Spicy, flavorful, and high in protein, this crock pot buffalo chicken is one of my favorite weeknight slow cooker meals. Tender shredded chicken breasts in a smoky honey-Frank’s sauce, ready in 3 hours and perfect for sandwiches, sliders, and bowls all week!

Overhead shot of shredded chicken and a serving fork in a slow cooker. The slow cooker is surrounded by honey, buffalo sauce, lime, and a tea towel.

5 star review

“Loved the sauce. Everyone loved the dinner. And since am notorious for not repeating recipes, they made me swear I’d do this again and again. And I have!”

– R.H.
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My Favorite Way to Make Buffalo Chicken Breast in the Crock Pot!

As someone who’s all about time-saving slow cooker recipes, this is the Buffalo chicken I make on repeat for a high-protein dinner that requires almost zero effort. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts go straight into the crock pot with a simple butter-honey-Frank’s sauce, then a quick shred at the end into something tender, juicy, and ready for whatever you want to put it on.

Now, most crock pot Buffalo chicken recipes lean on a ranch seasoning packet for flavor, but I skip it in favor of a simple homemade sauce: butter, Frank’s Red Hot, honey, lime juice, garlic powder, and onion powder. So easy and so good! The honey balances the heat without making it sweet, and the lime adds brightness you don’t get from packet seasonings. The other trick is reserving half the sauce, so be sure to cook the chicken in half the sauce, then toss the shredded chicken in the other half for fresher, brighter flavor.

This high-protein shredded chicken is endlessly versatile, too. Pile it onto buns with my creamy coleslaw and blue cheese crumbles for the ultimate buffalo chicken sandwich, fold it into wraps, or pile it onto rice bowls with chopped veggies and ranch. And if you love this set-it-and-forget-it method, my crockpot cilantro lime chicken uses the same approach with a bright, taco-friendly flavor profile. Yum!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: raw chicken breasts, honey, salt, garlic powder, lime halves, red hot sauce, and olive oil.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of a small glass bowl with the ingredients for buffalo sauce and a whisk.
Combine marinade ingredients.
Overhead shot of two glass containers with buffalo sauce.
Set aside half of the marinade.
Overhead shot of raw chicken breast with buffalo sauce in a slow cooker.
Add chicken & half of the sauce to slow cooker.
Overhead shot of cooked chicken breasts in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook.
Overhead shot of chicken breasts being shredded with two forks on a wooden cutting board.
Shred or cut into bite-sized pieces.
Overhead shot of shredded chicken in a slow cooker. The slow cooker is surrounded by honey, buffalo sauce, lime, and a tea towel.
Add back to the slow cooker along with remaining sauce. Toss to coat.
Closeup shot of a buffalo chicken sandwich with coleslaw and celery sticks on the side.
Serve as is, or in toasted buns topped with creamy cabbage slaw and blue cheese crumbles.

Testing Tips for Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

  • Use Frank’s RedHot specifically if you can, not generic hot sauce or wing sauce. The recipe is made for Frank’s vinegar-forward, slightly tart profile so wing sauces (which often include ranch flavoring or extra butter) throw off the balance, and generic hot sauces like Tabasco are sharper and saltier.
  • Shred the chicken while it’s still warm in the slow cooker for best results. Cold chicken takes twice as long to shred and tears in unpredictable strips. Warm chicken pulls apart cleanly with two forks in under a minute.
  • Reheat with a splash of chicken broth, not water. The sauce thickens significantly in the fridge as the butter solidifies. Water dilutes the buffalo flavor, but chicken broth restores the consistency without losing the smoky-honey edge.
Angles shot of a slow cooker with shredded chicken.
Overhead shot of raw chicken breast with buffalo sauce in a slow cooker.
5 stars (2 ratings)

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken (High Protein)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 5 minutes
Easy crock pot buffalo chicken made with chicken breasts, Frank's hot sauce, butter, and honey. A high-protein, shreddable dinner ready in 3 hours!
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • ½  cup cayenne pepper sauce (such as Frank’s red hot sauce)
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ½  teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • ½  teaspoon onion powder
  • ½  teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 pounds chicken breasts, or thighs

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Whisk the butter, hot sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt together in a medium bowl until well combined.
  • Set aside half (just over ¼ cup) of the sauce.
  • Add the chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the remaining sauce (just over ¼ cup) over the chicken, tossing to coat evenly. 
  • Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
  • Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. Shred or cut into bite-sized pieces. Add back to the slow cooker along with the remaining sauce, tossing to coat. 
  • Serve as is, in buns, or over rice.

Notes

  • Serving Suggestions: buns, cabbage slaw, blue cheese crumbles.
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 241kcal, Carbohydrates: 0.3g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 117mg, Sodium: 1043mg, Potassium: 566mg, Fiber: 0.05g, Sugar: 0.02g, Vitamin A: 279IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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