Crockpot Buffalo Chicken is tender, creamy, and just spicy enough to make your mouth water! Pile it onto slider buns or make some loaded baked potatoes. It’s the perfect party food no matter how you serve it!
Ellen’s Notes
This crockpot buffalo chicken recipe was created because of how much I love the buffalo chicken dip from Publix! I wanted to create something similar that would cost a lot less, and I wanted to be able to toss it on a hamburger bun for dinner. Voila! My new favorite crockpot recipe was born.
The chicken, buffalo sauce, and ranch seasoning cook low and slow until you can easily shred the chicken with two forks. Then, you stir in the sour cream and cream cheese right at the end to make it creamy and tame the heat. It’s the BEST balance of bold flavors!
Key Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Breasts – You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Buffalo Sauce – A standard 12 oz bottle is what you need. Use whatever your favorite brand is that you know you like the flavor of, I like Frank’s.
- Ranch Seasoning – The dry mix, not the dressing! I always keep homemade ranch seasoning stocked for recipes like this.
- Cream Cheese – I’ve found that regular (full-fat) cream cheese works best. Fat-free cream cheese never seems to melt down quite right.
How To Make Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
See the recipe card for full ingredient list and directions below.
Load the crockpot. Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Top them with buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, and butter.
Cook until tender. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
Shred and make it creamy. Shred the chicken right in the crockpot with two forks. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream until well mixed.
Enjoy! I like to make a crockpot buffalo chicken sandwich with mine.
📌 Ellen’s Recipe Tips
- Keep the lid on! Every time you open the lid to peek, you release steam and prolong the cook time.
- Cube the cream cheese first. Cubes will melt evenly and quickly. If you plop the whole block of cream cheese in there, it’ll sit in the middle for quite some time.
- Lower the heat before adding dairy. Warm or off is the setting you want! The cream cheese and sour cream can turn grainy if they sit in that vinegary sauce over real heat.
- Shred right in the crockpot. The chicken pulls the sauce right back in as you shred. If you want a shortcut, use a hand mixer!
- Taste before adding salt. Both buffalo sauce and ranch seasoning are plenty salty, so you may not want to add any more salt!
Storing Leftovers
Let the leftover slow cooker buffalo chicken fully cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat it gently! Typically, I zap it for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave and stir each time it stops until just warmed through. If it’s dried out too much for your liking, stir in a dollop of sour cream.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 12 oz buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning, dry mix only
- 4 tablespoons butter, sliced
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
To Serve As Sandwiches
- hamburger buns
- green onions, sliced
- ranch dressing
- blue cheese crumbles
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Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning evenly over everything. Lay the butter on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until chicken is cooked through and easily shredded.
- 10 minutes before serving, turn the crockpot to warm or off. Shred the chicken using 2 forks in the crockpot. Add cream cheese and sour cream and give everything a good stir until blended.
- Serve warm on hamburger buns or slider buns with blue cheese and ranch dressing and top with green onions!
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Nutrition
More of the Best Crockpot Chicken Recipes
- Crockpot Cajun Butter Chicken – Only 3 ingredients needed to make this entree.
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup – It practically cooks itself!
- Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore – Restaurant staple that’s surprisingly easy.
- Crockpot Mexican Chicken – Great for serving in tacos or over a salad.
- Crockpot Chicken and Rice – Even the pickiest eaters love this one.
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy – Perfect with rice or mashed potatoes.
- Crockpot Chicken Alfredo – Creamy and perfect for busy weeknights!
