Buffalo Chicken Cups

I’m all sorts of thrown off this morning with the 4th of July having fallen in the middle of the week. It definitely doesn’t feel like a Thursday, that’s for sure. For those who celebrated, I hope you had a safe and fun holiday! We saw our town’s fireworks on Tuesday night and then had a cookout with friends yesterday followed by some more fireworks (in person and the ones on tv).

I was in charge of desserts for the get-together and went the super simple route. Shane requested dirt pudding – one of his favorites and something I haven’t made in probably over 5 years. I also threw together a blueberry cobbler because I needed to use up some of the berries in my fridge. I wound up loving it, so much that I ate the leftovers for breakfast today (maybe with ice cream on top, but that’ll be our secret). I want to go blueberry picking soon and when I do, I’ll make it again and share the recipe with you guys 🙂

With the gorgeous weather we’ve been having lately, we’ve been doing a ton of grilling, but I still don’t mind turning on the oven occasionally to make dinner (though I’d probably feel differently about that if I didn’t have the a/c blasting). Shane enjoyed the mini taco cups I made a few months ago so much that I was eager to try a different spin on them, and this buffalo chicken variation turned out so well! I love how crispy the wonton wrappers get, and how sturdy they are – none of the breakage that sometimes occurs with hard taco shells. These were pretty hot, definitely on the upper end of what I can handle, so I had a little ranch dressing on the side. We aren’t blue cheese fans, but if you are, it’d be an obvious substitute for the mozzarella we used. There’s really nothing not to like about these – quick, easy and, like most buffalo chicken things, a total crowd-pleaser!

Buffalo Chicken Cups
inspired by Gimme Some Oven, wonton cups from Ellie Krieger, buffalo sauce from this pizza

Wonton Cups
24 wonton wrappers
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
2 medium chicken breasts (about 1 lb total), cooked and shredded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1-2 scallions and/or 2 tablespoons minced red onion (optional garnish)
ranch dressing (optional, for serving)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray your mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (mine has 24 wells-if yours only has 12, you’ll need 2).

Working with a few of the wonton wrappers at a time, lay them on your work surface, and brush both sides with a little of the oil. Press each into one of the wells of the mini muffin tin – the sides will overlap and stick up over the top of the well. Repeat until you’ve brushed all of the wontons and fit each into the pan. Sprinkle the salt evenly among the cups. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the wonton cups are crisp and golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F.

To make the buffalo sauce: add the butter to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Cook until melted, then mix in the hot sauce, brown sugar and cider vinegar. Add the shredded chicken and toss to coat with the sauce.

Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into each wonton wrapper. Top with about 1/2 teaspoon of cheese per cup (you could use more if you wanted, but I left space for other toppings). Place the wonton cups back in the oven for about 7-10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and warm the chicken through. Garnish with sliced scallions and/or red onion and serve with ranch dressing, if desired.

Makes 24 cups