Description

Saucy, tangy ground chicken and veggies simmered in Frank's RedHot with cream cheese for richness, piled onto buns and finished with blue cheese and crispy fried onions.

Ingredients

The Filling

1 lb ground chicken
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and finely diced (optional — adds crunch)
2 oz cream cheese, cubed

For Serving

6 burger buns
Blue cheese crumbles
Crispy fried onions

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Instructions

Brown the chicken. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Cook the onion and celery. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add carrots and garlic. Add the finely diced carrots and minced garlic to the skillet. Add an additional tablespoon of butter if the pan looks dry. Stir to combine, then cover and cook on medium-low for about 3 minutes, until the carrots begin to soften.
Build the sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the paprika. Stir until the butter is melted and everything is evenly coated.
Add the wing sauce. Pour in the Frank's RedHot and stir to combine. If using water chestnuts, add them now. Let the mixture simmer on medium-low for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together.
Stir in the cream cheese. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce, creating a creamy, tangy filling.
Serve. Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture onto burger buns. Top with blue cheese crumbles or dressing and crispy fried onions.

Notes

Canned water chestnuts: These are optional but add a great light crunch. If you can't find them, skip them.

Cream cheese: Cut it into small cubes so it melts quickly and evenly. Room temperature cream cheese incorporates even faster.

Make it milder: Use less wing sauce (start with ½ cup) and add more cream cheese.

Make it spicier: Add a dash of cayenne with the paprika, or swap in a hotter wing sauce.

Storage: Store the filling (without buns) in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Nutrition Facts: reflects the nutrition of the filling without the bun and toppings

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 273
Sugar: 2.6 g
Sodium: 1330.2 mg
Fat: 21 g
Carbohydrates: 7.7 g
Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 14.6 g
Cholesterol: 104.3 mg