You know how sometimes you get a crazy craving in your head? One that just sounds so good and you can’t get rid of it?.
I’ve always been a cravings based person (except when I was pregnant, weirdly enough!) and that’s never really changed. So when I thought of grilled buffalo chicken sandwiches, I couldn’t get them out of my head.
While we’ve been quarantining, I’ve succeeded at a few things – most notably, making perfect grilled chicken. I don’t know why or how, but after doing it a lot of times, you just know when the chicken is done.
When you grilled it and slather it in buttery hot sauce? Wow. It doesn’t get better.
The other, maybe even more incredible, thing about this sandwich? The gorgonzola slaw. OH YES OH YES.
The gorgonzola slaw is from a recipe in my first cookbook, Seriously Delish. I served it on slow roasted chicken tacos and it’s easily one of my favorite things in the whole book.
So that’s what we have here! Gorgonzola slaw on top of saucy, slightly spicy grilled chicken. Maybe a little blue cheese sauce if you want.
Buffalo chicken has become a beloved dish in America, putting a spicy and tangy spin on good old chicken wings or tenders. Though it may seem like a modern creation, buffalo chicken actually has origins going back over 100 years tied to that most iconic of American animals – the buffalo.
A little history
Buffalo chicken as we know it today was invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. But the city of Buffalo’s history has been intertwined with bison for much longer In fact, the city itself is named after the buffalo that once roamed the area Buffalo, New York was a major hub for the meat packing and tanning industries in the late 1800s thanks to all the buffalo in the region.
The “Buffalo wings” invented at the Anchor Bar used a spicy cayenne pepper hot sauce mixed with butter to coat the fried chicken wings giving them a spicy and buttery flavor. Since buffalo wings were created in Buffalo it only made sense to name them after the city’s iconic animal namesake.
Bringing the buffalo flavor nationwide
Though invented in Buffalo, buffalo chicken has expanded far beyond upstate New York to become a staple across the country. The unique combination of heat and tanginess pairs perfectly with the juicy chicken. Recipes call for buffalo sauce as the key ingredient. This sauce typically contains cayenne pepper and vinegar for that spicy, sour taste.
There are a lot of creative recipes and variations on the simple buffalo chicken wing. Buffalo chicken dip, which is made by mixing diced chicken with creamy cheese and buffalo sauce, is a game day favorite. Buffalo chicken pizza and sandwiches are also popular ways to enjoy this zesty flavor. Even buffalo chicken salads bring the flavor minus the carbs.
Hometown pride
The city of Buffalo remains proud of its creation. Buffalo chicken is a signature dish celebrated throughout the city. Buffalo, New York invites visitors to come enjoy authentic buffalo wings and explore the culinary history. The annual Taste of Buffalo festival in July draws over 800,000 attendees to try food from dozens of vendors.
Buffalo chicken represents a delicious fusion of this city’s history and culture. The spicy kick of today’s buffalo chicken traces back to the bison that once inhabited the plains and waterways around Buffalo. This tasty dish will likely continue evolving but always with that distinctive Buffalo origin.
Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
It is heaven!
This is a quick and easy meal that you can throw together for dinner. You can make the slaw a bit ahead of time and it even keeps well in the fridge for leftovers. There’s a lot of flavor, texture and it’s satisfying too.
You can also slice the chicken and serve it over the slaw, minus the bun!
We’ve got it all covered for dinner now.
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