What do you use buffalo mozzarella for? Get the best buffalo mozzarella recipes for pizza, pasta, salad, starters and more. Cooking with buffalo mozzarella is easier than you might think! You can also make delicious fresh mozzarella recipes without cooking, as in my favorite buffalo mozzarella recipe for spinach Caprese salad. I know you’ll love these bufala mozzarella recipes- it may become your new favorite ingredient!
What is special about buffalo mozzarella? Buffalo mozzarella (or mozzarella di bufala in Italian) is mozzarella cheese made from water buffalo milk. It is a dairy product from the Campania region of Italy.
Water buffalo mozzarella is creamy and mild. That said, it’s more tangy with a greater depth of flavor than regular mozzarella cheese.
You can use buffalo mozzarella in any of your favorite recipes with fresh mozzarella. If you’d like to try something new, I have plenty of ideas for how to serve buffalo mozzarella here.
The first time I ever had buffalo milk mozzarella was on a trip to Italy several years ago. I've since come to strongly associate this rich and creamy cheese with Italian dishes. You might be able to imagine my excitement when I found some buffalo mozzarella right here in the United States.
I buy fresh Buf ciliegine buffalo mozzarella at Whole Foods. (Get more tips on where to buy buffalo mozzarella in the FAQ section below.)
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🍗 Recipes with Buffalo Mozzarella (Chicken)
The benefits of buffalo mozzarella extend beyond the taste. One one-ounce serving of buffalo mozzarella is a good source of calcium, in addition to providing protein, riboflavin, and other important nutrients. Buffalo mozzarella is a naturally low carb, keto, and gluten free food that may be suitable for vegetarians (depending on the source of the rennet used).
Plus, its versatility makes it a welcome addition in a variety of delicious dishes. For example, you can combine buffalo mozzarella and chicken in so many ways.
Make a buffalo chicken dip with mozzarella cheese, or try chicken Caprese by itself or in a sandwich. The roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves in Caprese chicken are extremely delish!
Here are some chicken recipes with fresh buffalo mozzarella to get your mouth watering and creative juices flowing:
🍝 Buffalo Mozzarella Recipes with Pasta
When you think Italian food, I bet pasta is one of the things that comes to mind. Indeed, buffalo mozzarella pasta is quite wonderful.
You've got to love the pairing of carb-rich pasta and some super creamy full-fat cheese. A good mozzarella di bufala pasta recipe is a dish that’s pretty much pure comfort food heaven. If you need a crowd-pleasing recipe, the buffalo mozzarella pasta recipes in this section have got your back!
Make a classic gnocchi alla sorrentina, a pasta Caprese, or try a tasty pesto pasta salad. You can’t go wrong with any of these pasta recipes.
🍕 Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza
Buffalo Margherita pizza? Um, yes please!
Remember that buffalo mozzarella can be used in place of fresh mozzarella in any of your favorite recipes. That makes this ingredient the perfect choice when you want to give your pizza an extra pop of flavor.
Pizza with buffalo mozzarella is a fun way to introduce this ingredient to a picky eater. Let’s face it; it’s tough to resist a delicious pizza covered with bubbling melty cheese- yum!
I’ve got a variety of recipes for pizza lovers below from some of my favorite food bloggers. Besides Margherita pizza, there’s buffalo mozzarella Caprese pizza, prosciutto pizza, gluten free pizza, and even golden brown pizza monkey bread!
🧀 Buffalo Mozzarella Starters and Sandwiches
Buffalo mozzarella is also amazing in starters and sandwiches. I know everyone is going to be asking for the recipe when you bring one of these buffalo mozzarella appetizer recipes to your next party!
You could make buffalo mozzarella bruschetta, or try some Caprese skewers or Caprese stacks. For a brunch appetizer, the crustless quiche Caprese is a great option.
For sandwiches, you could make a simple Caprese sandwich, or try the mozzarella in Carrozza (a fried buffalo mozzarella sandwich). You can find a way to fit buffalo mozzarella into breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you wish.
🥗 Buffalo Mozzarella Salad Recipes
Last but not least, we come to mozzarella di bufala salad. Believe it or not, buffalo mozzarella was not used in original Caprese salads because this food is not local to Capri.
Later, the rest of Italy began referring to insalata Caprese as the tomato, mozzarella, basil combination that many are familiar with. The green, white, and red in this salad are the colors of the Italian flag, another reminder of the salad's origins. It’s beauty is in it’s simplicity.
That said, there are lots of other salads you can make with buffalo mozzarella beyond the Caprese. Try it in place of the burrata in the peach burrata salad below. Or make a fun pizza salad- it's sure to be a hit with kids!
At the end of the article is my popular spinach Caprese salad. It’s a tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad on a bed of baby spinach greens (or use arugula and other lettuces). In addition, I've added grilled chicken for lean protein, plus ripe peaches, red onion, and roasted corn for flavor.
