Sourdough Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

Ever wonder what to do with leftover chicken? Here’s an idea: make the best grilled cheese recipe with chicken, buffalo sauce, and sourdough bread. Our Sourdough Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese is the easiest way to level up your grilled cheese game and use that leftover chicken in the fridge.

Some Background

I came up with this recipe one day for lunch when I was in the mood for a grilled cheese but wanted something more filling and flavorful. After analyzing my options, I decided I could add leftover chicken to my grilled cheese for extra protein. But the chicken was plainly seasoned with salt and pepper, so I needed a sauce for some added flavor. That’s when I turned to my favorite condiment, Frank’s Red Hot.

This idea for an easy buffalo chicken grilled cheese was truly born out of laziness. I was hungry and didn’t want to put in extra effort of making buffalo chicken and adding it to my grilled cheese. So here’s what I did: slapped down some buttered bread on a skillet, added American cheese as usual, threw on the plain chicken, and drizzled a bunch of Frank’s right on top. Then I added my second piece of bread and cooked it like a typical grilled cheese.

I didn’t expect it to be anything special – but it was amazing. I think the fact that it was so quick and easy made this buffalo chicken grilled cheese taste even better than I’d imagined. But the Frank’s really seeps into both the chicken and the cheese as this sandwich cooks, so you’d never even know the chicken wasn’t buffalo-ized before it went into the sandwich. Even better, if you use a high-quality fluffy bread like fresh sourdough, the Frank’s will soak right into that too – for spicy buffalo flavor in every bite of this grilled cheese.

How To Make The Best Sourdough Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

All you need for a delicious and easy buffalo chicken grilled cheese is 5 simple ingredients:

1. Bread
2. Butter
3. White American cheese
4. Chicken
5. Frank’s Red Hot

Since my first take on this recipe, we’ve elevated the ingredients just a bit for a whole lot more flavor. While this grilled cheese still tastes great with white bread and whatever random chicken you have available, here are some tips for achieving the best combination of flavors:

1. Use thick slices of fresh sourdough bread to soak up the butter and Frank’s Red Hot
2. Stick with white American cheese over yellow – it’s milder and lets the Frank’s shine
3. Use leftover grilled or baked chicken that’s been seasoned with salt and pepper
4. Slice the chicken into thin strips so you get an even, single layer of chicken across the whole sandwich

But again, you really can’t go wrong with any version of a buffalo chicken grilled cheese. If you have leftover buffalo chicken in the fridge, use that! Or if you have some other type of bread you need to use up, go for it. Grilled cheese sandwiches are totally customizable – you can always use our recipe below as a starting point for your own cheesy creation.

Here are some suggestions for ways you can customize this grilled cheese sandwich:

• Make it more “classic grilled cheese” by using less chicken and more cheese
• Make it more “buffalo chicken melt” by using less cheese and more chicken
• Use leftover buffalo chicken instead of plain chicken
• Adjust the amount of Frank’s Red Hot to your liking and spice tolerance
• Use sliced white bread (a more convenient option) or experiment with other bakery breads like ciabatta

Whatever you choose, we’re sure your buffalo chicken grilled cheese will be delicious! Try our recipe below and let us know what you think in the comments.