Buffalo Chicken Bacon Mozzarella Bombs (Printable version)

Spicy buffalo chicken encases gooey mozzarella and smoky bacon in a crunchy panko crust.

# What You Need:

→ Fillings

01 - 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
02 - 3.5 oz cooked bacon, crumbled

→ Chicken Mix

03 - 1 lb ground chicken
04 - 4 fl oz buffalo sauce, divided
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 1 teaspoon paprika
08 - Salt to taste
09 - Black pepper to taste

→ Coating

10 - 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
11 - 2 large eggs, beaten
12 - 3.5 oz panko breadcrumbs

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil or canola oil for frying

# Directions:

01 - Cut mozzarella cheese into bite-sized cubes. Wrap each cube with a portion of crumbled bacon and set aside.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken with 2 fl oz buffalo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly blended.
03 - Take a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture and flatten it in your palm. Place a bacon-wrapped mozzarella cube in the center, then encase it fully with the chicken, forming a sealed ball. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
04 - Dredge each chicken ball in flour, dip into beaten eggs, then coat thoroughly with panko breadcrumbs.
05 - Heat oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry bombs in batches for 5-6 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown and cooked through. Alternatively, place bombs on a greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 18-20 minutes until crisp and cooked through.
06 - While hot, drizzle or toss the bombs with the remaining 2 fl oz buffalo sauce. Garnish with extra bacon crumbles if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Every bite delivers three bold flavors at once: spicy buffalo, smoky bacon, and gooey mozzarella that stretches like a cheese commercial.
  • They look impressive but the process is straightforward once you get the hang of sealing the chicken around the filling.
  • You can fry them for crunch or bake them to keep things lighter without losing the flavor.
  • They vanish fast at parties, and people always ask for the recipe before they finish their second one.
02 -
  • Seal the chicken completely around the filling or the cheese will leak out during cooking and leave you with empty pockets.
  • Do not skip the flour step in the breading process, it makes the egg and panko stick much better and prevents bare spots.
  • If frying, keep the oil temperature steady at 175 degrees Celsius so the outside does not burn before the inside cooks through.
  • Let the bombs rest for a minute after frying or baking so the cheese sets slightly and does not all pour out on the first bite.
03 -
  • Chill the formed, uncoated bombs in the fridge for 15 minutes before breading to help them hold their shape during cooking.
  • Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature, because guessing leads to greasy or undercooked results.
  • Double coat the bombs by dipping them in egg and panko twice for an extra thick, crunchy crust that really stands up to the buffalo sauce.
  • If the chicken mixture feels too wet to shape, add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs to the mix to help it bind.
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