Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches for Game Day

These slow cooker buffalo chicken sandwiches need four ingredients in the pot: chicken breasts, a bottle of buffalo sauce, a packet of dry ranch mix and a few pats of butter. After about 4 hours on low, the chicken shreds with two forks, soaks up the sauce, and gets piled onto buns with cool toppings like blue cheese, ranch and crisp lettuce. Prep takes 10 minutes, and one batch fills 8–10 buns, which makes it an easy main for game day or a crowd.

The butter and ranch mix are what make this more than just hot sauce on chicken: the butter rounds out the vinegar in the buffalo sauce, and the ranch seasoning adds garlic, onion and herbs without watering the sauce down.

Ingredients

• 2–3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts: thighs also work and stay juicier over a long cook.
• 1 (12–16 ounce) bottle buffalo sauce: choose mild, medium or hot to set the heat level. Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce is a common choice.
• 1 (1 ounce) packet dry ranch dressing mix.
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (optional): for a looser, saucier filling.
• 8–10 hamburger buns or slider buns: potato rolls and brioche hold up best to the sauce.
• Optional toppings: blue cheese crumbles, ranch or blue cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks, shredded lettuce, pickles.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken in the Slow Cooker

1. Load the slow cooker. Lay the thawed chicken in an even layer in the bottom. There’s no need to cut it.
2. Add the sauce and seasoning. Pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken, sprinkle the ranch mix on top and scatter the butter pieces over everything. Add the broth now if you want a looser sauce.
3. Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours (or on HIGH for 2–3 hours), until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest piece and pulls apart easily.
4. Shred. Move the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks, or shred it right in the crock if the insert won’t scratch.
5. Let it soak. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce, stir well and keep it on WARM or LOW for 15–30 minutes. This is the step that keeps shredded chicken from tasting dry; the loose strands absorb the sauce.
6. Build the sandwiches. Toast the buns if you like, pile on the chicken with a slotted spoon so the buns don’t get soaked, and add your toppings.

For a party, leave the chicken on WARM in the slow cooker with the buns and toppings next to it so guests can build their own.

Why Shredded Buffalo Chicken Turns Out Dry or Soupy

• Dry, stringy chicken: breasts cooked well past done, usually from long cooks on HIGH. Check the temperature at the early end of the time range, and use thighs if you need to leave it longer. To rescue dry chicken, stir in extra buffalo sauce, a splash of broth, or a spoonful of cream cheese.
• Thin, watery sauce: chicken releases liquid as it cooks, and the broth adds more. After shredding, cook uncovered on HIGH for 30–60 minutes to reduce it, or leave out the broth next time.
• Sauce too thick: stir in broth or water a tablespoon at a time.
• Bland chicken: it went straight from shredding to buns. Give it the full 15–30 minutes back in the sauce, and add more buffalo sauce to taste.
• Too spicy: stir in some cream cheese or sour cream, and serve with plenty of ranch, blue cheese and celery. Choose a milder sauce next time.
• Soggy buns: assemble just before eating and drain the chicken slightly with a slotted spoon.

Swaps and Lighter Options

• No ranch mix: use about 1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing and reduce the butter slightly. Expect a creamier, slightly thinner sauce. A mix of garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of dried dill also covers the basic ranch flavor.
• Less butter: you can cut it to 2 tablespoons. The sauce will taste sharper and more acidic.
• Homemade buffalo sauce: mix a vinegar-based hot sauce such as Frank’s RedHot Original with melted butter. This gives you more control over salt, since bottled sauce and ranch mix both add a lot of sodium.
• Lettuce wraps or whole wheat buns: romaine or butter lettuce cups make a low-carb, gluten-free option; whole wheat buns add fiber.
• Lighter toppings: a Greek yogurt-based ranch or blue cheese dressing is tangier and lighter than the full-fat versions.
• More heat: use hot buffalo sauce, add a pinch of cayenne with the ranch mix, or top with sliced jalapeños.

What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Celery and carrot sticks with extra dressing are the classic side. Coleslaw adds cool crunch, and fries or potato salad make it a heartier meal. The chicken is also good spooned over nachos or over a bowl of homemade mac and cheese.

For a game-day spread, pair it with another slow cooker sandwich like this slow cooker French dip, and add a tray of Hawaiian ham and cheese sliders for guests who don’t want anything spicy.

Storing, Freezing and Reheating

• Refrigerate: refrigerate the shredded chicken and sauce, without buns or toppings, within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps 3–4 days in an airtight container.
• Freeze: freeze cooled chicken and sauce in freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheat: warm on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it looks dry, until it reaches 165°F. The safe minimum temperature chart lists the numbers for chicken and leftovers.

Store buns and toppings separately and assemble sandwiches just before eating.

FAQ

Can I put frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

No. Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator first. Frozen chicken warms too slowly in a slow cooker and can spend hours in the temperature range where bacteria grow. If you only have frozen chicken, the Instant Pot method below is the better choice.

Can I make this in an Instant Pot?

Yes. Add the chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch mix, butter and 1/2 cup broth. Pressure cook on high for 12–15 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest. Check that the chicken has reached 165°F, shred it, and stir it back into the sauce.

Can I use leftover cooked chicken?

Yes. Stir shredded cooked chicken into the buffalo sauce, ranch mix and butter and heat it on HIGH for 30–60 minutes, or on the stove, until it is hot throughout and has absorbed the sauce.

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