Recipes

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

There is one key way we think many Buffalo chicken pizza recipes fall a little bit short, and that is the sauce. This recipe has a secret weapon – a creamy base made with (unsweetened) whipped cream. The high heat of the pizza oven quickly transforms the whipped cream into a thickened sauce that melds beautifully with the mild blue cheese flavor. This creates the perfect base for the hot sauce and spiced and grilled chicken.

By Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Serves Yields 1 10-inch pizza
Image of Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
Directions

Ingredients
  • 1 10-ounce Two Hearted Ale Whole Wheat Pizza Dough ball
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Olive oil
  • 1 small chicken breast
  • 4 teaspoons hot sauce, plus more to drizzle on the finished pizza (we used Blis Blast)
  • 3/4 cup whipped heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 2 ounces creamy blue cheese (we used a buttermilk Emmi Roth blue cheese)
  • 1/2 green onion, light green and green parts only, sliced
  • 1/2 cup celery greens and the skinniest stems, chopped
Directions

Prepare the grill for direct grilling over high heat.

Combine cayenne, paprika, sugar and salt to create the seasoning blend for the chicken. Pound the chicken breast out to a uniform half-inch thickness (palliard). Lightly brush with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle the seasoning blend onto the chicken (use it all).

Grill over high heat until cooked through, turning once, about 8 minutes total cooking time. Remove from the grill, slice, and toss in a bowl with the hot sauce.

Fold the celery seed into the whipped heavy cream.

Working on a lightly floured surface (we use Caputo ’00 flour), form the dough ball into a 10-inch pizza. Spread the whipped cream evenly onto the dough. Distribute the blue cheese, followed by the chicken and green onion.

Place the pizza on a pizza peel and transfer to the oven or grill.  Cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely browned.

Cooking in a hot pizza oven will take less than 3 minutes. Cooking in a conventional oven at 500⁰F, or on a grill, will require closer to 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Drizzle on a little more hot sauce and then top with chopped fresh celery greens.