These Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels are packed with creamy cheese, tender chicken, zesty buffalo sauce, and flaky crescent roll dough. They're easy to make, loaded with bold flavor, and perfect for game days, parties, lunches, and appetizers.
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Snack
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 15 Minutes Prep + 20 Minutes Bake
- 🍴 Servings: 6 Large or 12 Small Pinwheels
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Creamy, cheesy, spicy, savory, and tangy
- 🍚 Best Served With: Ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, vegetables, and party appetizers from Best Appetizers For Parties, Tailgates or Cravings
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, up to 24 hours ahead
Summarize and Save This Content On
If you're a fan of buffalo chicken dip, buffalo wings, or anything with a little kick, these pinwheels are about to become a new favorite. The creamy filling wrapped inside flaky crescent dough creates the perfect combination of textures and flavors in every bite.
This was inspired by my slow cooker buffalo chicken chili on this site, and pairs perfectly with these baked buffalo chicken bites.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Loaded with buffalo flavor: Buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, chicken, and cheddar cheese create the perfect spicy and creamy combination.
- Easy to make: Rotisserie chicken and crescent dough keep preparation quick and simple.
- Perfect for entertaining: Great for game days, parties, potlucks, holiday gatherings, and casual snacking.
- Customizable heat level: Easily adjust the buffalo sauce to make them mild or extra spicy.
- Crispy outside, creamy inside: Flaky golden dough surrounds a rich, cheesy filling.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients and a quick trip to the grocery store to make these delicious buffalo chicken pinwheels.
- Cream Cheese: Creates a creamy, rich filling.
- Cooked Shredded Chicken: Adds protein and hearty texture.
- Buffalo Sauce: Delivers the signature spicy buffalo flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese: Adds cheesy flavor and helps bind the filling.
- Celery: Provides crunch and classic buffalo wing flavor.
- Green Onions: Add freshness and mild onion flavor.
- Crescent Roll Dough: Creates the flaky pinwheel exterior.
- Ranch Dressing: Balances the heat and adds creaminess.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Adjust the heat: Use extra buffalo sauce, diced jalapeños, or hot sauce for more spice, or reduce the buffalo sauce for a milder version.
- Switch the cheese: Try mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, or Parmesan cheese.
- Add more flavor: Mix in taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, fresh chives, garlic powder, or ranch seasoning.
- Add vegetables: Stir in shredded carrots, diced olives, green peppers, or spinach.
- Change the dipping sauce: Serve with ranch, blue cheese dressing, marinara sauce, or buffalo ranch.
- Make them cheesy: Add extra cheese to the filling or sprinkle some on top before baking.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
These buffalo chicken pinwheels come together in six simple steps. Don't let the rolling fool you-this recipe is beginner-friendly and perfect for busy days.
Step 1: Prepare the pan and filling. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan or 12-cup standard muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, 1 cup cheddar cheese, celery, green onions, and ranch dressing until evenly mixed.
Step 2: Roll out the dough and add filling. Unroll the crescent dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press the seams together to form one large rectangle. Spread the buffalo chicken mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
Step 3: Roll and slice. Starting with the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice into 6 large pinwheels or 12 smaller pinwheels, depending on the size of your muffin pan.
Step 4: Bake. Place each pinwheel into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Step 5: Finish with cheese. Sprinkle a little extra cheddar cheese over a few warm pinwheels if desired.
Step 6: Finish and serve. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Expert Tips
- Use rotisserie chicken: It saves time and adds great flavor.
- Soften the cream cheese: Softened cream cheese blends more easily into the filling.
- Roll tightly: A tight roll helps the pinwheels hold their shape while baking.
- Don't overfill: Too much filling can make rolling difficult and cause leaks.
- Press the seams together: This prevents the dough from separating as it bakes.
- Slice evenly: Similar-sized pinwheels bake more consistently.
- Watch the baking time: Crescent dough can brown quickly near the end of baking.
- Cool briefly before serving: This helps the filling set and makes handling easier.
- Customize the spice level: Add more or less buffalo sauce to suit your taste.
- Serve with dipping sauce: Ranch and blue cheese dressing are classic pairings.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy slow cooker buffalo chicken meatballs.
Storage Directions
Refrigerator: Store cooled pinwheels in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze baked pinwheels in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Warm in a 325°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave briefly until heated through.
Make Ahead: Assemble the pinwheels up to 24 hours in advance, cover, refrigerate, and bake when ready.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with dipping sauces: Ranch dressing, buttermilk ranch dressing, cottage cheese ranch dip, creamy blue cheese dip, quick blue cheese dip, buffalo ranch, or marinara sauce.
- Pair with vegetables: Celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and bell peppers complement the buffalo flavor.
- Add to a party spread: Serve alongside wings, buffalo chicken thighs, sliders, dips, and other finger foods.
- Make it a meal: Pair with soup, salad, or roasted vegetables for lunch or dinner.
- Perfect for game day: Add them to appetizer trays and snack boards with chips and dips.
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels Recipe FAQs
Yes. Omit the buffalo sauce for cheesy chicken pinwheels with a milder flavor.
Roll the dough tightly, press the seams together, and chill the rolled log briefly before slicing if needed.
The dough should be golden brown and fully cooked, and the filling should be hot throughout.
Yes! Pizza dough creates a heartier, chewier pinwheel with a more bread-like texture. Bake the pinwheels at 400°F for 22 to 28 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and fully cooked through. If the tops begin browning too quickly, loosely cover them with foil while they finish baking.
Video
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
Do you love buffalo chicken? Here are some delicious buffalo chicken recipes you may also enjoy trying.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Equipment
- muffin pan - 6 holes or 12
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese or ½ brick of cream cheese softened
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 2 tablespoons Buffalo wing hot sauce
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, ½ inside and ½ on top
- ¼ cup celery, diced
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dough
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, chicken, buffalo sauce, 1 cup cheddar cheese, celery, green onions, and ranch dressing until fully mixed.
- Open the crescent dough and unroll it onto a lightly floured surface. Press the seams together and gently roll into a large rectangle.
- Spread the buffalo chicken mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice into 6 large pinwheels or 12 smaller pinwheels, about 1 inch thick.
- Place each pinwheel into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Sprinkle a little extra cheddar cheese over a few warm pinwheels if desired. Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
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