Description
Buffalo Chicken Pizza Skulls are a fun and flavorful twist on traditional pizza, combining shredded buffalo chicken with a crispy pizza dough crust shaped into skulls. Made with tender instant pot shredded chicken, sautéed vegetables, and a tangy buffalo sauce blend, these savory stuffed pizzas are perfect for game day or a spooky-themed meal. They are baked until golden and served with ranch dressing and fresh celery and carrot sticks for a delightful crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken bone broth
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Buffalo Chicken Stuffing:
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ghee substitute (avocado oil or dairy free butter)
- Instant pot shredded chicken (or rotisserie chicken as alternative)
- 1 8.5 oz bottle buffalo sauce (adjust amount for spice preference)
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/3 cup diced onions
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup diced green onions
- 1/4 cup blue cheese (or dairy free alternative or omit)
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack with Hatch chili or dairy free shredded cheese)
Pizza Dough:
- 1 13.8 oz store-bought pizza dough crust (e.g., Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust; Simple Mills for gluten free option)
Instructions
- Prepare Instant Pot Shredded Chicken: Add the chicken breasts, bone broth, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into the Instant Pot. Set to the poultry setting and cook for 15 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally before opening. Shred the chicken using two forks.
- Make Buffalo Chicken Stuffing: Heat ghee (or avocado oil/dairy free butter) in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables soften. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and diced green onions. Continue to sauté and mix for 5 minutes to combine flavors.
- Prepare Pizza Dough: Slice the store-bought pizza dough in half, then cut each half into 6 strips.
- Assemble Pizza Skulls: Place one dough strip into the center of a skull-shaped pan and press down carefully. Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the buffalo chicken stuffing onto the dough. Sprinkle with blue cheese and shredded cheese on top. Fold the pizza dough over the filling and press the edges carefully to seal.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the assembled pizza skulls in the skull pan for 18-20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
- Serve: Serve the Buffalo Chicken Pizza Skulls hot with ranch dressing, and celery and carrot sticks on the side.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken instead of Instant Pot shredded chicken for a quicker option.
- Adjust the buffalo sauce quantity based on how spicy you want the dish.
- For dairy-free or vegan options, substitute cheeses and butter/ghee with plant-based alternatives.
- Use gluten-free pizza dough if you want a gluten-free version of this recipe.
- Be careful when folding and sealing the dough to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pizza skull (approx. 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
