Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels | Hot or Cold!
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These buffalo chicken pinwheels have cream cheese, cheddar, optional blue cheese, ranch seasoning, and you can make them two ways! I like to bake them up in puff pastry for a rich and flaky appetizer. But you can also wrap the filling in tortillas for an easy, no-cook party snack. These pinwheels are amazing for get togethers, game day, tailgating, & more!
Very slowly but kind of surely, I am peeling myself off the couch to begin the post-holiday recovery process. That is, drinking a gallon of water, eating some kale, and thinking about taking down the Christmas tree. And how convenient that post-holiday recovery coincides perfectly with Super Bowl preparations?
I know that the Super Bowl is technically about football, but it’s also my Super Bowl in terms of snacks. I’ve literally been collecting football food recipes ever since I was in culinary school and made my first batch of fried cheese curds. And now I’ve created all kinds of football recipes like these uber cheesy loaded waffle fries or this addictive spicy ranch snack mix. Of course, we can’t forget about my garlic butter chicken wings which are pretty much famous around here.
These pinwheels basically taste like the classic wings you know and love but in a carby, bite-sized package. You can make them hot or cold – I personally like the puff pastry version cause I just can’t resist those flaky layers. But my husband likes them cold, so do with that what you will.
Also, if you have leftovers, make sure to try my slow cooker buffalo chicken dip. It’s literally the easiest – just dump everything in a slow cooker & set a timer. Or, make my buffalo chicken sliders which are basically wings in a handheld package.
Rotisserie or canned chicken
Obviously, you can make your own shredded chicken for this recipe. But I love a good shortcut. I typically use chopped up rotisserie chicken – just make sure to remove the skin and bones. You can also use canned chicken if you like! The point is, you want it to be cooked.
Other than chicken, grab some cream cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, and chives or green onions. If you’re making baked pinwheels, make sure you have a package of puff pastry and an egg. For no-cook, use burrito size flour tortillas.
Use freshly-shredded cheddar cheese and freshly-crumbled blue cheese, please and thank you. Pre-shredded will make the filling grainy and weird.
Make the filling
I like to use a stand mixer or hand mixer for easy mixing. But you can also fold everything together by hand, it’ll just be a little bit of an arm workout.
Bake in puff pastry
The egg wash is totally optional but I like to use it. Just a little egg wash makes the pinwheels extra crispy, shiny, and golden-brown!
Or wrap in flour tortillas
A lot of pinwheel recipes have you cover the whole tortilla with filling. But I like to leave the sides filling-free since the ends of the buffalo chicken roll ups usually fall apart once they’re sliced anyways.
Chill before slicing
Don’t skip chilling the pinwheels! Whether you’re using puff pastry or flour tortillas, they’re like, a hundred times easier to slice when they’re cold. If you slice the pinwheels right away, they’ll just get smushed. And as a bonus, chilling gives time for the flavors to meld!
Storing leftovers & make-ahead
Place any leftover pinwheels in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Both of these recipes are also make-ahead friendly!
- Tortilla pinwheels – slice the pinwheels, cover, and chill overnight.
- Puff pastry pinwheels – slice the puff pastry logs, line the pinwheels on a sheet pan, cover, and chill overnight. Right before serving, brush them with egg wash and bake until golden-brown.
Reheating tips
The baked pinwheels will lose their crispiness in the fridge. But you can totally refresh them in the oven or air fryer! Just reheat leftovers at 350°F (177°C) for 5-6 minutes.
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Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels with Puff Pastry or Tortillas!
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Filling
- 226 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened (8 ounces)
- 75 grams freshly-shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)
- 30 grams freshly-crumbled blue cheese, optional – see notes (1/4 cup)
- 80 grams buffalo wing sauce, I like Frank's (1/3 cup)
- 12 grams homemade ranch seasoning or store-bought (1 1/2 Tablespoons)
- 12 grams freshly-snipped chives or green onions (2 Tablespoons)
- 250 grams shredded cooked chicken (2 cups)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing, for serving
Baked Pinwheels
- 520 grams puff pastry, preferably all-butter, thawed (2 sheets)
- 1 egg
No-Bake Pinwheels
- 4 burrito size flour tortillas
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer (optional)
- Bread knife
Instructions
Buffalo Chicken Filling
- Combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, chives (or green onions), and chicken in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the filling until it's well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl every once in a while. (Alternatively, you can mix everything together by hand with a rubber spatula.) Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
Baked Pinwheels
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Roll one sheet of puff pastry into a 10×12-inch rectangle. Spread half of the buffalo chicken filling over the puff pastry sheet all the way to the edges. Starting with the long end towards you, tightly roll the puff pastry into a long log, sealing the edge well. Repeat with the remaining filling and sheet of puff pastry.
- Place the logs on a sheet pan, cover, and freeze for 20-30 minutes or refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Once they're chilled, use a sharp knife to cut the logs into 1/2-inch slices, about 20-22 pinwheels each. Line the pinwheels 2-3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Refrigerate any remaining pinwheels for later.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 Tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the pinwheels with the egg wash. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the pinwheels are crisp and golden-brown. Repeat with the remaining pinwheels. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
No-Bake Pinwheels
- Divide the buffalo chicken filling between the 4 flour tortillas. Spread the filling evenly over each tortilla, until it's about 1/4-inch thick.
- Starting at the bottom, roll each tortilla tightly into a long log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap or parchment paper to help them hold their shape. Then, refrigerate the pinwheels for 2 hours or overnight.
- Once the pinwheels are chilled, unwrap them. Using a bread knife, slice each log into 1/2-3/4-inch pinwheels. You should get between 11-12 pinwheels per log. Serve at room temperature with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
