Save to Pinterest My neighbor brought these to a potluck last summer, and I watched three people reach for a second one before realizing what they were eating. That casual confidence of biting into something that looked simple but tasted like a wing night upgrade got me curious enough to ask for the recipe. Now they're my go to when I need something that feels indulgent but doesn't derail anything I'm doing in the kitchen.
I made these during a quiet Tuesday when my roommate mentioned being tired of the usual snack rotation. Watching her eyes light up when she bit into one felt ridiculous for something so simple. She immediately asked if I could make them every week, and somehow they've become our unofficial Wednesday tradition.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken breast, shredded (1 1/2 cups): Using rotisserie chicken saves time and honestly tastes better than chicken you cook yourself if you're impatient like me.
- Buffalo wing sauce, sugar free (1/4 cup): The keto friendly version matters here because regular sauce sneaks in carbs you don't need.
- Mayonnaise (2 tablespoons): This acts like glue and adds richness; Greek yogurt works if you want to lighten it but the flavor shifts slightly.
- Unsalted butter, melted (1 tablespoon): Sounds small but it carries the buffalo flavor deeper into the chicken.
- Garlic powder and onion powder (1/4 teaspoon each): These are quiet flavor workers that stop the filling from tasting one dimensional.
- Salt and pepper: Taste as you go because the buffalo sauce and blue cheese are already salty.
- Large celery stalks (8 pieces, 3–4 inches): Pick stalks that are firm and straight; bendy ones make filling them frustrating.
- Blue cheese, crumbled (1/3 cup): The tanginess here is non negotiable and balances the heat perfectly.
- Fresh chives, finely chopped (2 tablespoons, optional): They add a bright note that cuts through the richness without being loud about it.
Instructions
- Mix the Buffalo Chicken Base:
- In a bowl, combine your shredded chicken with buffalo sauce, mayo, melted butter, garlic powder, and onion powder. The mixture should feel creamy and evenly coated when you stir it; if it looks dry, add another tablespoon of mayo. Season carefully with salt and pepper because you're working with already flavorful components.
- Prepare Your Celery Canvas:
- Lay out your celery pieces on a platter and pat them dry with a paper towel if they're wet. Damp celery will make your topping slide off, which is annoying when you're trying to make things look nice.
- Fill Generously:
- Spoon or pipe the buffalo chicken into each celery hollow, pressing gently so the filling settles in. You want enough that each bite has a real presence of chicken, not just a whisper of it.
- Top with Blue Cheese:
- Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese over each boat while the filling is still slightly warm so some of it softens into the chicken. Add chives if you want that pop of freshness and color.
- Serve or Chill:
- Eat them right away while the celery is crunchy and everything has that fresh assembled feeling, or refrigerate for up to two hours. Cold versions are great too, just know the celery gets slightly less crisp as time goes on.
Save to Pinterest A friend who usually skips appetizers at parties came back to the kitchen where I was prepping these and ate four in a row without thinking about it. There's something about hitting spicy, creamy, and tangy all at once that just works on a primal level.
Heat Level Adjustments
Buffalo sauce varies wildly in spice intensity depending on the brand, so taste your chicken mixture before you commit everything to the celery. If you want more kick, a pinch of cayenne pepper stirs in easily, but you can't take it out once it's in there. I learned this by accidentally making a batch that made my coworker reach for milk, so now I test on the conservative side first.
Substitutions That Actually Work
Swapping blue cheese for crumbled feta keeps the tang but makes the whole thing feel Mediterranean instead of sports bar. Ranch dressing as a topper works in a pinch but tastes more like a dip than a garnish. Greek yogurt instead of mayo lightens the mixture without ruining the texture, though the flavor becomes a bit thinner and less rich than the original.
Make Ahead Strategy
The smart move is to prep the chicken mixture and cut your celery the night before, keeping them separate in the fridge. Assembly takes under five minutes and keeps your boats crispy and fresh tasting right up until people eat them. The flavor actually improves when the filling sits overnight because the buffalo sauce mellows slightly and the flavors marry together better.
- Store cooked chicken and buffalo mixture in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Cut celery holds well wrapped in a damp paper towel in a sealed bag for about two days.
- Assemble only right before serving to preserve the crunch that makes these special.
Save to Pinterest These have somehow become the thing I'm known for bringing to gatherings, which is funny because they take less effort than most people think. Once you make them once, you realize they're less of a recipe and more of a formula you can riff on whenever you need something that tastes like you care.
Recipe Questions & Answers
- → What makes this a keto-friendly dish?
Using low-carb ingredients like chicken, celery, and sugar-free buffalo wing sauce keeps carbs minimal, fitting well with keto guidelines.
- → Can I substitute the blue cheese topping?
Yes, feta or ranch dressing can be used instead to suit different tastes and textures.
- → How do I add extra heat to the filling?
A dash of cayenne pepper mixed into the chicken blend boosts the spicy kick without overpowering the other flavors.
- → What is the best way to serve these celery boats?
Serve immediately for crisp celery crunch, or chill for up to 2 hours to enjoy a cooler, refreshing bite.
- → Are there common allergens in this dish?
It contains dairy (blue cheese, butter, mayonnaise) and eggs (mayonnaise), plus celery allergens. Check sauce ingredients carefully.