These Healthy Zucchini Pizza Bites, with spicy buffalo chicken added to the mix, are the perfect healthier game day snack that's low carb and Weight Watchers friendly.
As far as I'm concerned, pizza is like chocolate- a completely necessary part of life. Yet it's probably not something you want to be indulging in too regularly if you are trying to eat healthy, but especially if you are trying to lose weight or even maintain your weight!
So, in order to get my pizza fix a little more regularly, I've had to come up with workarounds. And this easy Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Pizza Recipe is just that - a completely delicious and satisfying workaround! A little spicy, low-carb, Weight Watchers friendly, and they are the perfect healthy appetizer and game day treat! They can be made in the Oven or Air Fryer.
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These buffalo chicken zucchini bites hit all the right notes because they are a pizza AND buffalo chicken snack in one delicious little bite! I've already declared my love for pizza here, and if you've been following along with me for a while, you may have noticed that I'm also just a little buffalo chicken crazy!
And if you are too, then check out my other recipes: Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks, Easy Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip- Weight Watchers Friendly, Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers, Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats, and my No Cook Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- Sliced fresh zucchini. I recommend using medium-sized zucchinis, as large zucchinis tend to lose a little flavor and can be a bit tougher. Large zucchinis are ideal for shredding and for use in baking and soups. Slice zucchini about ¼ inch thick.
- Buffalo sauce. I use Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce.
- Pizza Sauce. Use your favorite pizza sauce. I use Catelli.
- Shredded chicken. I use leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken breast. You could even use canned chicken breast (I have tried this and it works well, but be sure to get the chunks, not flakes!
- Ranch Dressing. You can use your favorite ranch dressing - my preference is Litehouse Homestyle Ranch
- Crushed Red Pepper. You can also use Chili Flakes - they are essentially the same.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Buffalo Wing Sauce: If you don't like spicy foods, you can swap buffalo sauce for BBQ sauce, honey garlic sauce, or even plain tomato pizza sauce for a milder version.
- Pizza Sauce: You can use pasta or marinara sauce instead.
- Cheese: Low-fat mozzarella melts well and keeps the recipe light, but you can use cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a dairy-free cheese alternative if you prefer.
I love appetizers, so much so that I can easily make a meal out of them. My fave is watching movies and eating a finger food buffet on the weekends! But I like to keep the menu relatively healthy, but still fun, with enjoyable treats.
And that's why these zucchini bites are also perfect for game day, cause we know how hard a buffet of delicious finger foods can be when you're trying to stay on track. See under recipe card for more healthy appetizer ideas!
I fell in love with zucchini pizza bites the first time I tried them. I love that they are so healthy, but you get your pizza fix. So when I was thinking about a great game day snack, they instantly came to mind! The spicy buffalo chicken is a natural pairing, and the ranch dressing is the crowning glory on these Air Fryer Zucchini Pizza Bites.
🔪 Step by Step: How to Make Zucchini Pizza Bites (Air Fryer)
- Step 1: Pull chicken. Then mix buffalo sauce with chicken. Here is a how-to video: How to pull chicken *He is using pork, but it's the same idea. And I shred mine a little more than he does in this video.
- Step 2: Slice both zucchinis into 12 circles (about a ¼ inch thick) and place in the air fryer, leaving space between. Spray a few pumps of cooking spray (non-propellant) and cook zucchini for 2 minutes on each side.
- Step 3: Add ½ teaspoon of pizza sauce to the top of each piece of zucchini.
- Step 4: Then add about a heaping teaspoon of buffalo chicken, dividing evenly among the 24 pieces. *However, don't add too much or it will slide off; you may have a little left over.
- Step 5: Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, dividing evenly between all the zucchini bites.
- Step 6: Air fry at 400 degrees F/204 degrees C for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and a fork can easily go through the zucchini. *Optional: Garnish with a small dollop of ranch dressing, and for extra spicy, sprinkle with crushed red pepper if desired. Serve warm
🔪How to Make Zucchini Pizza Bites in the Oven
PREP: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
- Step 1: Pull chicken. Then mix buffalo sauce with chicken. VIDEO: Here is a how-to video: How to pull chicken *He is using pork, but it's the same idea. And I shred mine a little more than he does in this video.
- Step 2: Slice both zucchinis into 12 circles (about a ¼ inch thick) and place on a cookie sheet, leaving space between. Cook zucchini for 2 minutes on each side.
- Step 3: Add ½ teaspoon of pizza sauce to the top of each piece of zucchini.
- Step 4: Then add about a heaping teaspoon of buffalo chicken, dividing evenly among the 24 pieces. *However, don't add too much or it will slide off; you may have a little left over.
- Step 5: Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, dividing evenly between all the zucchini bites.
- Step 6: Return to oven for 2 additional minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Optional: Garnish with a small dollop of ranch dressing, and for extra spicy, sprinkle with crushed red pepper if desired. Serve warm
Expert Recipe Tips
- Pre-cook the zucchini - Giving the zucchini slices a quick pre-cook (as the recipe instructs) helps remove excess moisture so your bites stay firm instead of soggy.
- Don't overload the toppings - Too much chicken or sauce can cause the toppings to slide off. A heaping teaspoon of chicken per slice is plenty.
- Shred the chicken finely - Smaller pieces stick to the zucchini better, making the bites easier to eat in one go.