Balsamic vinegar isn’t a classic addition to Caprese salad. In a twist on the traditional, I used it in a savory dressing made with extra-virgin olive oil and garlic. Drizzle it on and savor the results.
Get out your best serving dish- it's a very special recipe!
📋 Buffalo Mozzarella Calories
Buffalo mozzarella has approximately 80 calories, 0 grams net carbohydrates, and 4 grams protein per ounce (28g). The typical buffalo mozzarella ingredients list includes: water buffalo milk, salt, cheese cultures, rennet, and lactic acid.
Buffalo mozzarella tends to be higher in fat than regular mozzarella. Though the cheese I used has added salt, it contained only 120mg of sodium per serving. For food safety reasons, keep buffalo mozzarella in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
FAQs
Yes, you can melt buffalo mozzarella; it melts especially easy in the microwave. Something to know is that low-moisture mozzarella melts much easier than high-moisture mozzarella.
Buffalo mozzarella vs mozzarella- what's the difference? Buffalo mozzarella is mozzarella made from the milk of the Italian Mediterranean buffalo (AKA water buffalo). Regular mozzarella in the US is made from cow’s milk.
Buffalo mozzarella vs burrata cheeses- what's the difference? According to The Kitchn, burrata is a pouch of mozzarella that’s filled with stracciatella, a mixture of curd and cream. Also, burrata is more commonly made with cow’s milk, not water buffalo milk.
I typically buy buffalo mozzarella at Whole Foods, either locally or through Amazon. You may be able to find buffalo mozzarella at Costco (seasonally), Tesco, Kroger, or other stores where you shop.
Absolutely! I often make Caprese salads with easier-to-find cow's milk mozzarella. As mentioned above, the original Caprese salads were made with cow's milk mozzarella, not buffalo milk mozzarella.
Fior di latte is made with cow’s milk only, while buffalo mozzarella is always made with water buffalo milk.
👨🍳 Other Easy Recipes with Mozzarella Cheese
Here are some other easy mozzarella cheese recipes for you to enjoy. Do not use fresh mozzarella and buffalo mozzarella interchangeably with hard shredded mozzarella.
- Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
- Chickpea Flour Pizza Crust Recipe
- Frozen Mini Pizza in Air Fryer
- Keto Crackers
Finally, if you like to go that extra mile, here’s info on making fresh mozzarella from Serious Eats. If you obtain Italian Mediterranean buffalo milk, you could use it to learn how to make buffalo mozzarella!
📖 Recipe
Buffalo Mozzarella Recipes (Recipe Ideas for Bufala Cheese)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 ounces buffalo mozzarella (198 grams; buffalo milk mozzarella)
- 1 lb. grilled chicken breast (454 grams; boneless and skinless)
- 5 ounces baby spinach (142 grams)
- 2 medium peaches, thinly sliced
- 12 ounces grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (340 grams; can use quartered cherry tomatoes instead)
- ½ cup roasted corn (fresh or thawed from frozen)
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the buffalo mozzarella recipe dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients. Slice the buffalo mozzarella balls and the grape tomatoes in half. Slice the peaches and thinly slice the red onion. Roast your fresh corn or thaw your frozen corn. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Divide the ingredients equally between three bowls in this order: spinach, chicken, peaches, onion, corn, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and basil.
- To make the Caprese dressing, whisk the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder together. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
- Drizzle your spinach Caprese salad bowls with the dressing. Sprinkle the lemon zest on top. Savor it!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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NormanWilkes says
This dish is extremely srumptious!
Summer Yule says
Thank you so much!
Terrified Amateur says
Can't believe this finally went through, Summer! Seriously, every time I've tried to comment from the weekend onward, my remarks were "blocked on suspicion of you being a bot." Or something like that. Not only that, but the "Like" feature was stuck on "Loading."
Anyway, I'll have to see if the local market carries buffalo milk mozzarella. It very well might, as it usually boasts a pretty formidable inventory, and the area has a disproportionately large Italian-American population. Best of all, moz is one of the few cheeses I actually enjoy.
No such qualifications for most of the other ingredients, as peaches, chicken and grape tomatoes are among my favorite things on Earth. When taken in combination - wowzer!
Striking colors, too, Summer, as usual. You have not only a skill for a pleasing combination, taste-wise, but also an enviable sense for striking aesthetics too. Beautiful.
Now, to see if site will allow me to re-post comments on the last two entries too, before it shuts me down again...
Summer Yule says
I’m so sorry about that! I don’t think you’ll have any issues with being blocked now.
I got rid of the like button too because my son was reporting the same issue you were having. Oh self-hosted website, why must you be such a headache? Lol So glad you like the Caprese!
Terrified Amateur says
Test.