Description
A hearty and healthy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe featuring tender shredded chicken cooked in a flavorful buffalo sauce, served inside baked sweet potatoes and optionally drizzled with ranch dressing. Perfect for buffalo chicken fans looking for an easy, whole30-friendly meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breast or thighs (recommend 1 lb of each)
- 1 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Whole30-compatible Frank’s Red Hot or Sriracha - not Whole30-compatible)
- ⅓ cup ghee, coconut oil, or butter (butter is not Whole30-compatible)
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional – adds more heat)
To Serve
- 8 small baked sweet potatoes (about 7 oz each uncooked)
- Ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker: Place the chicken breasts or thighs in the slow cooker and set it to low heat.
- Make the buffalo sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the hot pepper sauce, ghee (or coconut oil or butter), coconut aminos, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper if using. Stir the mixture until the ghee melts and the sauce is well combined.
- Add sauce to slow cooker: Pour the prepared buffalo sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker, ensuring all pieces are coated.
- Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on low for 6 hours until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and mix well with the sauce.
- Keep warm: Set the slow cooker to warm or keep on low until ready to serve.
- Bake the sweet potatoes: While the chicken is cooking or before serving, bake the sweet potatoes in a 400°F oven for about 45 minutes until soft and tender.
- Serve: Slice each baked sweet potato open and stuff generously with the shredded buffalo chicken mixture. Drizzle with ranch dressing if desired and serve warm.
Notes
- This recipe is Whole30-friendly when using compliant hot sauce and ghee or coconut oil instead of butter.
- You can prepare the baked sweet potatoes earlier and reheat before serving for convenience.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to control the heat level of the buffalo sauce.
- Use ranch dressing sparingly or opt for a Paleo/Whole30 version to keep the dish compliant.
- Substitute chicken thighs only for extra juiciness and flavor if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe + 1 small sweet potato
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
