Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Calzones

Buffalo Chicken Hot Pocket

Growing up I loved when Mom let us have a lazy lunch of Hot Pockets. They’ve got everything you want in a meal in one convenient package that is easy to eat. As I have grown up, Hot Pockets have lost their appeal a bit, but the concept hasn’t.

• Air Fryer Taco Calzones

Leftover Shredded Chicken Recipe

Whether you cooked up a big batch of Pressure Cooker Chicken and have leftovers or you grabbed some rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, this Air Fryer chicken calzone recipe is the perfect way to put it to use.

Grab your favorite bottle of hot sauce, I usually stick with Frank’s wing sauce. It is thicker than the standard Franks, which I prefer. Toss it with the chicken and you are on your way to these amazing pizza pockets!

What you need to make buffalo chicken pockets

To get started you just need to grab the following ingredients.

1 1/3 cups shredded chicken

1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce

1 1/3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust

Not everyone is a big fan of bleu cheese or gorgonzola, but buffalo sauce and bleu cheese go together like peanut butter and jelly. They area perfect match! If you really dislike stinky cheeses, feel free to just skip that ingredient though.

How to make Air Fryer Calzones

Roll out your sheet of pizza dough on a cutting board. Divide the dough into 4 equal squares. Using a pizza cutter, trim the edges of the squares to make a circle.

In a medium bowl, toss shredded chicken with buffalo sauce and bleu cheese crumbles. Top half of each dough circle with 1/4th of the meat. Top the other half with 1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella. Be sure not to put any meat or cheese over the outside edges so they can seal.

Fold the buffalo chicken calzone in half and press the seams together with a fork. Spray both sides of the pizza dough pockets with pan spray or olive oil.

Arrange the calzones in the Air Fryer basket and cook at 325° for 8-10 minutes. Watch them closely at the 8 minute mark so you don’t overcook them.

The end result is a tender pocket made of pizza dough filled with gooey cheese and spicy buffalo chicken. These Air Fryer Chicken Calzones are so easy to make, it’s hard to believe it tastes so good!

What Air Fryer Should I Buy?

I have the Phillips XXL basket that I love for it’s larger capacity. I was able to fit all 4 pizza pockets in my basket at one time. A toaster oven or conventional oven will work as well, but will take longer to cook through.

If you have a smaller basket, you will want to use a Air Fryer Multi Rack in your basket or cook them in separate batches.

What to serve with Air Fryer chicken calzones

These cheesy buffalo chicken calzones are good on their own, but even better dipped in some ranch or bleu cheese dressing.

On the side of your dinner plate, be sure to add some vegetables for a complete meal. Here are just a few good recipe ideas that pair well with buffalo chicken.

Best Side Salad Recipe

Sugar Snap Pea Salad

• Air Fryer Carrot Fries
• Bleu Cheese Broccoli Slaw
• Fresh Tomato Burrata Salad

What can I make with leftover pizza dough?

Do not throw away the scraps of leftover pizza dough from the calzones! After your pizza pockets are done cooking, we are going to use this to make my favorite part of this whole recipe.

Cut the strips into even sized pieces, about 2 inches long. Add them to the Air Fryer and cook at 325° for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a little cinnamon sugar mixture and add it to a deep bowl. The best ration for cinnamon sugar is 4 parts granulated sugar to 1 part ground cinnamon.

As soon as the scraps are done cooking, add them directly to the bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. They will be ready to enjoy for a delicious dessert after your family has devoured their Taco Calzones!

If you are feeling really ambitious, you can always use your Air Fryer to make some actual churros.

Notes

To make cinnamon sugar bites, cut the scraps of dough into even sized pieces, about 2 inches long. Add them to the Air Fryer basket and cook at 325° for 5 minutes. Immediately toss with 1:4 cinnamon sugar mixture.

Serving: 1 g | Calories: 580 kcal | Carbohydrates: 65 g | Protein: 29 g | Fat: 22 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13 g | Cholesterol: 61 mg | Sodium: 1364 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 3 g