5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
Crave-worthy Buffalo chicken gets a dairy-free makeover! Stuffed inside a tender sweet potato, and done completely in the slow cooker, 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken & Sweet Potatoes is your answer to dinner tonight.
Raise you hand if you’re a Buffalo chicken fan.
Is your hand up? Mine too.
That spicy, vinegary tang hits the spot every time, and the combo can take regular, everyday chicken and elevate it to something really special.
The traditional recipe, though, is really better reserved for bar-fare or gameday.
Not so this version.
This version has all the traditional favor you expect, but made dairy-free with a just a touch of coconut oil for richness, and stuffed inside a luscious, tender sweet potato.
And the entire meal (potatoes included) can be prepared in the slow cooker.
Boom. Mic drop.
This one took more time to perfect than I’d like to admit (let’s just say we’ve eating a lot of Buffalo chicken in the past few months) but in the end I think it’s worth it.
Especially the part about the sweet potatoes cooking right alongside the chicken. Love that.
You can, of course, skip the sweet potatoes if you prefer to serve the chicken another way. It really is a simple recipe that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes. I hope you enjoy.
Now, let’s make some 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken & Sweet Potatoes!
RECIPE & KID-FRIENDLY ADAPTATIONS
1 | Most of the spice cooks out of the red hot sauce during the cooking process, making it palatable to those sensitive to heat.
Serve the chicken shredded, without any additional hot sauce if you’re serving someone who is sensitive to spice.
2 | Skip the sweet potatoes and serve the shredded chicken any way you like: in bowls, tacos, in buns, or salads. It would be especially delicious with something cold & crunchy like my creamy cabbage slaw recipe.
THIS RECIPE IS . . .
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
- ¾ cup red hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 small whole scrubbed sweet potatoes or 2 large sweet potatoes, halved
For the Toppings (Optional)
- ¼ cup avocado mayonnaise , or whole plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives or green onion
Equipment
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot sauce and 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil.
- Rub 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil on the skin of the sweet potatoes.
- Place the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the hot sauce mixture, tossing to coat.
- Arrange the sweet potatoes on top of the chicken, around the edge of the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender.
- While the chicken and sweet potatoes cook, make the sauce by whisking together the avocado mayonnaise or yogurt, lime juice and salt.
- Carefully remove the potatoes from the slow cooker–they will be very soft so you may need to use tongs and a spatula–and set aside. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker, stirring together with any accumulated juice. Pour in an additional ¼ cup hot sauce mixture, stirring to combine.
- Slice the sweet potatoes, top with the shredded chicken, and drizzle with the remaining hot sauce mixture and mayonnaise or yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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Hello!! I have 2% Greek yogurt. Will it work for the sauce? Thanks 🙂
Laura, the sauce won’t be quite as creamy but should still taste good! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Hi Robyn,
I am not very familiar with slow cookers/crock pots. Do they mean the same thing? That is, does the slow cooker perform the same functions as the crock pot? I learnt this method of cooking has a lot of benefits including saving time. I’d really like to know, will I not add water to the pot? I fear the food will get burnt.
Ime, yes, a crockpot and slow cooker are the same thing. The chicken will release quite a bit of liquid during the cooking process, so there shouldn’t be any burning. That said, every unit is different, so keep on eye on the time the first time you try a recipe to see how long you need to cook for the chicken and potatoes to cook through. I hope you enjoy this one!
Do I dare admit I’ve never had Buffalo chicken?! :-/…..never really sounded good to me, BUT I made this last night and enjoyed every bite. Such and easy and yummy meal. Definitely added to our rotation….as many of your recipes are. Thank you yet again for introducing us to a simple, healthy, and satisfying meal.
I’m so glad you gave this one a try and that it was a hit! 🙂
This was so easy and excellent! Thanks for creating a healthy way to enjoy buffalo sauce!
Kay, I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! 🙂
THIS IS DELICIOUS. Probably my favorite recipe you’ve posted. It was easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious. I’ve been sending this to all of my friends! I did add a little pour of chicken broth to the crockpot just to add some more liquid/moisture. I was worried the chicken would dry out. I also used plain yogurt instead of avocado mayo.
Kaitlin, yay, so glad you’re enjoying this one!! Makes all the test worth it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing it!
And since all slow cookers are different, it’s definitely fine to add a splash of chicken stock if you’re concerned about things drying out too much.
Plain mayo is definitely a great sub for avocado mayo. 🙂
I have made this twice now and my husband and I both LOVE it! We make it on Sunday and portion it out for lunches during the work week. Love your blog!
Alana, yay, I’m so glad you’re both enjoying this one! Such a great idea to prep it on Sunday! 🙂
Hubby and I are both super stuffed up, making this to help clear our sinuses! Do you have a recipe for avocado mayo?
