Ingredients
Scale
For the Buffalo Chicken Filling:
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (about 1 lb, rotisserie chicken works great)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce (Frank’s RedHot recommended)
- 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning powder (or ¼ cup ranch dressing)
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or blue cheese crumbles)
- 2 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For Assembly:
- 12-16 large celery stalks, washed and trimmed
- ¼ cup additional shredded cheese or blue cheese crumbles for topping
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional garnish)
- Extra buffalo sauce for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Celery: Wash celery stalks thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towels. Trim both ends of each stalk to create uniform pieces about 3-4 inches long. Use the thicker, outer stalks which have deeper grooves perfect for holding filling. Set prepared celery aside on paper towels to ensure they’re completely dry.
- Make Buffalo Chicken Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, buffalo sauce, and ranch seasoning powder. Using an electric mixer or sturdy fork, beat until smooth and well-combined. The mixture should be creamy with no lumps.
- Add Chicken and Cheese: Add shredded chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions (if using) to the cream cheese mixture. Fold together with a spoon or spatula until chicken is evenly coated and all ingredients are well-distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more buffalo sauce for heat, ranch seasoning for flavor, or salt and pepper as needed.
- Fill Celery Sticks: Using a spoon or small spatula, generously fill each celery stick with buffalo chicken mixture, mounding it slightly. For neater presentation, transfer filling to a piping bag or zip-top bag with corner snipped off, then pipe filling into celery grooves. Fill each stick from end to end for best presentation.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle additional shredded cheese or blue cheese crumbles over the filled celery sticks. Add a pinch of fresh parsley or cilantro for color if desired. For extra flavor and visual appeal, drizzle a tiny amount of buffalo sauce over the tops.
- Chill or Serve: For best flavor and texture, refrigerate filled celery sticks for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and filling to firm up slightly. Alternatively, serve immediately if you’re short on time.
- Present: Arrange filled celery sticks on a serving platter. Serve with extra buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping if desired.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese for smoothest filling—cold cream cheese creates lumps.
- For thicker filling that’s easier to pipe or spread, use ranch seasoning powder instead of ranch dressing.
- Adjust buffalo sauce amount based on heat preference: less for mild, more for extra spicy.
- Rotisserie chicken is the ultimate time-saver and adds great flavor.
- These are best served cold or at cool room temperature—don’t heat them.
- Make filling up to 3 days ahead and store refrigerated; fill celery within a few hours of serving for best crunch.
- For neater eating, cut filled celery sticks into 2-inch pieces before serving.
- Leftover filling makes an excellent dip for crackers or vegetables.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook Assembly
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3-4 filled celery sticks
- Calories: 248
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 685mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 78mg