
Apr 24, 2019
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Learn how to make perfect shredded buffalo chicken in your slow cooker! This recipe is packed with bold flavors and easy to prepare with homemade (or bottled) buffalo sauce.
You can use this smoky chicken to build family-favorite meals like sliders, quesadillas, tacos, and more!

Buffalo Chicken Ingredients
The ingredients to make shredded buffalo chicken are simple and items you probably keep on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- buffalo sauce
This recipe includes raw chicken because it will cook in the slow cooker for a few hours. Otherwise, you can always use shredded rotisserie chicken meat tossed with buffalo sauce and warmed over medium heat in a skillet. It’s a super quick fix.
Best Buffalo Sauce for Buffalo Chicken
There are several great buffalo sauce options you could use to make this recipe. Bottled buffalo sauce is super convenient and flavorful, but on the other hand, my homemade buffalo sauce recipe gives you a ton of flavor, and it’s easy to make.
If spiciness is a concern, this recipe does have some heat, but it’s more like a mild and tangy heat.
Still, that can be too much for some people and smaller kids, so I like to pair it with Homemade Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing. The creaminess helps to bring down the heat level, and the flavors were made for one another.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Making buffalo chicken in the slow cooker is as easy as it gets. This recipe works on a 1:1 ratio; 1 cup buffalo sauce for each pound of chicken. This formula makes the recipe very easy to double, triple, or quadruple- if you’re on that level.
Here’s what to do:
- Grab a slow cooker
Combine the chicken and buffalo sauce in a slow cooker dish. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours. - Shred
Once the chicken is tender, shred the meat between 2 forks and toss to coat with the sauce.
Yes, it’s really that easy!!!
Serve this slow cooker buffalo chicken in tacos, over a salad, or make a batch of these cheesy, saucy Buffalo Chicken Sliders– so good! Keep scrolling, and you’ll find more ideas to make with buffalo chicken.
Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make this meal-building shredded buffalo chicken:
If chicken is a go-to ingredient for your family dinners, you’ll find more amazing recipes to try in the Chicken. It’s What’s for Dinner eBook. Like this buffalo chicken, the recipes in the book are loaded with flavor and so easy to prepare!
check out what’s inside:
THE Only Chicken Cookbook You’ll Need
The 70+ recipes inside Chicken. It’s What’s For Dinner will make everyone’s favorite white meat more exciting to eat!
Whether you’re just learning to cook or know your way around the kitchen, the recipes inside the eBook are simple and delicious.

How to Shred Buffalo Chicken
It’s easy to shred cooked buffalo chicken with two forks directly in the slow cooker. All you have to do is secure one piece of chicken with a fork and use the other fork to pull the meat away.
This method prevents the sauce from getting everywhere and works for boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs.
You’ll also see how to do this in my video on how to shred chicken three ways:
Related: How to defrost chicken quickly & safely
Using Shredded Buffalo Chicken
Not sure what to make with buffalo chicken? Try one of these simple and crowd-pleasing recipes below.
Set the chicken to cook in the morning, and by the time dinner rolls around- you’ve got options!
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Buffalo Chicken Power Bowls
Buffalo Chicken Lunch Recipes
There’s nothing like opening up a lunchbox filled with buffalo chicken goodness, and whether it’s in a quesadilla or salad, you know your day is about to get better.
Of course, if you’re an addict, like me, you could always add this buffalo chicken to grilled cheese. I haven’t tried it yet, but now that I mention it, it’s about to go down.
Also, wraps like the low-carb Buffalo Chicken wraps are another lunchbox success. They require no heating and they’re easy to pack. Whatever you do, make sure you pack extra buffalo sauce and Ranch dressing in sauce containers, for drizzling and dipping.

Easy Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the dish of a slow cooker, top with Buffalo sauce and toss to coat. Cover and set on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
- Once the chicken is cooked through and easy shreds apart between two forks shred the meat and toss into the sauce.
Melanie
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts? I have a bunch in my freezer I need to use up and this recipe sounds yummy!
Laura Fuentes
Absolutely! I use thighs all the time. They’re delicious. Same amounts and cooking time. Enjoy!
Kimberly
I looooove buffalo chicken but never knew how to make it! OMG this is so good! I’m so glad I found this recipe!