Easily prepare flavorful, spicy sandwiches that are great to have for lunch or dinner with this Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich recipe. You can make the chicken in your Crock Pot for a simple, mess-free meal.
Buffalo chicken is one of my family’s favorite ways to eat chicken. This shredded chicken always comes out super tender and has a nice kick to it from the spicy buffalo sauce. The best part is my buffalo chicken sandwiches are made in the Crock Pot for even easier cooking and cleanup.
Do you love–r buffalo chicken? Try my Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad!
How about shredded chicken? Try my Instant Pot Shredded Jerk Chicken!
What Is Buffalo Chicken?
Buffalo chicken typically consists of chicken breasts or wings covered in a spicy sauce. You can buy buffalo sauce at the store in the condiment aisle or make your own homemade buffalo sauce with simple ingredients like garlic powder, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and worcestershire sauce!
Buffalo chicken made up in the crock pot is juicy and flavorful. It isn’t too spicy (although you can use a super spicy buffalo sauce if that’s your thing)…perfect for those who like gently spicy food. Also, btw…perfect for an easy Game Day meal that everyone loves and you don’t have to slave for hours over.
Ingredients Checklist:
When preparing the Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, you won’t need much. Just :
- Chicken Breast. Make sure you have a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Hot Sauce. Use the brand of hot sauce that you personally enjoy most. The hot sauce made for buffalo chicken wings is perfect. I like Frank’s Wing Sauce.
- Ranch Seasoning Packet. Grab a packet of ranch seasoning, such as Hidden Valley Ranch.
- Ciabatta Rolls. Any sort of sandwich buns or kaiser rolls will work but I like that ciabatta rolls hold up to the juicy chicken and don’t get too soggy.
- Toppings. You should also have some chives, ranch dressing, and bleu cheese crumbles to use on the sandwiches.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Although boneless skinless chicken breasts are best for this dish, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as an alternative ingredient. Just make sure you have 1 pound of chicken thighs, if you choose to use them.
How to Make Shredded Buffalo Chicken in the Crock Pot
Making Shredded Buffalo Chicken in the crock pot is easy and simple. I can prove it:
- Place chicken breasts into the slow cooker.
- Add a ½ cup of your favorite buffalo sauce. It does not matter which brand you choose, but Sweet Baby Ray’s and Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce are two great options worth using!
- Add your packet of ranch seasoning to the pot with the chicken and hot sauce.
- Set it on high for four hours or low and slow for eight hours to cook chicken that will fall apart with ease.
- Once done cooking, shred chicken with two forks or by adding it to a large bowl and using your hand mixer.
Assemble Sandwiches
Slice your ciabatta rolls down the middle. Place some of your Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken on the roll, followed by any toppings you would like to eat with it. You may want to use blue cheese crumbles or blue cheese dressing and a drizzle of ranch dressing for added flavor. Try adding a slice of cheddar cheese and slice of red onion on top!
Side Dish Recipes to serve:
Looking for an easy side to pair with these buffalo chicken sandwiches? Some of my favorites are:
- Cucumber Onion Salad
- Homemade Tater Tots
- Homemade French Fries
- easy Green Pea Salad with bacon
- Funeral Potatoes Recipe (the potatoes with the crushed cornflakes on top)
Can I Make It in the Instant Pot?
You can make the Shredded Buffalo Chicken in the Instant Pot. You can cook it on manual high pressure for about 8-10 minutes before quickly releasing the pressure, shredding the chicken with a fork, and serving it on your ciabatta rolls.
How to Store Leftover Shredded Chicken
Y’all, this is a great recipe to make a big ol’ batch and save some for later. It freezes like magic without losing any flavor.
Put your leftover shredded chicken in a food storage container with an airtight lid. You can use a plastic tupperware container or a food storage bag with a zipper seal. Once you store it in the proper container, put your chicken in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for up to four days. I suggest keeping the chicken and the rolls separate when storing them.
Can I Freeze the Chicken?
You can freeze the Shredded Buffalo Chicken to save it for later. If you make it in advance, put it in a food storage container with an airtight lid and place it in the freezer for up to three months. You can defrost the chicken by leaving it in the fridge overnight when you want to eat it. Reheat the chicken mixture on low heat for best results.
Other Crock Pot Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed the Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, try some of these other recipes that you can prepare in the crock pot.
- Sweet & Spicy Crockpot Meatballs
- Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Stout Cake
- CrockPot Baked Beans (with bacon)
- the Easiest Sausage Queso Dip (slow-cooker)
CrockPot Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- ½ cup buffalo hot sauce like Franks
- 1 ranch seasoning packet
- 4 ciabatta rolls
- Ranch chives and blue cheese crumbles as topping
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of your crock pot.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning packet over top.
- Add in the hot sauce.
- Set on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- Shred with two forks.
- Slice your ciabatta rolls.
- Add about ¼ cup of the shredded buffalo chicken meat. Add a slice of cheese if desired.
- Drizzle with ranch dressing and add blue cheese crumbles and chives.
