The perfect snack, lunch or dinner for hosting company, these buffalo chicken sloppy joes are as easy as they are DELICIOUS. Cook up your ground chicken with the usual suspects plus some surprise flavours like buffalo sauce, and pile it on to your butter garlic buns. Garnishes always elevate a simple dish like this to me, and I served these up hot with pickles and red onion, and ranch and blue cheese crumbles are also great on them.
Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 10 sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken Filling
2-3 tbs olive oil
1 lb ground ground chicken
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 small onion, finely minced or grated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp honey
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs white vinegar
2 tbs tomato paste
1 cup water
1/3 cup buffalo sauce (adjust according to your spice level)
1 tbs butter
For the Buns
10 small ciabatta buns, split in half
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
150 g mozzarella cheese
To Garnish
Minced red onions
Sliced dill pickles
Bleu cheese crumbles
Ranch or bleu cheese dressing
DIRECTIONS
In a large pan, add oil and heat over medium high. Once hot, add the onions and carrot; sauté for 4-5 mins till translucent then add chicken dried spices and salt. Break up the chicken with a spatula, and sauté till the chicken is cooked and starting to brown, 8-10 mins. Add the garlic and honey, and sauté another 2 mins before adding the Worcestershire, vinegar, tomato paste, water and buffalo sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 mins then stir in butter; remove from heat and aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. On a large baking tray lined with parchment or foil, lay out the split ciabatta buns, inside facing up. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder and dried parsley. Mix and use a pastry brush to brush on to each bun.
Bake for 5 mins, then remove from oven and place divide mozzarella cheese on one side of each bun. Bake an additional 5 mins, then broil for 1-2 mins to melt the cheese (keep a close eye on the buns as they broil so that they do not burn)
To arrange the buns, divide the buffalo chicken mixture evenly between the buns. Top with red onions, pickles, bleu cheese, and ranch/bleu cheese dressing. Close your sandwiches and enjoy.