Description
This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe offers a deliciously spicy and tender shredded chicken infused with buffalo sauce, perfect for stuffing into baked sweet potatoes. It’s a hearty, flavorful dish ideal for fans of classic buffalo chicken, made easy with a slow cooker for effortless preparation and enhanced flavor melding.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast or thighs (recommend 1 lb. of each)
- 1 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Whole30-compatible Frank’s Red Hot or Sriracha – not Whole30-compatible)
- ⅓ cup ghee, coconut oil or butter (butter is not Whole30-compatible)
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional – adds more heat)
Additional
- 8 small baked sweet potatoes (about 7 oz. each uncooked)
- Ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought, optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker: Place the chicken breasts or thighs into the slow cooker and set it to low heat to begin the cooking process.
- Make the buffalo sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the hot pepper sauce, ghee, coconut aminos, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper if using. Stir the mixture until the ghee melts completely and the ingredients are well blended.
- Add sauce to chicken: Pour the prepared buffalo sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker, ensuring the chicken is coated evenly.
- Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and use two forks to shred it finely. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and mix it thoroughly with the remaining sauce.
- Keeps warm until serving: Set the slow cooker to warm or keep on low heat so the buffalo chicken remains hot until you’re ready to serve.
- Prepare sweet potatoes and serve: Bake or grill the sweet potatoes until tender, then split them open and stuff with the buffalo chicken. Drizzle with additional buffalo sauce and ranch dressing if desired before serving.
Notes
- This recipe is Whole30-friendly when using ghee and a compliant hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to control the heat level according to personal preference.
- Baked sweet potatoes complement the spiciness of the buffalo chicken well, adding natural sweetness and hearty texture.
- For a dairy-free version, avoid ranch dressing or use a dairy-free alternative.
- Great for meal prep and can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe + 1 small sweet potato
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