Andrea, I actually buy my avocado mayo (I like Primal Kitchens brand), but I know there are some good recipes online (just google avocado mayo). Regular will work, too, if that’s all you have. Hope you both feel better soon!
If you are cooking half the portion, would you reduce the slow cooker time down a bit? Perhaps from 4 on high to 3 on high?
Jessica, all slow cookers are different, but yes, I’d start with a bit less time (an hour less is a good place to start as you suggest) and then go from there. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve made this delicious recipe 3 times before but tonight, out of desperation, I tried it out in the Instant Pot. It was a winner! I used chicken thighs and increased the hot sauce/coconut oil to get to the one cup of liquid needed to reach pressure. Chicken and sauce on the bottom, then trivet and sweet potatoes on top. I did manual pressure for 20 minutes (I was nervous about the potatoes), but easily could have gotten away with 15 as my sweet potatoes were very soft. Just thought I’d share for others in a pinch. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Megan, thank you SO much for sharing! I’ve been thinking about how to adapt this for the IP and your tips are so helpful. 🙂
Thanks Megan! You just saved my dinner!
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
Hi Traci, for food safety reasons we can’t recommend using frozen chicken in the slow cooker.
Hi. I just found your website and I’m looking forward to explorong it! This recipe looks delicious! I’m excited to try it. Do you have a healthy recipe for red hot sauce or a brand that you would recommend? Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth, plain Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is a great option (check the ingredients, you should just see red pepper, vinegar, and salt), or I believe Tessemaes make a good one as well. Hope you enjoy!
I can’t believe I’ve not left a comment on this yet, because I’ve made this recipe on a regular basis for the last 9 months! Such a tasty, simple and healthy dish. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Valerie, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying this one! Thanks for leaving a comment!
This was delicious and so simple! Mild-medium spice heat. I served the chicken on half of the sweet potato with plain yogurt and chopped red and green onion on top with hot sauce drizzle. My 3 teens thought it looked “fancy schmancy” and sent pics to their friends lol. I will definitely be making this again and we even had fun thinking of other ways to use this chicken! Thanks so much!
Shannon, that’s awesome! I love that your teens took food photos. Future food bloggers? 🙂
Do you have the nutritional facts on this recipe?
Hi Nancy, I just added those for you. Keep in mind those numbers will vary depending on your specific ingredients. Hi hope you enjoy!
Super easy & absolutely delicious. My husband LOVED it! 🙂
Kayla, yay, so happy to hear you AND your husband enjoyed this one. Always a win when that happens. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
This was one of the BEST things I’ve ever tasted and though I hate cooking w a passion, I struggle through it everyday bc I love my kids. You’ve given me hope…absolutely easy and entirely healthy! Thank you! This was sensational. I’ll be back!❤️
Susan, this made my day! So happy to hear this one was a hit – thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Hi, thanks so much for this recipe.
So tasty and packed with protein.
Do you think you could freeze the dish once prepared if made in bulk?
So happy to hear this one is a hit! If you want to make this one ahead and freeze, I’d recommend freezing the chicken separately from the potatoes, and making the sauce the day you plan to serve it. Hope that helps!
Super yummy and reheats well! Will 100% make again!
Thanks so much!
Rebecca, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Delicious! I was impressed how well the flavor combination came together, easy clean up, 4 year old approved, will be saving this recipe to make again and I’ve shared it with a friend!
Kiki, yay, so happy to year you and your crew enjoyed this one, thanks so much for leaving a review!
Easy and delicious!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I am making this tonight. However, my husband is allergic to avocados. Do you have any suggestions on what to substitute for the sauce instead of the avocado mayonnaise?
Victoria, any type of mayo will work. I hope you enjoy!
This was the fifth crock pot recipe I tried from the “55+ Dump and Go Slow Cooker Recipes” and they have all been amazing and incredibly easy. My biggest challenge has been waiting until they are done because the aromas are so tempting.
Julie, yay, so happy to hear you’re enjoying all the dump and go slow cooker recipes! I’ve got more coming in the next few months, so stay tuned for those. And I agree, waiting is the hardest part. Thanks so much for leaving a reivew!
This was so good. Since I have a toddler I rubbed the chicken with olive oil and sprinkled with ranch seasoning and put 1/4 cup of water on bottom of crockpot. When finished I added franks red hot for the rest of us and left the chicken plain for the kids.
Julie, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and that you were able to adapt it for the whole family. So smart! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Super good and easy!
So glad you enjoyed, Lauren, thanks for leaving a review!
How have I lived without this recipe in my life until now?! This is so simple, and delicious and versatile.
I shared it with my extended family at a Fat Tuesday party and everyone loved it. Then I had the leftover chicken and sauce on a salad the next day.
This is 100% in the weekly rotation now. Thank you so much for sharing.
Alyssa, yay, so happy you found this one and are adding it to your weekly rotation. I definitely call that a win. Thanks so much for leaving a review!