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Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches are the tangy, spicy, creamy slow cooker dinner that practically makes itself, just dump, cook, shred, and pile high on a soft brioche bun. I made a batch for a *Sunday football afternoon* and the whole crew went back for seconds, same easy crowd feeding energy as our air fryer buffalo chicken tenders.
Just three main ingredients in the slow cooker make the most tender, flavor packed buffalo chicken for sandwiches the whole family loves.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 6 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 500kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Tangy buffalo heat and creamy ranch, cooled with blue cheese on a soft brioche bun
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our air fryer buffalo chicken tenders
Quick Answer
Place boneless chicken breasts in the slow cooker, sprinkle with dried ranch dressing mix, and pour buffalo wing sauce over the top. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, then shred the chicken right in the slow cooker and stir in more buffalo sauce. Pile the saucy chicken onto brioche buns and top with ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles.
Jump to:
- Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches FAQs
- Other Recommended Game Day Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The slow cooker does all the work. Low and slow cooking breaks down the chicken until it shreds effortlessly and soaks up every bit of that tangy buffalo flavor.
- Dried ranch mix is the flavor shortcut. A packet of ranch dressing mix seasons the chicken from the inside out with herby, savory flavor that balances the heat of the buffalo sauce.
- Adding sauce in two stages keeps it saucy. Half the buffalo sauce cooks into the chicken, and the second addition after shredding keeps every bite coated and juicy instead of dry.
- Chicken breasts shred clean and lean. Boneless skinless breasts give you tender, lean pulled chicken that holds the sauce without any greasy heaviness.
- Brioche buns hold up to the sauce. Soft but sturdy brioche buns soak up the buffalo flavor without falling apart under all that saucy chicken.
- Ranch and blue cheese cool the heat. A drizzle of creamy ranch and a sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles tame the buffalo spice for the perfect tangy, cooling finish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a dump and go dinner. Just three main ingredients into the slow cooker and walk away. No browning, no fuss, dinner cooks itself while you go about your day.
- Perfect for a crowd. One batch makes 8 hearty sandwiches, ideal for game day, potlucks, and busy weeknights. The same crowd pleasing win as our chicken parmesan sandwiches.
- Customizable heat. Add as much or as little buffalo sauce as you like, so you can make it mild for the kids or extra spicy for the heat lovers.
Key Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Two pounds of lean breasts shred into tender, juicy pulled chicken. Chicken thighs work too for an even richer, more forgiving result.
- Buffalo wing sauce: The star of the show. A classic buffalo wing sauce like Frank’s RedHot gives that signature tangy, buttery heat. Use your favorite brand and heat level.
- Dried ranch dressing mix: A packet of ranch seasoning adds savory, herby depth that balances the buffalo heat perfectly.
- Brioche hamburger buns: Soft, slightly sweet brioche buns are sturdy enough to hold all that saucy chicken without going soggy.
- Ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles: The classic buffalo toppings. Creamy ranch and tangy blue cheese cool the heat, the same combo we love in our homemade buttermilk ranch.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use chicken thighs. Boneless skinless thighs make even juicier, more forgiving pulled chicken and shred just as easily.
- Make it milder. Cut the buffalo sauce with a few tablespoons of melted butter or honey to mellow the heat for sensitive palates.
- Turn it into a wrap or bowl. Skip the bun and pile the buffalo chicken into a tortilla wrap, over rice, or on a salad for a lighter meal.
- Add cheese. Melt a slice of provolone or pepper jack over the chicken on the bun for an extra gooey buffalo chicken melt.
- Serve with celery and fries. Round out the plate with crisp celery sticks and our homemade french fries for the full game day spread.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
- Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the dried ranch mix on top and pour over half a cup of buffalo sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker, then stir in another quarter cup of buffalo sauce. Taste and add more to your liking.
- Pile the buffalo chicken onto brioche buns and top with more buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and blue cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overcook the chicken. Pull it at the low end of the time range. Overcooked chicken breast can turn dry and stringy even in the slow cooker.
- Save sauce for after shredding. Adding fresh buffalo sauce after you shred keeps the chicken juicy and coats every strand with flavor.
