Buffalo wings are downright delicious, but super messy. That's why I tend to incorporate their flavors into other dishes most of the time instead of fussing with chicken wings. And really, what goes better with the flavors of this quintessential pub food than another pub favorite, deep dish pizza? Get ready for some Friday night magic!
This is also a great recipe for using up that one lonely boneless, skinless chicken thigh. I use thighs because they will take the heat this pizza requires to reach perfection. Add in red onion and some chopped tomato over a buffalo-mayo sauce and you're ready for adding some cheese. While blue cheese is traditional, I also like how mozzarella helps tie everything together a bit. And, if you're lucky like me, you'll have access to some smoked blue cheese that will take this pizza to the next level.
What to have with this pizza? Beer. Or cider. Basically, if you would drink it with wings and/or pizza, it will work with this. You could add a side salad, but let's be honest ... a salad isn't why you put this meal together. Make tomorrow a healthy eating day and just enjoy what might be my favorite pan pizza ever.
Buffalo Chicken Pan Pizza
- 1 round of pizza dough (this can be store-bought or homemade - I made mine in my bread machine)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh
- 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
- 1 medium tomato, chopped - I used a yellow tomato
- ⅓ c. mayonnaise
- ⅓ c. buffalo sauce - I used Sweet Baby Rays
- ¼ c. crumbled blue cheese - I used smoked blue cheese
- ½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Make sure your pizza dough is at room temperature or slightly warm. Preheat the oven to 550°F. You can preheat later, but bear in mind that it takes a bit of time for most ovens to reach that temperature.
Pour the olive oil into a cast iron skillet. Rotate the skillet to fully cover the bottom of the skillet. Place the round of pizza dough in the pan and press lightly to cover the bottom of the skillet; cover with plastic wrap while you prepare the toppings.
Cook the chicken in a nonstick skillet - add a bit of olive oil if you are concerned about it sticking to the skillet. When the chicken is nearly browned, remove it to a cutting board and slice into small pieces. Return to the skillet and add the onion; sauté until the onions are slightly softened and the chicken is fully cooked. Add the tomato and remove from the heat.
Remove the plastic wrap from the cast iron skillet and, using your fingers, gently press into the dough to make little divots in the dough and extend the dough at least 1 ½ inches up the side of the skillet. Mix the mayonnaise and buffalo sauce and spread evenly over the dough. Add the chicken, onion, and tomato topping to the top of the crust and generously sprinkle the crumbled and shredded cheese evenly over the crust and toppings.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is perfectly melted. If you find that the bottom of the pizza is not crisp enough, you can put the hot skillet (use oven mitts!) on a stovetop burner over medium heat to crisp it a bit more. A few minutes ought to do it. Allow the pizza to cool another 10-15 minutes before slicing into 8 slices.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes