Buffalo Chicken Soup
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup is combines the bold flavors of spicy buffalo sauce with tender shredded chicken, vegetables, and a flavorful broth! Lighter than buffalo wings with all the same robust flavor (and it can also be made on the stovetop!)
Buffalo Chicken Soup
Today’s Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup is the perfect example of enjoying flavor while watching your weight! This recipe is versatile, flavorful, and much lighter than traditional buffalo wings. Plus, it’s gluten-free and low carb as well. Take out the cheese and it’s also dairy-free!
Soup Base
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup satisfies the craving for buffalo wings with spicy pepper sauce and a bit of blue cheese dressing blended into the soup base.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the soup:
- Garlic – Garlic belongs in every savory soup base, in my opinion. Its humble, yet striking, flavor elevates every other flavor in the soup.
- Onions – Another classic and simple must-have ingredient.
- Carrots – Hello healthy, and hello beta carotene! This antioxidant is transformed in your body into Vitamin A.
- Celery – Mostly made of water but full of fiber and a lot of different vitamins. Celery rounds out the soup broth flavor.
- Chicken Breasts – Or chicken thighs – the main protein for this soup.
- Franks Hot Sauce – If you have a buffalo sauce that you like better, and is similar, feel free to use that.
- Blue Cheese Dressing – You can use regular ranch dressing if you aren’t a fan of blue cheese!
- Chicken Stock – This helps fill out the soup while maintaining flavor. Chicken broth or stock are both good options. Even vegetable broth will work.
Soup Toppings
This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup also looks and tastes decadent with full-bodied toppings like crispy tortilla strips and blue cheese. And some green onions for garnish and taste.
However, this buffalo wing soup is low in fat and calories… Which can be reduced even more by substituting light blue cheese dressing and skipping the tortilla strips. It’s your call.
Alternative topping swaps include: cheddar cheese, roasted cauliflower florets, and parsley or cilantro.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Soup
Another bonus of this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup, is that it can be made in a slow cooker or quickly on the stovetop. Whether you are a person who likes to prepare ahead, or quickly throw dinner together, this recipe is for you.
Crock Pot Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted add the vegetables: onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes to soften.
- Place the sautéed garlic and onions, carrots, celery, chicken breasts, Franks hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and chicken stock in a crockpot.
- Cover and turn on. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-5 hours.
- Once the chicken has cooked through, take the chicken breasts out. Using two forks, shred the chicken and place it back in the soup.
- Scoop the Buffalo Chicken Soup into bowls and sprinkle with crunchy tortilla strips, crumbled blue cheese, and green onions.
Stovetop Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes to soften.
- Place the sautéed garlic and onions, carrots, celery, chicken breasts, Franks hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and chicken stock in a stockpot.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Once the soup has cooked, take the chicken breasts out. Using two forks, shred the chicken and place it back in the soup.
- Scoop the Buffalo Chicken Soup into bowls and sprinkle with crunchy tortilla strips, crumbled blue cheese, and green onions.
We love Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup, possibly even more than buffalo wings, because as long as you don’t pile your bowl with additional tortilla strips and cheese, you can enjoy it guilt-free!
See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Buffalo Chicken Soup. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- To make is spicier, taste test and add more Frank’s hot sauce as needed!
- If you want it thicker, you can add some cream cheese, or add a cornstarch slurry! Whisk together 2 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water until all the cornstarch is dissolved, then add it to the soup and let it simmer until it thickens a bit!
- Serve with extra blue cheese crumbles as garnish!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add reduced-fat cream cheese to make the soup thicker?
Yes, absolutely. I would start with 2-3 ounces, then add more if needed. The cream cheese will cool down this spicy buffalo chicken soup!
Do you cook the chicken before you put it in the crock pot?
No, the chicken can go into the crockpot raw and will cook in the soup base.
I added the blue cheese dressing and there were chunks floating that didn’t melt – Did I do something wrong??
