Buffalo Chicken Smashed Potato Cups are crispy smashed baby red potatoes filled with buffalo chicken mixed with ranch seasoning, cream cheese, and mozzarella. Baked until bubbly, they make a perfect spicy, cheesy appetizer or game-day snack! I like to serve them with ranch dressing (or blue cheese), extra buffalo sauce, and parsley. It is a recipe I will be adding to my growing list of Buffalo Chicken Recipes, for sure! If you love these smashed potato cups, you will want to try more of my smashed potato recipes like my Garlic Cajun Smashed Potatoes and Smashed Potato Salad, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes: I used baby red potatoes for this recipe. They fit perfectly in the muffin cups because their size and thin skins crisp up nicely when smashed. Yukon golds or fingerlings would also work–just make sure whatever potatoes you use will fit into the muffin tin!
- Chicken: I like using rotisserie chicken for recipes like this because it is already cooked! And, you can sometimes find it already shredded at the grocery store. Then, dice it up into smaller pieces. My shredded chicken recipe or leftover cooked chicken would also work.
- Buffalo Sauce: Make homemade buffalo sauce for the most flavor (and control over how spicy you want it). Store-bought would also work; but, look at the bottles carefully–buffalo sauce is different than hot sauce. Have some extra to serve with the potato cups.
- Ranch Seasoning Mix: You will need 1 packet (about 3 tablespoons) of dry ranch seasoning mix. If you make your own, you will have some mix to make ranch dressing for drizzling over the potato cups!
- Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese helps bind the filling together. Plus, it helps mellow out the spice of the buffalo sauce, balancing the flavors.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella cheese is used in the filling and sprinkled on the tops of the potato cups. If you don’t have mozzarella, you could use cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack, or your favorite cheese.
Easy Make-Ahead Tips For Buffalo Chicken Smashed Potato Cups
You can get a head start on these potato cups a couple of days in advance. First, cook and smash the potatoes. Bake them in the muffin tin. Then, once cool, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. You can also mix the buffalo chicken filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, top the pre-baked smashed potatoes with the prepared buffalo chicken mixture, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, and bake for a few minutes until everything is warm and the cheese is melted.
How To Store Buffalo Chicken Smashed Potato Cups
To store these potato cups, first, let them cool to room temperature. Next, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the potato cups in the oven or microwave.
Can I Freeze Smashed Potato Cups?
Yes, you can freeze these smashed potato cups for longer storage. To freeze the potato cups, first, let them cool completely. Next, arrange the cups onto a baking sheet in a single layer and place them in the freezer for an hour or two. Once frozen, store the buffalo chicken smashed potato cups in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. When ready to serve, place the frozen potato cups on a baking sheet and reheat in the oven at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and crispy again. No need to thaw. This is great for when I need just one or two or the entire bunch!
Buffalo Chicken Smashed Potato Cups
Ingredients
- 12 baby red potatoes, about 1-inch in diameter
- 3 cups (420 g) rotisserie chicken, diced
- ½ cup (122.5 g) buffalo sauce
- 3 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning mix
- 4 ounces (½ package) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (113 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ranch dressing, for drizzling
- extra buffalo sauce, for drizzling
- parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the baby potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender (about 20-25 minutes). Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Place one potato in each cup.
- Using the bottom of a small glass, gently press down on each potato to flatten it and create a well.
- Bake the smashed potatoes in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until crispy.
- While the potatoes are baking, in a large bowl, mix together the chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, cream cheese, ½ cup of mozzarella cheese, and pepper until well combined.
- Once the potatoes are crispy, remove them from the oven. Top each potato with an equal amount of the buffalo chicken mixture (about ¼ cup each potato). Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of each potato.
- Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Drizzle with extra buffalo sauce and ranch or blue cheese dressing. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
I love these! The buffalo sauce gives the perfect kick, and the cream cheese makes the filling super creamy.
Elizabeth
I love everything buffalo chicken, and these were amazing! I loved the filling in the crispy smashed potatoes–what a neat and flavorful idea! But, I will be drizzling blue cheese over my potato cup, not ranch!
Bella
The crispy edges on the smashed potatoes are the best part! I wasn’t sure about the buffalo sauce and potatoes together, but it works really well.
Annabelle
These would be great for a party or for a game-day snack. I think people would really like these, especially if they like buffalo chicken.
Selena
Great texture and flavor combination! The smashed potatoes stay crispy even after baking with the chicken and cheese. I could eat the whole batch!
