20-Minute Bake Buffalo Chicken Cups 

These baked buffalo chicken-filled cups are the perfect bite-size appetizer idea! Ready in 20 minutes, they’re made with tortilla chip scoops, cooked shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, and homemade buffalo sauce (or store-bought buffalo sauce). Top with sour cream and green onion, and serve! 

If you like baked Buffalo chicken wings, you’ll love these baked Buffalo chicken bites. The easiest appetizer you’ll ever make, even easier than pizza bites. They have such a quick prep time they’ll be done well before your oven is even preheated. They are a great finger food idea for a party. I’m always on the lookout for easy appetizer ideas.

Just stir together three ingredients and spoon into tortilla scoops, bake, then top with sour cream and green onions. No one can resist the warm, fresh-from-the-oven taste. Make a big platter to feed a crowd for your next game-day get-together or holiday party and add some candied pecans, cheese crispies or spicy nuts.

Since baked Buffalo wings and pan fried Buffalo shrimp are always a big hit at parties, I love to experiment with other buffalo sauce recipes. This Buffalo chicken appetizer idea is a quick and simple alternative to fried chicken wings. They have all the bold Buffalo flavor but there’s no need for deep frying. That means no oil splatters and no smelly kitchen. Plus baked appetizers are lighter and healthier. 

If you love Buffalo flavor, try a Buffalo chicken dip and Buffalo chicken tater tot casserole, two more recipes featuring this popular sauce. If you need another spicy snack to go with these, try some spicy roasted nuts, that you can make in just a few minutes on the stove.

What is Buffalo sauce?

Traditional Buffalo sauce is a mixture of butter, vinegar, and hot sauce. The butter makes the sauce thicker and richer than regular hot sauce. Sometimes other ingredients like brown sugar, cayenne pepper or garlic powder are added for more flavor. 

You can buy pre-made buffalo sauce, or try my easy from-scratch Buffalo sauce. With only five ingredients, it takes just a few minutes to stir together and heat. It’s great because when you make it from scratch you can control the spice level depending on your preference. 

Why you’ll love tortilla chip cup appetizers

• Easy instructions and only six ingredients 
• Total time is less than 20 minutes
• The slightly spicy, creamy filling is delicious with crunchy chips
• No forks required for these one-bite appetizers 
• Big Buffalo chicken flavor without the mess of wings

What you’ll need for these game day appetizers

Chicken – cooked chicken breasts or use a rotisserie chicken to save time

Cheese – choose from mild, sharp or extra sharp cheddar

Buffalo sauce – make your own or use your favorite, like Frank’s Red Hot. If making your own, you’ll need brown sugar, butter, vinegar, Frank’s Red Hot and one other hot sauce.

Chips – tortilla scoops are the perfect size to hold the chicken filling

Sour cream – You can use low fat or regular or substitute greek yogurt

Green onions – sliced green onions add a fresh, bright flavor

How to make baked chicken bites

Start by preheating the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Step 2 – mix the filling 

Stir together the chicken, cheese and buffalo sauce in a medium bowl. Make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Pro tip: To make these ahead of time, combine the filling ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before scooping into chips and baking.

Step 3 – fill the chips

Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to fill 40 tortilla scoops. You’ll use about 1 tablespoon per chip. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top if you’d like.

Step 4 – bake

Bake the bites for 8 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the filling is warmed through. If you’re cooking for a crowd, bake them in batches and allow them to cool for a few minutes before serving. Top each bite with sour cream and green onions. You could also add a dash of paprika for extra color.

The best game day appetizers to serve with your Buffalo bites

A batch of homemade Chex mix never goes out of style

Creamy white queso is everyone’s favorite dipping sauce

The best sour cream and onion dip with sweet caramelized onions

When you need quick and easy, try a layered shrimp dip

Prosciutto pinwheels feature flaky crust with a salty, savory filling

Buffalo chicken cups FAQs and tips

Why is it called buffalo chicken?

Contrary to its name, buffalo chicken does not contain any bison. The spicy sauce is named after the town where it was first served: Buffalo, New York.

What goes with buffalo chicken bites?

Serve them with celery sticks and homemade ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping. They also pair well with any other game day appetizer, like sausage balls and stuffed peppers.

Is buffalo chicken very spicy?

Traditional buffalo chicken wings are cooked and then coated with hot  sauce which can be very spicy.  If you make your own buffalo sauce it’s easy to control the spice level from mild to extra hot.

What side dishes go with Buffalo Chicken?

To offset the heat from the spicy Buffalo sauce, look for creamy foods like mac and cheese, or cream cheese crescent rolls. I’ve created an extensive list for what to serve with Buffalo Chicken where you can get even more ideas.

More easy appetizer ideas

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.