When I am craving something delicious that is spicy with a touch of sweetness, I turn to these Buffalo Chicken Rice Paper Wraps. All the flavor of Buffalo chicken wings with no messy fingers!
Of course we all know that buffalo chicken wings got their name from the city of Buffalo, NY. There is some debate about who actually created the very first version, but one thing is sure, they are typically made with a simple blend of cayenne pepper hot sauce and butter. Because I like a little touch of sweet to balance the hot and savory flavors, I have added a little brown sugar to my sauce. If you are a real traditionalist, feel free to leave it out.
Rice Paper Wrappers in packaging.
Stuffed with boneless chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy Buffalo sauce along with celery sticks, you get all the flavor and texture of buffalo wings while keeping your hands clean. And there is a blue cheese sauce for dipping!
Line up your fillings and roll up like a burrito, folding in the two ends to contain everything as you tightly roll each one.
One shortcut that will save you time is to buy a bottle of blue cheese dressing (watch for gluten ingredients) such as Ken’s Steak House, Marie’s, or Wishbone instead of making your own. All three of these are gluten-free as of the writing of this article.
One of my all-time favorite appetizers, wonderfully messy and truly finger-licking good, traditional chicken wings are also full of calories. But you don’t have to deep-fry them; these wraps have all the flavors of traditional Buffalo wings but without the frying and extra fat.
By using chicken breasts or tenders and sauteing instead of deep-frying them, you greatly reduce the calories and keeps them gluten-free. Wrapping them in rice papers makes them very easy to serve and eat.
While regular spring roll wrappers or wonton wrappers are made with flour, rice paper wrappers are gluten-free! And I love that they are translucent so you can see the filling inside.
When rolling the wrappers, be sure to keep the wrapper snug against the filling. And after one roll, fold the sides in like a burrito and keep rolling until the end of the wrapper is reached.
If you are gluten-free Tabasco, Pickapeppa, and Cholula hot sauces are safe options. Frank’s and Louisiana Hot Sauce are not guaranteed gluten-free. Watch out for vinegar made from grains if you or your guests are Celiac. Other locally made hot sauces may work for you, but be sure to carefully read the labels and contact the manufacturer if you have any questions.
If you make these ahead, put them on a large platter so they don’t touch (they will stick to each other) top with a moist towel, and wrap in plastic before refrigerating. Bring out about 30 minutes ahead of serving time to warm up.
The next time you are throwing a party or having people over for game day and want a fun and spicy appetizer, give these Buffalo Chicken Rice Paper Wraps a try. They have all of the flavor of Buffalo wings without the calories and mess. The Artist and I love them and hope you do too!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Buffalo Chicken Rice Paper Wraps:
- Blue Cheese Sauce: blue cheese, milk, sour cream, black pepper
- Buffalo Sauce: butter, hot sauce, salt, brown sugar, lime juice
- Chicken Strips & Wraps: boneless chicken breasts or tenders, celery strips, rice paper wrappers, parsley, green onions
PRO Tip:
If you don’t want the sweet heat of this sauce, you can use a regular buffalo sauce in its place or just leave out the brown sugar. I like the counterpoint of sweet and spicy, so these are great for my palate, but make whatever is best for your family and friends.
PRO Tip:
Do not let the rice paper rolls sit at room temperature longer than two hours to be safe. If you are serving these on a hot day, place them on a platter or plate which is set into a larger bowl filled with ice. This will keep them in the safe temperature zone longer.
How to make Buffalo Chicken Rice Paper Wraps:
- Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce: Microwave the cheese and milk in 10-second bursts, stirring after each, until the cheese is melted. Whisk in the sour cream and pepper until smooth and creamy. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle a few crumbles of cheese on top if desired. Cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before serving.
- Buffalo Sauce: Melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the hot sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Cook, whisking, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool while you cook the chicken.
- Chicken: Cut the chicken into slender strips and pat dry. Sauté in a little oil over medium heat until there is no pink in the center and they are golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. The chicken will register 165°F (74°C) on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat and add some of the hot sauce. Toss the chicken until completely coated. Set aside to cool a bit.
- Assemble the Rolls: Pour warm water into a shallow dish like a pie plate. Working with one wrapper at a time, dip it into the water for about 5 seconds or until it starts to soften, then place smooth side down on a smooth surface. Arrange celery sticks about 1/3 of the way up the wrapper in a line and top with 1 to 2 chicken strips.
- Make one full turn, then fold the two sides in and keep everything tight as you roll the rest of the way. Slice each one diagonally in half with a sharp knife and serve with the blue cheese dipping sauce. You can also drizzle with a little of the extra Buffalo sauce and serve it on the side if you like. Serve at room temperature.
