Buffalo Chicken Over a Fire

Fireside Buffalo Chicken

There’s just something about cooking outside that adds a magical touch to everything you make. And this Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese Slaw IS magical. Chicken that’s fire-kissed on the outside, juicy on the inside, then placed on a toasted pretzel roll and loaded with cool and tangy coleslaw. Yes, please!

What You’ll Need

This recipe has three basic parts–the marinated chicken, the slaw, and the buns.

For the chicken, you’ll need:

• your favorite wing sauce
• melted butter
• ketchup
• chicken breast halves

The slaw is easy to make, and is that somethin’-somethin’ that makes this chicken extra special.

For the slaw, you’ll need:

→packaged coleslaw mix

→a Granny Smith apple

→celery

→Gorgonzola cheese

→fresh parsley and green onion

→oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper

Hefty buns are a must here because they need to hold up. Pretzel rolls are ideal, but anything heavy will do the trick. Butter and ranch dressing round out the list of ingredients.

Food Safety Tips

Even if you already know everything there is to know about food safety, it’s always a good idea to brush up on the basics occasionally.

• When taking food away from home, use well-insulated coolers and ice packs to keep foods cold (40° or colder). For “industrial-size” ice packs, freeze a couple of water-filled half-gallon or gallon plastic milk jugs and tuck them into your cooler.
• Wash your hands AND cutting boards thoroughly, immediately after handling raw meat or poultry.
• Serve cooked foods hot. Chill leftovers as soon as the meal is over.

How Hot is Your Cooking Fire?

A rule of thumb is to hold your hand palm-side down above the fire near the height the food will be cooked. The number of seconds you are able to hold your hand there determines approximately how hot it is:

6 seconds ~ low heat (300°)
5 seconds ~ medium-low heat (325°)
4 seconds ~ medium heat (350°)
3 seconds ~ medium-hot heat (375°)
2 seconds ~ hot heat (400°)

Let’s cook!

Buffalo Chicken
with Blue Cheese Slaw

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)

1 Granny Smith apple
2 celery ribs
1 green onion
¼ C. fresh parsley
1 C. packaged coleslaw mix
3 T. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3 T. olive oil
1½ T. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 C. wing sauce
½ C. melted butter
⅓ C. ketchup
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Softened butter
6 hefty buns (like pretzel rolls), split
Ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS

For the slaw, peel and slice the apple. Finely chop the apple, celery, green onion, and parsley. Toss these into a bowl along with the coleslaw mix and cheese; stir to combine. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper; add to the slaw, stir to blend, and chill until serving time.

In a big zippered plastic bag, mix the wing sauce, melted butter, and ketchup; remove ½ cup and set aside for brushing later. Add the chicken to the bag and turn to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes.

To cook, set the chicken on a greased grate over low heat; discard the marinade remaining in the bag. Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 155°, turning to brown both sides. Brush with set-aside marinade, and cook until the internal temp reaches 160°. Remove from the heat and cover with foil for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the temp to reach 165°.

Spread softened butter on the cut sides of the buns and toast on the grate. Set the chicken on the buns; drizzle with ranch dressing and load on the slaw.

Mini Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie

You can use any leftover Buffalo Chicken for a spicy take on pot pie. Cut pie crust circles (bread slices would work, too) to fit in a pie iron; set one crust in greased iron. Add some of the chicken (chopped), some canned mixed veggies (drained), a little diced onion if you’d like, and a couple tablespoons of cream of chicken soup; season to taste. Add a crust circle on top and press edges together; close the iron and cook in warm coals until the crust is golden and flaky.

What’s a Pie Iron?

A pie iron (sometimes called a pudgy pie iron or sandwich toaster) is one of those funky little cooking tools with metal plates at the end of two long handles. Great for cooking  mini meals, sandwiches, snacks, and desserts too. Held in the hot coals of a campfire, a pie iron heats, melts, and toasts ingredients to unbelievable deliciousness.