Description
A hearty and healthy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe that is Whole30-friendly and perfect for buffalo chicken fans. Tender shredded chicken is cooked in a spicy buffalo sauce made with hot pepper sauce, ghee, and coconut aminos, then served in baked sweet potatoes and drizzled with ranch dressing for a flavorful, comforting 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)
Accompaniments
- 8 small baked sweet potatoes (about 7 oz. each uncooked)
- Ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
- Prepare Slow Cooker: Place the chicken breasts or thighs into the slow cooker and set it to low heat.
- Make Buffalo Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the hot pepper sauce, ghee (or coconut oil/butter), coconut aminos, garlic powder, and optional cayenne pepper. Stir the mixture while heating until the ghee is fully melted and ingredients are well combined.
- Add Sauce to Slow Cooker: Pour the prepared buffalo sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker, ensuring the chicken is well coated.
- Cook Chicken: Cover and cook on low for 6 hours to ensure tender and fully cooked chicken.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred it finely using two forks, and return it to the slow cooker. Toss the shredded chicken with the sauce thoroughly.
- Keep Warm: Keep the slow cooker on warm or low setting until ready to serve to maintain heat and flavor.
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Meanwhile, bake small sweet potatoes (about 7 oz. each) until tender, which typically takes around 45-60 minutes at 400°F in an oven, or cook by preferred method.
- Serve: Stuff baked sweet potatoes with the shredded buffalo chicken and drizzle with buffalo sauce and ranch dressing to taste.
Notes
- This recipe is Whole30-friendly when using ghee or coconut oil and Whole30-compliant hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot.
- You can substitute coconut oil for ghee to keep it dairy-free and Whole30-compliant.
- Optional cayenne pepper adds extra heat—omit if you prefer a milder flavor.
- The recipe yields 8 servings, perfect for meal prep or family dinners.
- Baking sweet potatoes in the oven provides the best texture; alternatively, you can grill or microwave them if short on time.
- For a lower fat version, use coconut oil instead of butter or ghee.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 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
