Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
These Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels are the perfect bite-sized appetizer; they are creamy, spicy, and packed with the classic buffalo flavor. They come together fast, can be made ahead, and disappear even faster!
If you love buffalo chicken dip, you’re going to be obsessed with these buffalo chicken pinwheels. They take everything you love about that bold, tangy flavor and wrap it up into manageable, grab-and-go bites.
They’re a go-to for game day, parties, potlucks, or any time you want a simple snack that guests can grab and enjoy. Just like my Roasted Red Pepper Dip or my Bruschetta Dip, they will be a crowd favorite.
I’ve been making these buffalo chicken pinwheels for years because they’re reliable, flavorful, and easy to prep ahead of time for entertaining. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal effort, these pinwheels become the star of any spread.
Why Make this Recipe
- Easy to Make Ahead: Whether you’re in a pinch or don’t want to feel rushed, these buffalo chicken pinwheels are just what you need for a quick, effortless recipe. Because of their simple ingredients and how fast you can make them, these pinwheels are the best when it comes to busy days or last-minute gatherings, just like my Stuffed Celery recipe.
- Crowd-Pleasing Flavor: The smooth and zesty buffalo flavor is wrapped in soft tortillas for a satisfying bite that fans of classic buffalo dishes will love.
- Great for Making Ahead: You can assemble these pinwheels hours in advance, refrigerate them, and slice right before serving for stress-free hosting. Another fantastic make-ahead recipe is my 5 Minute Cottage Cheese Dip.
Key Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the tasty glue that holds everything together, giving these buffalo chicken pinwheels that filling, creamy texture I absolutely love. I prefer full-fat cream cheese for the thickest filling, but you can also use light cream cheese for something a little thinner. If you’re a fan of cream cheese, you have to try my Cream Cheese Salsa Dip!
- Buffalo Sauce: You can’t have buffalo chicken pinwheels without buffalo sauce. I used store bought buffalo sauce for the easiest addition, though you can also make your own using this recipe.
- Shredded Chicken: Shredding the chicken allows the chicken to blend smoothly into the rich filling, ensuring every bite has the perfect balance of chicken and buffalo flavors. You can use any leftover chicken to make my White Bean Chicken Chili.
- Flour Tortillas: Use soft, sturdy flour tortillas for the best results. Thinner or low-carb tortillas tend to crack or tear, making rolling difficult and causing the filling to squeeze out. Make sure you buy bigger tortillas, so you have more to work with when rolling them up.
- Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing: These dressings offer your guests a “choose your own adventure” option for their appetizer. They can customize each bite, helping balance the heat from the buffalo sauce while still enjoying the tangy flavor. All you need to do is pour some dressing on your plate and dip away with the pinwheel.
Tools
- Serving Dish
- Electric Mixer
- Mixing Bowl
Variations
There are plenty of ways to mix up this recipe and make it your own. One simple way is to add different cheeses. Mess around with other flavors to find what you like best.
Adding bacon is another variation that I absolutely love. Its smoky flavor blends beautifully with the tangy buffalo sauce. Add a handful of chopped bacon bits and prepare to be amazed.
How to Make this Recipe
Step One: Beat the cream cheese, buffalo sauce, cheeses, and green onions in a large bowl until smooth.
Step Two: Stir in the celery and chicken.
Step Three: Spread about ¾ cup of the mixture over each tortilla and roll them up tightly.
Step Four: Wrap the rolls in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up.
Step Five: Cut into 1-inch pieces and arrange on a platter.
Expert Tips
- Totally optional, but for a crunchier pinwheel, place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, until warm and a little toasty. So good!! Make sure they are fully refrigerated before baking, or your cream cheese might leak out.
- Use softened cream cheese, so it spreads more easily. Set it out on the counter about an hour before you plan to cook your pinwheels, and you should be good to go!
- Don’t overfill the tortillas, or else it will be hard to roll and make a big mess.
Recipe FAQs
Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. The edges may soften slightly over time.
Make sure the chicken and celery are dry, and don’t add extra liquid to the filling. Chilling before slicing also helps firm everything up.
Yup! You can prepare the rolls up to a day in advance, wrap them tightly, and slice just before serving.
Were these buffalo chicken pinwheels a huge hit? If so, try out these recipes at your next party…you’re going to love them.
If you tried this Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, optional
- 5 green onions, sliced
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- 3 cups shredded chicken, cooked
- 5 large flour tortillas, 10-inch
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for dipping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to combine the softened 8 oz cream cheese, ½ cup buffalo sauce, ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (if using), and 5 green onions until smooth.
- Stir in ½ cup finely diced celery and 3 cups shredded chicken until evenly coated.
- Spread about ¾ cup of the mixture evenly over each tortilla, all the way to the edges. Roll each tortilla tightly into a log.
- Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. This helps them firm up for cleaner slicing
- Slice each roll into 1-inch rounds. Arrange on a platter to serve, and enjoy!
- Optional: Place the pinwheels on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, until warm and a little toasty. So good!! Make sure they are fully refrigerated before baking or your cream cheese might leak out while baking.
Video
Notes
- Cream Cheese: I prefer full-fat cream cheese for the thickest filling, but you can also use light cream cheese for something a little thinner.
- Buffalo Sauce: I used store bought buffalo sauce for the easiest addition, though you can also make your own using this recipe.
- Flour Tortillas: Make sure you buy bigger tortillas, so you have more to work with when rolling them up.
- Totally optional, but for a crunchier pinwheel, place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, until warm and a little toasty. So good!! Make sure they are fully refrigerated before baking, or your cream cheese might leak out.
- Use softened cream cheese, so it spreads more easily. Set it out on the counter about an hour before you plan to cook your pinwheels, and you should be good to go!
- Don’t overfill the tortillas, or else it will be hard to roll and make a big mess.
