Buffalo Chicken Bacon Mozzarella (Printable)

Crispy buffalo-spiced chicken wrapped around melted mozzarella and smoky bacon

# Ingredient List:

→ Fillings

01 - 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
02 - 3.5 oz cooked bacon, crumbled

→ Chicken Mix

03 - 1 lb ground chicken
04 - 4 fl oz buffalo sauce, divided
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 1 teaspoon paprika
08 - Salt to taste
09 - Black pepper to taste

→ Coating

10 - 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
11 - 2 large eggs, beaten
12 - 3.5 oz panko breadcrumbs

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil or canola oil as needed

# Directions:

01 - Cut mozzarella cheese into bite-sized cubes. Wrap each cube with a portion of crumbled bacon and set aside.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken with 2 fl oz buffalo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly blended.
03 - Take a heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture and flatten in your palm. Place a bacon-wrapped mozzarella cube in the center, then encase it fully with chicken, forming a sealed ball. Repeat with remaining ingredients to create 12 bombs.
04 - Dredge each chicken ball in flour, dip into beaten eggs, then coat thoroughly with panko breadcrumbs.
05 - For frying: Heat oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry bombs in batches for 5–6 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown and cooked through. For baking: Place bombs on a greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 18–20 minutes until crisp and cooked through.
06 - While hot, drizzle or toss the bombs with remaining 2 fl oz buffalo sauce. Garnish with extra bacon crumbles if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Every bite breaks open into a river of melted mozzarella and smoky bacon that somehow tastes better than it sounds.
  • Theyre finger food with serious flavor, spicy enough to wake you up but not so hot you cant go back for more.
  • You can fry them for maximum crunch or bake them if youre pretending to be responsible, and both ways deliver.
  • They disappear faster than you can make them, which means youre a hero at every party.
02 -
  • Seal the chicken completely around the cheese or youll end up with a molten cheese leak in your oil, which smokes and splatters everywhere.
  • Dont overcrowd the pan when frying, the temperature drops and your coating goes limp instead of crispy.
  • Let the bombs rest for a minute after frying before you toss them in sauce, otherwise the coating can slip right off.
03 -
  • Chill the formed bombs in the fridge for 15 minutes before breading, it helps them hold their shape better during cooking.
  • Use a thermometer to check your oil temperature, too hot and the outside burns before the chicken cooks, too cool and they absorb grease and go soggy.
  • Double-coat the bombs by dipping them in egg and panko twice if you want an extra thick, crunchy shell.
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