Want the secret to EASY pulled buffalo chicken? Pull out your crock pot and make a big batch! With a few minutes of prep, you can let your slow cooker do all of the work (just like my crock pot salsa chicken and crock pot 4-ingredient chicken and gravy recipes!). This shredded buffalo chicken recipe is made with just 4 simple ingredients and 5 minutes prep to tender and juicy shredded chicken. The hardest part is deciding what to do with it…but I’d suggest buffalo chicken sliders, buffalo chicken pizza, buffalo chicken quesadillas, buffalo chicken salad, and buffalo baked pasta first. 🙂
If you love buffalo chicken wings, this is a great (and EASIER!) recipe for game day, super bowl games, or football season (aka snack season), be sure to try my crispy buffalo chicken salad, buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes, air fryer buffalo cauliflower, buffalo turkey burgers next!
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About Shredded Buffalo Chicken
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Buffalo Shredded Chicken
- How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Buffalo Chicken
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage Instructions
- How to Serve Crockpot Buffalo Shredded Chicken to the Whole Family
- What to Make with Crock Pot Buffalo Shredded Chicken
- More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Helpful Tools to Make Pulled Buffalo Chicken
What You’ll Love About Shredded Buffalo Chicken
- Juicy, flavorful pulled chicken
- Minimal prep time
- Made with just 4 ingredients you can buy at any grocery store
- Versatile – so many ways to use and eat this!
- Can make in slow cooker or Instant Pot
Shredded Buffalo Chicken Recipe Ingredients
You need just 4 basic ingredients to make this quick crockpot buffalo chicken recipe!
- Chicken breasts – Use boneless skinless chicken breasts. You could also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Butter – Use an unsalted butter or adjust the salt.
- Garlic powder – You can omit this, but it adds a nice flavor. You can also a clove or two of minced garlic or even onion powder.
- Buffalo sauce – I use buffalo wing sauce, but you can also use Frank’s red hot sauce, but use your favorite brand or variety. The amount of hot sauce you use can be dependent on how spicy you want it. If you like it super spicy, use spicy buffalo sauce.
- Sea salt
How to Make Buffalo Shredded Chicken
This pulled buffalo chicken takes just 5 minutes to prep and then the slow cooker will do the work. It’s my favorite way to simplify. 🙂
- Prep chicken. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Season chicken. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder and sea salt. Place pats of butter all over the chicken and drizzle with buffalo sauce.
- Slow cook chicken. Cook on high or low heat. Cook time will depend on temperature.
- Shred chicken. When chicken is done, lightly shred with forks and stir into sauce mixture.
How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Buffalo Chicken
If you want to make this pulled buffalo chicken in the Instant Pot instead of the slow cooker, follow these instructions:
Add chicken to instant pot and season with salt and garlic powder. Top with butter and drizzle with buffalo sauce. Lock on the lid. Cook on poultry mode or 10 minutes High Pressure. When the cooking time is done, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. Shred chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make crock pot buffalo chicken with cream cheese?
Yes, if you’re looking for a creamy buffalo chicken, you can add cream cheese. Sometimes when you add it in the beginning of cooking it will get a little chunky. Totally fine to eat, but not as pleasant to look at!
Stirring it into the shredded chicken at the end of cooking works best. The hot chicken will melt the cream cheese. You can also stir in mozzarella cheese for a dip vibe and scoop it out with bread or crackers.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover slow cooker buffalo chicken in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to reheat
Reheat chicken in the microwave or a hot skillet until warmed through.
Can you freeze crock pot buffalo pulled chicken?
Yes, you can also freeze the buffalo chicken. Store chicken in an airtight container (stasher bags and glass storage containers are perfect) for 2-3 months.
How to Serve Crockpot Buffalo Shredded Chicken to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉
I made this crock pot buffalo shredded chicken light on the buffalo sauce for this exact reason – so my kids (who sometimes complain about spice, but don’t always mean spice!) don’t complain too much.
So, it’s mild in flavor on purpose. Add an extra drizzle if you want more spice.
All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.
What to Make with Crock Pot Buffalo Shredded Chicken
You’ve got your slow cooker shredded buffalo chicken…now what?! Try one of these easy and buffalo chicken-inspired recipes:
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Buffalo chicken wraps – Stuff chicken into a flour tortilla and drizzle with ranch dressing and shredded lettuce.
- Lettuce wraps – Simply stuff the buffalo chicken mixture into lettuce leaves and top with blue cheese crumbles.
- Buffalo baked potato – Top a baked potato with shredded buffalo chicken, a dollop of sour cream if desired, and sliced green onions.
- Tacos – Stuff chicken into tortillas and top with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced jalapeños.
- Salads – Top your favorite lettuce with buffalo chicken and this celery and carrot slaw and some crushed tortilla chips. Dress with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
- Creamy buffalo chicken dip – Serve with carrot and celery sticks and mini .
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
If you like this crock pot pulled buffalo chicken recipe, you may also like some of these other easy slow cooker recipes:
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- Slow Cooker Brats
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Helpful Tools to Make Pulled Buffalo Chicken
- Crock Pot Slow Cooker – You can’t make crock pot buffalo pulled chicken without the slow cooker!
- Glass Storage Containers – Store and reheat pulled buffalo chicken crock pot recipe in these stackable containers.
- Stasher Bags – Save room in your freezer by freezing your slow cooker pulled buffalo chicken flat in a stasher bag. (Bonus, you can put them right in the dishwasher!)
Crock Pot Pulled Buffalo Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
This EASY shredded buffalo chicken recipe is made with just 4 ingredients + 5 min prep. Turn your pulled buffalo chicken into multiple meals!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (like Frank’s)
Instructions
- Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.
- Season chicken with garlic powder and sea salt.
- Dot chicken with slices of butter and pour buffalo sauce over chicken so that it’s covered with sauce.
- Place cover on slow cooker and cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours, or low for 5-6 hours, until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Shred chicken and stir into sauce.
Notes
Makes about 5 cups shredded buffalo chicken.
Keywords: shredded buffalo chicken, shredded buffalo chicken recipe, pulled buffalo chicken
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