Chef Tom fires up the Clementi Clementino Wood Fired Oven for some Buffalo Chicken Pizza!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Making the buffalo sauce and ranch dressing before the chicken ever hits the pan means both are ready to drizzle the moment the pizza comes out of the oven
- Whisking the buffalo sauce back together after it cools, rather than worrying about it separating in the pan, saves a step of active monitoring while other components come together
- Spreading a thin layer of hot-sauce-spiked cream cheese under the toppings gives the pizza a creamy, tangy base instead of relying on a traditional tomato or plain cheese layer
- Tossing the shredded chicken in just enough buffalo sauce to coat it, rather than drenching it, keeps the topping from making the crust soggy once it bakes
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
16
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
Calories
711
Experience the savory, smoky flavors of Chef Tom's Buffalo Chicken Pizza recipe, prepared in the Clementi Clementino Wood Fired Oven. Tender chicken and a flavor-packed crust will make this a new favorite recipe.
Ingredients
-
2 pizza dough balls (recipe here)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
-
Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning
- 2-3 oz blue cheese crumbles
- 8 oz cream cheese
-
1 tbsp Cattleman's Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
- 8 oz smoked mozzarella cheese, grated
-
2/3 cup Cattleman's Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp cayenne
-
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
-
Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Pepper, to taste
Buffalo sauce:
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:
Directions
- Build a fire in your Clementi Clementino. Slide the fire off to the side with the fire basket. Continue to feed the fire small splits of wood and stabilize the temperature around 600°F.
- Place a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet in the oven to preheat.
- To make the Buffalo Sauce, combine all ingredients in the hot skillet and return to the oven. Bring to a simmer, then whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Don’t worry about the sauce separating as it cools, it will whisk back together. When cooled, transfer to a squeeze bottle.
- To make the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.
- To make the cream cheese base, combine the room temp cream cheese and 1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce in a bowl and mix well. Transfer to a piping bag or zip top plastic bag.
- Place a Lodge 10.5” Square Grill Pan in the Clementino to preheat.
- Season the chicken thighs with Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All Purpose Seasoning. Grill the chicken in the grill pan until the internal temperature reaches 175°F, flipping to brown both sides. Remove from the oven.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and shred with forks. Add just enough Buffalo Sauce to coat the chicken. Set aside.
- To build the pizzas, stretch each dough ball to 12”-14”. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese base over the dough. Top with half the chicken and half the smoked mozzarella. Top with half the crumbled blue cheese.
- Bake in the Clementino, turning when the crust on the fireside is browned. The pizza is done when all crust is browned (sides and bottom), and the cheese on top is browned and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes cook time.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and finish with a drizzle of the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and a drizzle of Buffalo Sauce.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why make the buffalo sauce and ranch dressing before cooking the chicken?
Building both sauces first means they're fully ready cooled, whisked, and in squeeze bottles the moment the pizza comes out of the oven, rather than scrambling to finish them at the last minute.
Why not worry if the buffalo sauce separates as it cools?
The butter and hot sauce naturally separate slightly once off the heat, but a quick whisk brings it back together. Trying to keep it perfectly emulsified while cooling would be extra, unnecessary effort.
Why spread a hot-sauce cream cheese base under the toppings instead of a traditional pizza sauce?
The cream cheese base gives the pizza a creamy, tangy foundation that ties directly into the buffalo flavor, rather than competing with a separate tomato-based sauce underneath.
Why toss the chicken in just enough buffalo sauce to coat it, rather than drenching it fully?
A light coating adds flavor without oversaturating the topping. Too much sauce mixed into the shredded chicken would make the crust soggy once it bakes.
What internal temperature should the chicken thighs actually reach?
This recipe grills them until they reach 175°F, comfortably above the USDA minimum of 165°F for poultry no correction needed here.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 a home oven with a pizza stone at its highest setting can bake the crust well, and the chicken and sauces all come together on the stovetop; you'll lose some of the wood-fired char from the Clementino.
Recipe Highlights
Made-ahead sauces: Both the buffalo sauce and ranch are ready before the chicken finishes cooking.
Self-repairing buffalo sauce: Whisks back together after cooling with no fuss.
Cream cheese base: Replaces a traditional sauce with a tangy, creamy layer.
Lightly coated chicken: Prevents the crust from turning soggy under the topping.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8.81 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 711
- Carbs
- 56 grams
- Protein
- 29 grams
- Fat
- 42 grams
- Sodium
- 1528 milligrams