- Adjust spice to taste - For less heat, mix half buffalo sauce and half ranch before adding to the chicken. For more heat, add extra crushed red pepper or a dash of hot sauce.
- Make it your own - Swap buffalo sauce for BBQ, pesto, or marinara to suit different taste preferences.
- Serve immediately - These are best eaten fresh while the zucchini is tender and the cheese is still gooey.
🌡️Storing
You can store these bites for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is 1 WW point per serving. *WW points do not include ranch dressing garnish. Looking for more 1 ww point appetizers? Try my Caprese Salad Sticks and my Deviled Eggs with dill recipes too!
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 24 servings. You can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the servings in the recipe card and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient amounts will then adjust accordingly. *
❔ Recipe FAQs
Buffalo Chicken (originally in the form of chicken wings only) is cooked in a spicy sauce. Buffalo chicken wings were born out of a bar in Buffalo, New York, in the mid-1960s (hence the name), and their popularity only grew from there. Now, buffalo chicken takes many delicious forms, including these zucchini pizza bites! You can read more about the origins of buffalo chicken HERE!
Yes! You can prepare the buffalo chicken mixture and slice the zucchini in advance. Store them separately in the fridge for up to 2 days, then assemble and cook just before serving for the best texture
Cook the zucchini slices briefly before adding toppings (as directed in the recipe) to release some moisture. Avoid overloading them with sauce or toppings, as this can cause sogginess.
If you're looking for zucchini chicken recipes, you'll love these Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Pizza Bites!
🥘More Healthy Appetizers!
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📋 Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 whole medium zucchinis sliced
- ¼ cup pizza sauce ½ teaspoon per bite
- 1 ½ cup pulled or shredded chicken * I use leftover rotisserie chicken, but you can use any type of chicken or canned chicken breast
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce *I use Franks' Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
- 1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
Garnish
- ranch dressing
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
OVEN:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F/260 degrees C and spray a cookie sheet(s) with non-stick spray.
- Pull chicken (see video in NOTES) Then mix buffalo sauce with chicken.
- Slice both zucchinis into 12 circles (about a ¼ inch thick) and place on cookie sheet, leaving space between.
- Cook zucchini for 2 minutes on each side.
- Add ½ teaspoon of pizza sauce to the top of each piece of zucchini.
- Then add about a heaping teaspoon of buffalo chicken, dividing evenly among the 24 pieces. *However, don't add too much or it will slide off; you may have a little left over.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, dividing evenly between all the zucchini bites.
- Return to oven for 2 additional minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Garnish
- Garnish with a small dollop of ranch dressing and for extra spicy, sprinkle with crushed red pepper if desired. Serve warm.
AIR FRYER:
- Pull chicken (see video in NOTES) Then mix buffalo sauce with chicken.
- Slice both zucchinis into 12 circles (about a ¼ inch thick) and place in air fryer basket or drawers, leaving space between. Spray with a few pumps of non-propellant cooking oil.
- Cook zucchini for 2 minutes on each side at 400 degrees F/204 degrees C.
- Add ½ teaspoon of pizza sauce to the top of each piece of zucchini.
- Then add about a heaping teaspoon of buffalo chicken, dividing evenly among the 24 pieces. *However, don't add too much or it will slide off; you may have a little left over.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, dividing evenly between all the zucchini bites.
- Airfry for 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees F/204 degrees C until cheese is melted and fork can easily go through the zucchini.
Garnish:
- Garnish with a small dollop of ranch dressing and for extra spicy, sprinkle with crushed red pepper if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Pre-cook the zucchini - Giving the zucchini slices a quick pre-cook (as the recipe instructs) helps remove excess moisture so your bites stay firm instead of soggy.
- Don't overload the toppings - Too much chicken or sauce can cause the toppings to slide off. A heaping teaspoon of chicken per slice is plenty.
- Shred the chicken finely - Smaller pieces stick to the zucchini better, making the bites easier to eat in one go.
- Adjust spice to taste - For less heat, mix half buffalo sauce and half ranch before adding to the chicken. For more heat, add extra crushed red pepper or a dash of hot sauce.
- Make it your own - Swap buffalo sauce for BBQ, pesto, or marinara to suit different taste preferences.
- Serve immediately - These are best eaten fresh while the zucchini is tender and the cheese is still gooey.
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- Buffalo Wing Sauce: If you don't like spicy foods, you can swap buffalo sauce for BBQ sauce, honey garlic sauce, or even plain tomato pizza sauce for a milder version.
-
- Pizza Sauce: You can use pasta or marinara sauce instead.
-
- Cheese: Low-fat mozzarella melts well and keeps the recipe light, but you can use cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a dairy-free cheese alternative if you prefer.
Linda
Would this recipe work using cucumber instead of zucchini. We have so much cucumber right now, Thanks for the recipe,
Terri Gilson
Hi Linda,
I’m not sure those flavours with gel very well with cucumber, but there’s no harm in trying!
If you’re looking for a recipe to use up cucumber, I would highly recommend my Quick Cucumber Kimchi
Enjoy!
Terri
Linda
Thanks Terri, I will try that.
Terri Gilson
Pizza is a necessary part of life, but it's not something I can indulge in regularly while trying to eat healthy. That's why I'm crazy about this Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Pizza Recipe - it's the perfect workaround to get my pizza fix! It hits all the right notes, combining my love for pizza and buffalo chicken into one delicious, low-carb bite.