Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken (or Instant Pot)

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken is an easy crockpot recipe and a perfect make-ahead meal for busy weeknights. You can make it hearty by serving the shredded buffalo chicken stuffed in a baked sweet potato or regular potato, or keep it light and serve it on top of a bed of greens or tucked in a lettuce wrap. However you serve it, this recipe is absolutely delicious and is healthy, wholesome and whole30-friendly!

Let the slow cooker (or instant pot) do the work!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken is a recipe you’ll want to add to your weeknight dinner menu! The mix of heat from the Buffalo sauce with the coolness from the ranch creates a combination that can’t be beaten. It gets better because this classic game day recipe uses simple and clean ingredients that are dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, Whole30 compliant, AND it’s quick to prepare.

In just 15 minutes, you can make the homemade buffalo sauce, throw the ingredients in a slow cooker, and whip up the homemade ranch. If you opt to use a pre-made buffalo sauce and ranch dressing (which is certainly an option!) then it will take just a matter of minutes to prepare this recipe. It really can’t get easier!

Ingredients you’ll need for this Whole30 Buffalo Chicken

• Chicken breast or thighs –  we like to use 1 lb. of each. We love ButcherBox for its quality meat options.
• Hot pepper sauce – such as Whole30 compatible Frank’s Red Hot, but you also can use Sriracha (not Whole30 compatible).
• Ghee, coconut oil or butter – If you’re following Whole30, use ghee or coconut oil. Otherwise, butter works great.
• Coconut aminos – a great alternative to soy sauce. Made with real food ingredients and much less sodium. If you use soy sauce, use half of the amount the recipe calls for.
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne – this is optional. If you’re looking for more heat, add a dash or two.
• Baked sweet potatoes –  If you’ll be serving as stuffed sweet potato “boats”. We recommend medium sweet potatoes (about 7 oz. each uncooked). You can find our baked sweet potato recipe here.
• Ranch dressing – Homemade or store-bought

Looking for ease and convenience? This recipe also works great with Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce and Primal Kitchen Ranch dressing.

For 10% off of all Primal Kitchen products use code: REALFOODRDS

How to make Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

• Place chicken in a slow cooker set on low.
• In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the hot sauce, coconut oil or ghee, coconut aminos, garlic powder, and optional cayenne. Stir together and heat until ghee is melted.
• Pour sauce into the slow cooker.
• Cook for 4-6 hours on low or until chicken is tender.
• Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and toss with sauce.
• Turn slow cooker to warm (or remain on low) until ready to serve.
• Serve chicken in baked sweet potatoes and drizzle with buffalo sauce and ranch, if desired.

Confused about poultry labeling? Check this post out to learn all about how to choose the best chicken in the grocery store. 

Can Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken be made in the Instant Pot?

Sure can! We love this recipe in the Instant Pot for quick weeknight dinners, or when we’re making this recipe as part of larger meal preps. Simply add your ingredients, lock the lid, and spend the cooking time whipping up a side or prepping another dish!

To make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken:

• Place chicken in a single layer in your Instant Pot.
• In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the hot sauce, ghee, coconut aminos, garlic powder, and optional cayenne. Stir together and heat until ghee is melted. Alternatively, use a pre-made buffalo sauce.
• Pour sauce into the Instant Pot, covering the chicken.
• Lock the lid into place and make sure the valve is set to seal.
• Set the Instant Pot for 10 minutes on high pressure.
• When the time is up, quick release the pressure before unlocking the lid and shredding.

How to serve the Shredded Buffalo Chicken

We like to serve Shredded Buffalo Chicken stuffed in a sweet potato and drizzled with ranch with a side of roasted broccoli. It makes for one satisfying and mouth-watering meal. It can also be served in a regular baked potato depending on your preferences!

If you’d like something a little lighter, we recommend serving it in a lettuce leaf or on a bed of greens and of course with a drizzle of ranch.

How to Freeze Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

This is a great recipe to double and then freeze half for a future meal. We’re all about tucking food away in the freezer. It’s a strategy we use to set ourselves up for dinner success in the future during busy weeknights.

Prepare the Healthy Buffalo Chicken as described, and then shred. Allow the shredded buffalo chicken to completely cool, and then transfer it to a glass airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can also portion the Whole30 buffalo chicken out into individual servings. This way you can easily pull out exactly the amount you need when it is time to serve!

How to reheat Crockpot Buffalo Chicken from frozen

There are a few ways you can reheat this recipe from frozen. For all 3 methods, start by setting the storage container in warm water, until it thaws just enough to remove the frozen buffalo chicken block from the container it was stored in.

To reheat on the stove: Transfer the shredded buffalo chicken block to a pan. Heat it over medium heat, breaking it apart as it thaws. It’s ready to serve when it’s hot.

To reheat in a slow cooker: Transfer the shredded buffalo chicken block to a Crockpot. Reheat on “high” for a few hours until it’s hot.

To reheat in the instant pot: Transfer the shredded buffalo chicken block to an Instant Pot. Using the sauté setting, break the chicken apart as it thaws. This should take about 5 minutes. Then place the lid on the Instant Pot and switch the valve to sealing. Select the steam function and set the time for 5 minutes. Once the time is up, release the pressure and check to see if it’s heated through. If not you can either add more time or use the sauté function again to finish heating through.

How to bake a sweet potato (perfect for stuffing with buffalo chicken!)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Rub with ghee, coconut oil or butter and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Place on a baking sheet and bake 45-60 minutes or until fork-tender. Baking time will depend on the size of the potato.
4. Remove from the oven and serve or cool and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Other healthy buffalo chicken recipes to try

• Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
• Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole
• Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Video: how to make slow cooker buffalo chicken

 

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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