Buffalo Chicken Panini (with canned chicken)

This Buffalo Chicken Panini uses canned chicken breast for a healthy, quick, and easy lunch or dinner that’s Weight Watchers friendly (see WW points),

Buffalo Chicken Panini Sandwiches are popular all year and pair well with healthy air fryer carrot fries. This easy buffalo chicken sandwich is also ideal for making a day in advance, popping in the lunch bag and heating up in the microwave.

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 📖Variations & Substitutions
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🍽 Equipment
• 👪 SERVING SIZE
• 🔢WW POINTS
• 🥗 Side dishes
• 🌡️Storage
• ⭐ COMMENTS & REVIEWS
•  🥪Buffalo Chicken Panini Recipe (with canned chicken)
• 📋More WW Friendly Lunch Recipes

My 14 year old daughter came up with this recipe idea a couple of years ago. She loves my Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip, made with canned chicken, so she thought that using canned chicken in a buffalo chicken sandwich would work too. Oh did it ever! In fact, it was so good and healthy that I wanted to share it. She really is becoming an excellent little recipe creator (proud mom!)

I decided to make it into a panini because putting anything on a panini press just makes it all warm, melty and so much better...

🥘 Ingredients

Using canned chicken breast is a simple and economical way to make buffalo chicken and no one will ever even suspect it's made with canned chicken! I also added ranch dressing because it's simply superb with buffalo chicken. I discovered this when I created my Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Pizza.

For this buffalo ranch chicken sandwich recipe you'll need:

• rye bread slices
• canned chicken breast
• cucumber
• buffalo sauce *I use Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing sauce
• fat-free or light cream cheese
• ranch salad dressing *I use Litehouse Homestyle Ranch

*see recipe card for quantities

 

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Ranch Dressing- you can use any brand you like, but my favorite is Litehouse Homestyle Ranch. You could use fat-free or light to reduce WW points. Or you could use blue cheese dressing instead.
• Chicken- you can use cooked shredded chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken instead
• Bread- you can use a lighter/lower WW point bread to reduce the points, if you prefer, pita bread, or sourdough bread.
• Buffalo sauce - you can use a store-bought or homemade buffalo sauce, or use a medium buffalo wing sauce (instead of hot)

🔪 Instructions

1. Drain canned chicken breast and mix with cream cheese.
2. Add chicken mixture to 1 slice of bread for both sandwiches, then add cucumbers and ranch dressing.
3. Place other bread slices on top and place sandwich on panini grill then lower the top of the grill onto the sandwiches. ** You do not need to add butter or anything else- it will not stick! (*If using a large skillet or grill pan, spray it with non-stick cooking spray and cook on medium-high heat))
4. Cook for 4-5 minutes, approximately (keeping an eye on it) until it has grilled brown ridges (as in photos)

🍽 Equipment

You will want to use a panini press for this buffalo chicken panini recipe. And if you don’t have a panini maker, I would recommend you get one. I use it a lot! However, you can make it in a heavy skillet, as you would a grilled cheese sandwich or in a grill pan. You could also make it in a toaster oven. *See recipe card for recommended equipment links and photos

👪 SERVING SIZE

This Buffalo Chicken Panini recipe makes 4 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

🔢WW POINTS

According the ww app, this buffalo chicken panini is 6 weight watchers points using rye bread. However, you can further reduce the points (even by half) by using lighter bread.

🥗 Side dishes

This buffalo chicken panini pairs perfectly with coleslaw, veggies, salad, or soup. Here are a few suggestions:

🌡️Storage

This Buffalo Chicken Panini should be made just before serving. However, if you want to make it in advance, I wouldn't recommend making it more than a day in advance, as the bread will start to get soggy. The same applies to the leftovers. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave for about 20- 30 seconds until warm. I love to store them in these sandwich containers (affiliate link)- they are great for packing along in the lunch bag! If you just want to mix up the buffalo chicken (chicken, buffalo sauce, and cream cheese), that mixture can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

If you're looking for a delicious, quick, healthy and easy, WW friendly lunch, or canned chicken breast recipes, you'll love this Buffalo Chicken Panini!

And if you LOVE WW friendly panini sandwiches, try my Turkey Reuben Panini!

📋More WW Friendly Lunch Recipes