PRO Tip:
When you need to squeeze citrus for juice, microwave the fruit for 5 to 10 seconds before rolling it on the counter while you press down on it with your palm. Then slice in half and use a reamer to squeeze out the juice. This helps get you more juice more easily.
PRO Tip:
If you prefer a crunchy coating on your chicken strips, you can use baking powder and salt as directed in this recipe from Recipe Tin Eats. The recipe will still be gluten-free, just crispier!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
Gluten-Free Tips:
* While most blue cheese is gluten-free, sometimes the mold spores added to the milk mixture to make blue cheese are grown on rye or wheat bread. The cheese rarely contains more than 20 ppm of gluten. Check with the manufacturer to be safe.
** The only part of the Buffalo sauce you have to watch out for is the hot sauce. Most varieties are naturally gluten-free, but it is always better to be safe than sorry so be sure to read the labels carefully. I like gluten-free Tabasco, Pickapeppa, and Cholula hot sauces which are safe options for those with Celiac or gluten intolerance.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Buffalo Chicken Rice Paper Wraps (Gluten Free)
These Buffalo Chicken Rice Paper Wraps have all the flavor of Buffalo chicken wings except they are boneless and in a wrap that you dip into the blue cheese sauce. Tidier and neater to eat, these will leave you begging for more!
Ingredients
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce*
- 2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese*
- 2 tsp milk, as needed, optional
- 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Extra blue cheese crumbles, for garnishing, optional*
Buffalo Sauce **
- 2 sticks (1 cup; 227g) butter, cut into cubes
- 2/3 cup (about 76g) hot sauce** such as Tabasco, Pickapeppa, or Cholula Hot Sauce (all are gluten-free), or to taste
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 to 5 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
- About 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
Chicken Strips and Assembly
- 3 boneless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lb; 680g), sliced thinly lengthwise into strips
- 10 to 20 slender celery sticks (1 to 2 per roll) about the same length as the chicken strips
- 8 to 10 (8-inch; 22 cm) rice paper wrappers
- Chopped green onions, optional
- Chopped parsley, for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Make the Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce: Place the cheese and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 10-second bursts, stirring between each heating, until the cheese is melted. Whisk until smooth. Add the sour cream and black pepper, whisking until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle a few crumbles of the cheese on the top or a couple grinds of pepper if desired. If making this ahead, cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before serving.
- Prepare the Buffalo Sauce: In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the hot sauce, salt, sugar, and lime or lemon juice. Cook, whisking, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Taste and add more hot sauce or sugar if desired. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly while you prepare the chicken.
- Cook the Chicken: Cut the chicken into slender strips and place in a skillet with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté on all sides over medium heat until there is no pink in the center, about 3 to 4 minutes and the surfaces are golden. The chicken will register 165°F (74°C) in the center when done. Remove the pan from the heat. Add about half of the Buffalo sauce to the pan and toss the chicken until completely coated. Set aside to cool a bit.
- Assemble the Rolls: Put some warm water in the bottom of a pie plate or large shallow bowl. Working with one wrapper at a time, dip into the water for about 5 seconds, just until it starts to soften, being sure to get the entire surface beneath the water. And then put it flat on a smooth surface, smooth side down. Arrange two or three slender celery sticks in the center of the paper, and top with one to two chicken strips, arranged in a line (see photo in the post) about 1/3 of the way from the edge closest to you so you have plenty of paper to wrap the filling.
- Roll up the chicken and celery like you would a burrito, making one full turn then tucking in the two sides. Keep everything nice and tight as you continue to roll.
- To Serve: Slice the rolls diagonally in half with a very sharp knife, and serve with the blue cheese dip. You can also drizzle with a little of the extra Buffalo sauce and serve it on the side if you like. Be sure the rolls don’t touch each other because they will stick together.
- These are best served as soon as you make them, but if you want you can make these up to a few hours ahead. Put them on a plate so that they don't touch each other (the wrappers will stick to each other) and cover with a damp paper towel. Cover the cloth with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated. Return to room temperature before serving.
- Do not let the rolls sit at room temperature longer than two hours to be safe. If you are serving these on a hot day, place them in a bowl which is set into a larger bowl filled with ice. This will keep them in the safe temperature zone much longer.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* While most blue cheese is gluten-free, the mold spores added to the milk mixture to make blue cheese are occasionally grown on rye or wheat bread. The cheese rarely contains more than 20 ppm of gluten. Check with the manufacturer to be
safe.
** The ingredient in the Buffalo sauce you have to watch out for possible gluten is the hot sauce. Most varieties are naturally gluten-free, but it is always better to be safe than sorry so be sure to read the labels carefully. Watch out for vinegar made from grains! These brands are safe for you to consume … such as Tabasco, Pickapeppa, or Cholula hot sauces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 426Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 792mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 4gSugar: 43gProtein: 34g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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