Easy Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza

If you like buffalo chicken wings, I think you’re going to like this Buffalo Chicken Pizza. We take the same flavors, but reinvent them into pizza form.

I don’t like overly spicy things but I have quite the collection of buffalo sauce recipes like my popular crockpot buffalo chicken dip and buffalo cauliflower bites.

What is Buffalo Chicken pizza made of?

Instead of the regular tomato sauce you’d find on most pizzas, Buffalo Chicken Pizza has a spicy buffalo sauce.

If you’re not familiar, buffalo sauce is a toned down version of hot sauce. Here, we make a homemade buffalo sauce out of hot sauce, brown sugar, and butter, and toss shredded chicken in it.

If you happen to have some leftover cooked chicken, you’ll save yourself even more time and this is a great way to use it up.

Then, we pile on shredded cheese and blue cheese crumbles (I get it, not everyone likes tangy blue cheese – you can skip it if you don’t care for it) and bake it.

Finish it off with a drizzle of cool ranch dressing and you have the perfect balance of flavors.

Equipment you’ll need

• Baking Sheet – Because we’re keeping it simple, you don’t need a fancy pizza stone or even a pizza pan, you’ll roll the dough out into a rectangle and place it on a cookie sheet.
• Cheese Grater – I highly recommend shredding your own cheese off the block for the best quality. Packaged cheese has anti-caking agents on it which prevent it from melting nicely.
• Pizza Cutter – A pizza wheel makes cutting slices super easy.

Ingredients

• PIZZA DOUGH – You have some options here. You can use your favorite homemade pizza dough recipe, pick up some fresh pizza dough (Trader Joe’s sells dough balls in the refrigerated section that are really good), or use a tube of store-bought dough (Pillsbury) like I did here.
• HOT SAUCE – I use Frank’s red hot sauce but use your favorite hot sauce.
• BUTTER – I like to use salted butter but unsalted works, too.
• BROWN SUGAR – Light or dark. You’ll use it to balance the heat from the hot sauce.
• CHICKEN – This recipe is a great way to use up some leftover cooked chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken, or just boil a chicken breast and shred it. Check out my instant pot shredded chicken that is great for meal prep.
• CHEESE – Mozzarella cheese works well but so does a cheese blend with cheddar cheese. I’ve even used a Mexican cheese blend when that’s all I had on hand & it’s delicious. Whatever it is, I recommend grating it yourself for the best melt. I also add blue cheese crumbles for extra flavor. You can skip it if it’s isn’t your thing.
• OPTIONAL TOPPINGS – I like to brush the crust with some olive oil and garlic powder for added flavor. You can also have ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing ready before serving to drizzle over the top. If you like onions, chopped green onions go well sprinkled over the top.

How to make Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza

1. STEP ONE: First, roll out the dough. I use a quarter sheet pan so 9×13 is the approximate size the dough should be. If you prefer a circle, you can do a 10-12″ circle on a pizza stone. Pre-bake it in a 500° preheated oven for 4-5 minutes.
   
2. STEP TWO: Then, while the dough is pre-baking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the hot sauce and brown sugar, stirring until fully combined, then add in the shredded chicken and stir to coat.
   
3. STEP THREE: Next, remove the pizza crust from the oven, evenly spread the chicken over the top and then sprinkle on the shredded cheese and blue cheese crumbles. Optionally, brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle on garlic powder for added flavor.
   
4. STEP FOUR: Finally, bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden. Cut into slices & drizzle with ranch dressing before serving.

What to serve with it

Sides

Celery and carrot sticks always go well with buffalo dishes to cut the heat. Plus, it’s nice to get some veggies in.

Desserts

Stick with a classic dessert like brownies or try something different like chocolate espresso caramels or chocolate covered bananas.

Drinks

I have a whole collection of fall cocktail recipes that would pair nicely or a simple ranch water.

How to store leftovers

Leftovers should be stored covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I freeze buffalo chicken pizza?

Yes, but I recommend freezing it before it is baked. Place the unbaked pizza on a baking sheet and move to the freezer until frozen solid. Once frozen, wrap the pizza with plastic wrap and then foil. It will keep in the freezer up to a month.

When you’re ready to bake it, unwrap it, place it on a baking sheet, and bake at 500°, from frozen, for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden.

How to reheat leftover pizza

Have you tried reheating your pizza in an air fryer yet? I highly recommend it for the best results! It comes out good as new. I put a couple slices in at 350° for 4 minutes.

Other options are to place slices in the oven at 350° until heated through or in a skillet on the stovetop, covered, for 5-6 minutes.

Of course the microwave will work, but the other options will give you much better results.

FAQs

How many does it serve?

I slice the sheet pan pizza into 9 fairly generous slices so it will depend on the appetites you’re serving. Alone for dinner, I’d say it serves 3-4 adults. As an appetizer, I’d allow for one slice per person.

Which size pan should I use?

I use a quarter sheet pan, which is 9×13.

🍕Need more pizza recipes? Try these:

Bacon & Spinach Breakfast Pizza

BLT Pizza

Crescent Roll Breakfast Pizza

Click here for my entire collection of dinner recipes.

Originally published September 20, 2012