Description
This Buffalo Chicken Calzone recipe combines tender shredded chicken tossed in spicy buffalo wing sauce with creamy cheeses, all wrapped in golden, flaky pizza dough. Perfect for game day or a flavorful main course, these calzones are baked to perfection and served with extra buffalo sauce or ranch/blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough and Filling
- 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
For Assembly and Baking
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and to ensure easy cleanup.
- Mix Chicken Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cooked shredded chicken with buffalo wing sauce, softened cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the mixture is evenly blended and creamy.
- Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour your work surface. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece into a circle approximately 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
- Fill Calzones: Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture onto one half of each rolled dough circle, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese evenly over the chicken filling.
- Seal Calzones: Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges together firmly and crimp them with a fork to seal completely, preventing leaks during baking.
- Prepare for Baking: Transfer the sealed calzones to the prepared baking sheet. Brush each calzone’s top with the beaten egg wash for a golden finish, then lightly brush or drizzle with olive oil. Cut a small slit on the top of each calzone to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the calzones are golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and let the calzones cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with extra buffalo wing sauce or your choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping, if desired.
Notes
- For an extra spicy kick, use a hot buffalo wing sauce or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the chicken mixture.
- Leftover rotisserie chicken works great and saves cooking time.
- Make sure to seal the calzones properly to avoid filling leakage during baking.
- Adjust cheese types to your preference or use a blend for varied texture and flavor.
- These calzones can be frozen before baking for easy future meals; just bake from frozen adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
