This slow cooker buffalo chicken is the perfect meal prep recipe for dinner or lunch. Shredded chicken in buffalo sauce is so versatile, and absolutely delicious!
Pulled chicken is really easy to make in your Crockpot. This really is one of those recipes you can "set and forget". Less than 5 minutes of work is required, and a few hours later the food is ready. Perfect!
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🥘 Ingredients
To make slow cooker buffalo chicken you will need chicken breasts and Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce (or other off brand buffalo sauce alternative).
You will also need a good slow cooker! I recommend using a Crockpot/slow cooker for this recipe.
⏲️ Cooking time
This slow cooker buffalo chicken can be made in 3 hours, or you can leave it in your crockpot for up to 6 hours. As with most slow cooker recipes, you can adjust the cooking time to fit your needs.
🔪 Instructions
This recipe could not be easier to make!
Add the chicken breast fillets to your slow cooker, and pour the buffalo sauce on top.
Use tongs or a spatula to stir the chicken around.
Cover with the lid, and cook the pulled buffalo chicken on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6 hours. Chicken breasts tend to cook through very fast, so the cook time is short compared to most slow cooker recipes.
Chicken releases a lot of water while it cooks. Therefore, I suggest removing the cooked chicken from the Crockpot when it has finished cooking.
Use two forks to pull the chicken apart until it's all shredded.
If you wish, add more buffalo sauce on top, and stir to coat the chicken evenly.
It's ready to serve!
🍴 What is buffalo chicken?
Buffalo chicken is a very American dish, and can be prepared in multiple ways. In general, it simply means chicken served with a buffalo sauce, which is a buttery hot sauce.
Buffalo chicken is often enjoyed as fried chicken or baked chicken wings served with a buffalo dipping sauce. You can also use it to make buffalo chicken tacos!
In this recipe, we cook the chicken in the sauce, then shred it. The result is a very versatile pulled chicken that can be enjoyed in multiple ways.
If you like this buffalo chicken, you might also like some of my other slow cooker chicken recipes, like BBQ chicken or chicken tacos.
🐓 Which chicken to use
I recommend using chicken breast fillets for slow cooker shredded buffalo chicken. It's a lean meat that cooks fast, and is very easy to handle.
Chicken breasts are not usually cooked in a slow cooker as they tend to dry out, but with all the sauce in this recipe you don't have to worry about that at all!
You can use chicken thigh fillets if you prefer dark chicken meat.
If you use drumsticks, or chicken thighs with skin and bones, make sure to discard the skins and bones before serving.
You will probably have to increase the amount of chicken as well, since the weight of the bones are discarded.
💭 Top tips for the best result
Here is how you get this recipe perfect:
- Avoid removing the lid from the slow cooker as the chicken is cooking. Doing this will allow a lot of heat to escape, and will increase the required cooking time by 30 minutes.
- Make sure that the chicken is cooked through before shredding it. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 75 C / 165 F.
- Always be careful when handling raw chicken. Wash your hands and any utensils that touch the raw chicken.
- Use Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, NOT the one that is marked as Frank's RedHot Hot buffalo wings sauce. The hot version is far too hot for the amount of sauce we are using.
- Use a slow cooker of the right size. Slow cookers are most efficient when they are about ¾ or 75% full.
💡 TIP! Frank's RedHot sauce is known in USA as THE buffalo sauce. If you live in a country where you don't have access to this brand, you can use a different type of hot sauce or make your own.
🥗 Serving suggestions
Serve pulled buffalo chicken as is with a side of chili and lime rice, a side salad or mashed potatoes.
Buffalo chicken is also amazing as a sandwich filler, or it can be enjoyed on pizza, nachos, in pasta, in tacos, stuffed zucchinis or in jalapeno poppers.
🍲 Storing leftovers
Leftover buffalo chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can serve the leftovers cold in a sandwich, or reheat the in the microwave or in a pot until they are hot throughout.
You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. I love to make a big batch and freeze it down for future meals!
📋 Frequently asked questions
Is this allergy friendly? - Buffalo chicken is dairy free, egg free, gluten free, soy free, and nut free. Always check on the packaging to make sure that your ingredients are suitable for your dietary requirements.
Is buffalo chicken vegetarian? - No, as the dish contains chicken it is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Can you add vegetables to this dish? - If you want to serve buffalo chicken with vegetables, I suggest serving them as a side, or using the buffalo chicken in a vegetable based dish. Try buffalo chicken tacos, and add veggies of your choice!
Is buffalo chicken spicy? - Buffalo sauce is a hot sauce, so it is slightly spicy. However, as far as hot sauce goes, this is definitely a mild version, and suitable for children. If you are very sensitive to spice, you might want to try something else, like my pulled BBQ chicken recipe.
More slow cooker chicken recipes
Recipe
Slow cooker buffalo chicken
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken breast fillets (3-6 fillets)
- 1 cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce (200 ml)
Instructions
- Add the chicken breast fillets to your slow cooker, and pour half of the buffalo sauce on top. Use tongs or a spatula to stir the chicken around.
- Cover with the lid, and cook the pulled buffalo chicken on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6 hours. Chicken breasts tend to cook through very fast, so the cook time is short compared to most slow cooker recipes.
- Chicken releases a lot of water while it cooks. Therefore, I suggest removing the cooked chicken from the Crockpot when it has finished cooking.
- Use two forks to pull the chicken apart until it’s all shredded. Add the other half of buffalo sauce on top, and stir to coat the chicken evenly. It’s ready to serve!
Notes
- Avoid removing the lid from the slow cooker as the chicken is cooking. Doing this will allow a lot of heat to escape, and will increase the required cooking time by 30 minutes.
- Make sure that the chicken is cooked through before shredding it. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 75 C / 165 F.
- Always be careful when handling raw chicken. Wash your hands and any utensils that touch the raw chicken.
- Use Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, NOT the one that is marked as Frank’s RedHot Hot buffalo wings sauce. The hot version is far too hot for the amount of sauce we are using.
- Use a slow cooker of the right size. Slow cookers are most efficient when they are about ¾ or 75% full.
Sophie
Love the way you have described the recipe. Thank you so much. Saving it for my sister.
Tonje
Thank you Sophie, I hope your sister likes it!
Mahy
Fantastic chicken that would work great for my dinner this week. I have all the ingredients, so absolutely ready to give this recipe a try!
Tonje
There is no way you can get this wrong! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Angela
This is a fantastic, fast and tasty recipe. I love the versatility!
Tonje
Thanks, Angela! Glad you like it 🙂
Sharon
Only two ingredients, I LOVE this recipe! Perfect in tacos or salads.
Tonje
Thanks, Sharon! I love serving it as tacos as well!
Jessica Formicola
I love buffalo chicken and this looks incredible! I can't wait to make it this week!
Tonje
Thanks, Jessica! Let me know how you like it!