Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups

I am officially in love with making little appetizers in crispy wonton cups. Recently I took one of my favorite flavors - buffalo chicken - and put it inside of a wonton wrapper. The result was nothing short of amazing. They are perfect for parties, light dinners or watching the big game on t.v.

 

 

You can find these wrappers in different shapes and sizes. There are circle ones and large, square ones.  I buy the small squares. The official name is "won ton wrapper," but most folks blend the word "wonton" together when referencing them. There are forty-eight wrappers in the package that I buy and they run around two dollars for the pack.

These Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups embody everything that I love surrounding the flavors of buffalo chicken. They have just enough of a kick without being overly spicy. You get some creaminess (and coolness) from the cream cheese and bleu cheese dressing.  The melted cheese pretty much binds everything together. And, you have some crunch from the chopped celery and green onions. Oh, and the wontons ... they crisp up beautifully and are a great vehicle to hold everything.

Recipe yields 12 cups.


Ingredients:

Non-stick spray
12 small, square wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (or two small ones), cut into small cubes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 12 chunks or cubes
6 teaspoons bleu cheese dressing (ranch can be used, if preferred)
1 cup (approx.) shredded Colby-Monterrey jack cheese
Celery
Green onions
Additional dressing, for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray the wells of a 12-count muffin tin with non-stick spray.  Press a wonton wrapper into each well.

Bake in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium-to-large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken (seasoned with a little salt and pepper) in the oil until just cooked through - stirring occasionally. Try to make sure that any juices are fully evaporated. Turn heat to low.

Add in butter and allow to fully melt. Turn off heat completely. Stir in the hot sauce to fully coat chicken. Set aside.

Drop a small chunk of cream cheese into the bottom of each wonton cup.

Place a spoonful of the chicken into each cup ... being careful not to get much of the liquid into the cups (you don't want buttery hot sauce pouring out of the cups when you bite into them). A small, slotted spoon works great here.

Add a 1/2 teaspoon of the dressing into each cup on top of the chicken.

Sprinkle a pinch of shredded cheese into each cup.

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until everything is bubbly and the wontons are crisp.

Garnish with chopped celery and/or chopped green onions.  Serve with more dressing for dipping and some celery sticks.

NOTE:  Crumbled bleu cheese is a great topper for these, too.


03/05/17: Updated main photo and made clarifications to post.