Description
This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken is a hearty and healthy recipe perfect for buffalo chicken lovers. It features tender, shredded chicken cooked slowly in a spicy buffalo sauce made with hot pepper sauce, ghee, and coconut aminos. Served stuffed inside baked sweet potatoes and drizzled with ranch dressing, this Whole30-friendly dish combines bold flavors and satisfying textures for an easy and delicious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 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)
Additional Ingredients
- 8 small baked sweet potatoes (about 7 oz. each uncooked)
- Ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
- Prepare Slow Cooker: Place chicken breasts or thighs into a slow cooker set on low heat.
- Make the Buffalo Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the hot pepper sauce, ghee (or coconut oil), coconut aminos, garlic powder, and optional cayenne pepper. Stir continuously and heat until the ghee is fully melted and the sauce is well combined.
- Add Sauce to Chicken: Pour the heated buffalo sauce into the slow cooker over the chicken.
- Cook Chicken: Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily shred with a fork.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks.
- Combine Chicken with Sauce: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and toss it thoroughly with the buffalo sauce to coat evenly.
- Keep Warm: Turn the slow cooker to the warm setting or keep on low until ready to serve.
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes and Serve: Bake or grill the sweet potatoes until tender. Stuff each sweet potato with a portion of the shredded buffalo chicken and drizzle with your choice of ranch dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe is Whole30-compliant when using Whole30-approved hot sauce and ghee or coconut oil as the fat.
- You can adjust the heat level by adding or omitting the cayenne pepper based on your preference.
- For a dairy-free option, skip the ranch dressing or use a dairy-free version.
- Sweet potatoes can also be grilled instead of baked for extra flavor.
- Leftover buffalo chicken is great for salads, wraps, or bowls the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe + 1 small sweet potato
- Calories: 320
- 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: 75 mg
