Name: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 365 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts; 12 oz. Frank's Red Hot original sauce ((look for the original sauce, not the one labeled wings)); 1 oz. ranch dressing packet (dip mix works too!); ½ cup salted butter ((1 stick)); hamburger buns (or slider buns) (toasted); ranch or blue cheese dressing

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Forget the wings and make a big batch of shredded slow cooker buffalo chicken. Pile on hamburger buns for an easy dinner or game day feast.

We LOVE using buffalo sauce (Frank’s Red Hot Sauce) in our crockpot for recipes such as our Buffalo 15 Bean Soup and our game day favorite buffalo chicken dip.

What is Frank’s Red Hot Sauce?

Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is a cayenne pepper sauce that is used in
“buffalo” flavored recipes.
This sauce does have a spicy kick to it, adding butter in the mix and ranch or blue cheese dressing topped on the final dish can cool the heat.

How to make buffalo chicken in the crockpot:

Chicken – Boneless chicken breasts or thighs work the best for shredded chicken though bone-in breasts, thighs or drumsticks will work in this recipe.
Ranch Dressing Mix – You can use the salad dressing mix or the dip packet, both work the same in this type of recipe.
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – Look for the original sauce NOT the premade buffalo wing sauce, for we are adding the butter and seasonings ourselves.
Butter – I use an entire stick of salted butter in this recipe

How long to cook:

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
Or on HIGH for 4 hours.

Why add butter?

The butter not only adds flavor it helps tone down the vinegar flavor and the spiciness.

How to serve buffalo chicken:

Shred the chicken with two forks then serve one of these ways:

Serve on hamburger buns or slider buns with chips or carrot and celery sticks on the side.
Over baked or mashed potatoes.
Over steamed rice.
Toss with cooked pasta.

How to make this meal lower in carbs:

Serve alone with celery sticks and ranch.
Pile on lettuce wraps or low carb tortilla wraps.

shredded buffalo chicken on bun with ranch and chips

More buffalo chicken recipes for your slow cooker:

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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

4.2 from 5 votes

Chicken slow cooked with buffalo sauce, ranch mix and butter!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buffalo chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 241kcal

Author: Sarah Olson

Equipment Needed:

Slow Cooker – 4 quart or larger

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 oz. Frank's Red Hot original sauce (look for the original sauce, not the one labeled wings)
1 oz. ranch dressing packet dip mix works too!
½ cup salted butter (1 stick)

For Serving:

hamburger buns (or slider buns) toasted
ranch or blue cheese dressing

US Customary – Metric

Instructions:

Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
Sprinkle over the ranch dressing (or dip) mix.
Pour over the Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
Add the cube of butter on top.
Place the lid of the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
When the cooking time is up, take two forks and shred the chicken.
Serve over buns and top with ranch or blue cheese dressing. (see my notes below for other serving ideas)

How to Video:

Recipe Notes:

What are other ways to serve buffalo chicken?

Serve on rice, mashed potatoes or on a baked potato.
Toss with pasta.
To make this lower in carbs serve with celery and ranch on the side or serve in lettuce or low carb tortillas.

Can I use a different cut of chicken?

Yes, any cut of chicken can be used such as boneless chicken thighs, or bone-in thighs, drumsticks or breasts.

Must I use the butter?

You can leave it out but note adding the butter cuts on the spiciness and the vinegar flavor.

Nutritional values are just for the chicken and sauce (hamburger buns not included in the values)

Nutrition:

Made this recipe?I want to see your photos! Tag me on Instagram @themagicalslowcooker

Comments

Megan says
May 9, 2020 at 8:10 pm
Can you leave out the ranch packet if you want more of a blue cheese flavor by adding crumbles or dressing afterwards?
- Sarah Olson says
  May 10, 2020 at 8:53 am
  You can but the ranch packer really adds flavor. I would add blue cheese crumbles or dressing for serving.
Bonnie says
May 5, 2020 at 4:06 pm

Flavor is good, but it’s way too salty! Unfortunately, this is a miss for us.
Pauline Spivey says
February 1, 2020 at 12:50 pm
I I like your reciepes
Rhondew says
February 1, 2020 at 9:38 am
What if my husband doesn’t like hot spicy foods? How can I tame it down?
- Sarah Olson says
  February 1, 2020 at 10:08 am
  Hi! I read this on Frank’s website: For a milder wing sauce recipe, vary the ratio of Frank’s RedHot® to butter. For example, in our standard traditional Buffalo Wings recipe using 2 1/2 lbs. chicken wings use: 3 parts butter, 2 parts RedHot® (1/2 cup butter: 1/3 cup RedHot)
  I suggest adding less of the hot sauce than I used. Still will be plenty of sauce. And make sure to have ranch to help tone down the heat too.
Mark says
February 1, 2020 at 9:06 am

Hi Sarah,
I made your buffalo drum stix earlier this week…and was planning on making those for the Super Bowl and told everybody about it. They are excited.
My question is that recipe called for 4 lbs of chicken and this one calls for two. I will definitely need 4 lbs of chicken. I would like to try this recipe so should I double it??
I have a 5 quart slow cooker. When I made the buffalo drum sticks there was still quite a bit of sauce left in the end so am a bit concerned about doubling it…but thought I would ask.
BTW, when I first tried the sauce I thought what a great base for a soup. I’m glad you have a soup recipe to try, too!
Thank you for your time.
-Mark
Diane Leroux says
February 1, 2020 at 8:13 am
Merci bonne recette