This easy Crockpot Buffalo Chicken recipe is great for game-days, parties, and an easy weeknight dinner. There are so many ways to serve it and it is so much better for you than buffalo wings!
Let’s talk about buffalo sauce for a minute. It’s one of those hidden gems I always have in my fridge for when something just tastes bland and needs a little something, something. Add it to a turkey sandwich and it magically tastes better. A few glugs make a quick weeknight hash delish. I have even been known to sneak it on my egg whites in the morning, rolled up in a tortilla with some cheese and veggies.
However, this slow cooker buffalo chicken recipe is for when you really want that buffalo flavor. Slow cooked chicken tossed with just the right amount of buffalo sauce. Use it in tacos, lettuce wraps, sandwiches, chicken salad, the list goes on and on. And if you really want it to taste like a buffalo wing, add in the butter at the end for a smoother, richer taste.
What Makes Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Healthy?
Most restaurant versions of buffalo chicken is bone in, skin on and deep fried chicken wings or breaded, deep fried buffalo chicken tenders. And although delicious, these are definitely not a healthy option. Comparatively, this slow cooker buffalo chicken recipe cuts calories, carbs, and fat by starting with boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Side Dishes for Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
I love serving buffalo chicken alongside a salad topped with my skinny ranch dressing, which uses buttermilk and nonfat plain Greek yogurt to cut calories and fat. If you want to thicken up the ranch a little to spread on sandwiches and wraps, just substitute extra yogurt, light sour cream, or light mayo for some of the buttermilk.
Along those same lines, this celery ranch slaw recipe relies mostly on nonfat plain Greek yogurt and buttermilk as a base, with just a dollop of light mayo to give it a sweet, rich flavor. With its mix of cabbage, carrots, and celery, this slaw makes a great side for buffalo chicken or a tangy topping for tacos, sandwiches, or wraps.
And what goes better with a buffalo chicken sandwich than fries? These baked skinny fries are all glory and no guilt since the recipe substitutes half the potatoes for turnips, which have a similar texture and flavor as white potatoes once they are cooked. Just toss your thinly cut fries in salt, pepper, and a little olive oil and bake them at 400 ℉ for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the fries once during cooking time and pulling them out of the oven once they’re crispy and cooked through.
Ways to Use Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken
- Lettuce wraps: You can add sliced green onions, diced celery, diced carrots, a few crumbles of blue cheese, or even some diced avocado. Trust me, you won’t even miss the carbs.
- Buffalo chicken tacos: Top tacos with corn, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, or other typical taco fixings. Or dress your tacos with slaw, which can be made with a store-bought or homemade ranch or blue cheese vinaigrette to lighten it up a little while still giving the tacos a traditional buffalo chicken flavor.
- Quesadillas: Add your favorite low fat shredded cheese, diced carrots, diced celery, and cook in whole wheat or low carb tortillas.
- Grain bowls: Begin with a base of rice, quinoa, or another favorite grain and add any combination of veggies for a quick one-dish meal.
- Salads: You already know buffalo chicken goes great with carrots and celery. Other tasty additions include corn and cucumbers. And black beans will give a hearty shredded buffalo chicken salad an even bigger protein punch.
- Stuffed sweet potatoes: The starchy sweetness of the potato pairs perfectly with the spiciness of the chicken’s buffalo sauce. Top your potato with plain yogurt and sliced green onions to give it even more layers of flavor.
- Sandwiches: Serve shredded buffalo chicken as the star of a sandwich bar with a variety of buns and wraps and toppings including spinach, thinly sliced celery and carrots, cucumbers, slaw, and more. That way, guests at football parties or picnics can personalize their plates.
Recipe Ideas and Tips
There are so many ways to change up this recipe to create the buffalo chicken of your dreams. Here are some favorites;
- If you love ranch dressing, add a packet of ranch seasoning to the sauce instead of the herbs. This will give you even more ranch flavor.
- If you love all things creamy, finish this dish by stirring in 1/4-1/2 cup of low fat cream cheese or sour cream. Magic.
- For sweet and spicy folks, you can finish the dish with a couple of tablespoons of honey to add sweetness and counteract the spice in the sauce.
- For less heat, replace half of the buffalo sauce with barbecue sauce for a slightly different flavor.
- This works with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and lean pork tenderloin.
But you don’t need to reserve this recipe for Super Bowl celebrations and other special occasions. You can rest assured that this buffalo chicken is healthy enough for any given Sunday.