- Shred with two forks or a mixer. For the fastest shred, use a hand mixer right in the slow cooker on low speed and the chicken falls apart in seconds.
- Toast the buns. A quick toast on the brioche buns adds a little crunch and keeps them from going soggy under the saucy chicken.
- Control the heat. Start with less buffalo sauce, then taste and add more. You can always add heat, but you cannot take it away.
- Keep it warm for a party. Leave the buffalo chicken on the slow cooker warm setting so guests can build sandwiches all afternoon.
- Use the leftovers. Leftover buffalo chicken is amazing on a salad, in a wrap, or over our creamy macaroni salad.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Buffalo chicken sandwiches are the ultimate game day food. Serve them with crisp celery and carrot sticks, a side of our homemade french fries, and plenty of ranch and blue cheese for dipping.
For a full party spread, set the slow cooker out on warm and let everyone build their own sandwiches alongside our copycat KFC potato wedges and a big bowl of creamy macaroni salad. It is the easiest crowd feeding dinner there is.
Leftovers are a gift. The buffalo chicken keeps for days and reheats beautifully, so you can turn it into wraps, salads, loaded nachos, or buffalo chicken dip for an easy second meal.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches FAQs
Boneless skinless chicken breasts are classic for buffalo chicken sandwiches because they shred into lean, tender pulled chicken. Boneless skinless chicken thighs also work great and stay even juicier.
The heat depends on the buffalo sauce you use and how much you add. Start with the amount in the recipe for a medium tangy heat, then taste and add more for spicier, or mix in melted butter or honey to make it milder.
No, you do not have to use blue cheese. If you are not a fan, skip it and add extra ranch dressing, or top with shredded cheddar, provolone, or pepper jack instead for a different cooling, creamy finish.
Yes, you can make the buffalo chicken ahead. Cook and shred it, then store it in the sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave and build the sandwiches fresh when ready to serve.
Store leftover buffalo chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Keep the chicken and buns separate so the bread does not get soggy.
Yes, you can make buffalo chicken sandwiches on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot. Simmer the chicken in the sauce until cooked through and shreddable, or pressure cook for about 10 minutes, then shred and add more sauce.
Other Recommended Game Day Chicken Recipes
If these Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches were the first thing gone at your game day spread, drop a star rating and tell us how spicy you made yours. Snap a picture of your sandwich stack for Pinterest so everyone gets hungry.
Craving more buffalo chicken, our air fryer buffalo chicken tenders bring that same tangy, spicy flavor with an extra crispy crunch, the perfect dippable game day companion to a platter of these saucy sandwiches.
These sandwiches go great with our old fashioned baked beans made with salt pork and molasses.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Equipment
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons dried ranch dressing mix (1 packet)
- ¾ cup Buffalo wing sauce, divided, plus more for serving
- 8 Brioche hamburger buns
- ranch dressing for serving
- blue cheese crumbles for serving
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons dried ranch dressing mix 1 packet
- ¾ cup Buffalo wing sauce divided, plus more for serving
- 8 Brioche hamburger buns
- ranch dressing for serving
- blue cheese crumbles for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix on top of the chicken. Pour ½ cup of the buffalo sauce on top. Cover the slow cooker and let it cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.2 pounds boneless, 2 tablespoons dried ranch dressing mix, ¾ cup Buffalo wing sauce
- Shred the chicken in the slow cooker. Add another ¼ cup of buffalo sauce and stir it to mix it in. Taste and add more buffalo sauce to your taste.
- Place the chicken on the brioche buns. Top with more buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and blue cheese crumbles, serve immediately.8 Brioche hamburger buns, ranch dressing for serving, blue cheese crumbles for serving
Notes
- You can use your favorite buffalo sauce for this recipe, or even hot sauce.
- If you don’t like blue cheese crumbles other cheese can be used, see suggestions above.
- Other chicken can be used as well, again see above for ideas.
- This can easily be doubled to serve more people or keep for later.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- We like to serve these on brioche buns, but any buns will do.
- Make you own homemade ranch seasoning if you do not want to use the dry ranch packets.
- This can be cooked on low or high depending on your time frame.
Nutrition
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4 to 8 ounces
How much cream cheese should be added at end for the creamier flavor?