sheet tray. Sprinkle the coarse sea salt on top while the dough balls are still moist out of the water.2 tablespoon Coarse sea salt
- Bake the pretzel balls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked on the bottom. Start checking on the pretzel balls at the 15 minute mark, as different ovens can vary.
✱Recipe Notes
- Do not make the dough too thin: Avoid making the middle of the dough disc to thin, as it will either burst in the baking soda bath or the filling will burst out as it bakes.
- Give the dough a good pinch: Make sure to pinch the closure of the dough balls well, to avoid the balls from opening up in the water or in the oven.
- If you forgot to soften your cream cheese: place the unwrapped cream cheese in a bowl and microwave in 10-second increments on 50% power.
- To make the filling: You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, if you do not like to use your hands.
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