No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Some dressings are just chunkier than others. If you didn’t like the chunks, next time look for a smooth blue cheese dressing or scoop out the chunks before adding it.
Can you substitute something in place of the blue cheese?
You could definitely use ranch in place of the blue cheese! The dressing makes the broth a little creamy and elevates the overall flavor of the soup.
How long does this recipe last?
You can keep this recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days!
More Soups You Are Sure To Love!
- Pappa al Pomodoro & Homemade Tomato Soup
- Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup
- Healthy Chicken Cacciatore Soup
- Chicken Minestrone Soup
- Chicken and Lentil Soup from SkinnyTaste
Additional Buffalo Chicken Recipes…
- Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Buffalo Baked Chicken Wings
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Easy Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Buffalo Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Crispy Buffalo Chicken Breasts
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 large onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 large carrots sliced
- 3 celery stalks sliced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot cayenne sauce
- 1/4 cup good blue cheese dressing could also use low-cal dressing
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup crispy tortilla chip strips
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes to soften.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Place the sautéed garlic and onions, carrots, celery, chicken breasts, Franks hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and chicken stock in a crockpot. Cover and turn on. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-5 hours.
- Once the chicken has cooked through, take the chicken breasts out. Using two forks, shred the chicken and place back in the soup.
Stovetop Method:
- Place the sautéed garlic and onions, carrots, celery, chicken breasts, Franks hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and chicken stock in a stockpot. Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Once the soup has cooked, take the chicken breasts out. Using two forks, shred the chicken and place back in the soup.
To serve:
- Scoop the Buffalo Chicken Soup into bowls and sprinkle with crunchy tortilla strips, crumbled blue cheese, and green onions.
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This looks delicious!!! Has anyone tried it without the dressing? I want to make this for a work party, but there is someone with a dairy allergy. I thought I could keep it on the side and folks could add it to their own bowls. Thoughts?
If i don’t like blue cheese can i substitute the blue cheese dressing with ranch dressing and will it still taste the same and not effect the quality of the soup
Absolutely! Let me know how it turns out. :)
Made this last night (stovetop bc I started dinner late) and it was delicious. The hubby gobbled up a few bowls! Had it again for lunch today and it reheats very well, couldn’t tell it was a leftover! Can’t wait to try it in the slow cooker.
As a note regarding buffalo sauce, part of the reason that buffalo wings are so heavy in fat and calories is that the traditional recipe for buffalo sauce is pretty much a 50/50 mix of something like Frank’s Red Hot and butter. If you want that flavor without so many calories you can subsitute white vinegar for half of the butter and make your own buffalo sauce at home. 2-3 table spoons of Frank’s Red Hot, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 tablespoon of vinegar makes enough sauce easily cook two 4-5 ounce chicken breast filets.
David the original Franks has 0 calories. However the wing sauce is a mix. It would probably be god with the plain original Franks.
Sounds like a winner! One question though… Are we talking about a white onion?
Hey Rachel, You can use white, yellow, sweet, or red. :)
This looks so yummy especially on a rainy day like today. Can you substitute something in place of the blue cheese? Ranch? Do you really taste the blue cheese flavor? I love bleu cheese but not everyone in my family!! Love your site
Hi Suzanne, You could definitely use ranch in place of the blue cheese! The dressing makes the broth a little creamy and elevates the overall flavor of the soup.
This soup looks amazing! I love using my slow cooker in the winter!
Fabulous recipe + great eye-opening story!
That story is hilarious! I love it.
Oh, and of course the soup – awesome! (Sorry, hit sent to submit too fast).
What a great idea! Looks delicious, especially love the tortilla strips for crunch. Pinned!
Love the idea of getting that buffalo chicken flavor without all the calories!
I love slow cooker recipes, so easy and delicious!
Yum! This will be a hit at my house! Thanks for the recipe Sommer!
I love that you took such a classic dish and morphed it into a soup! I love even more that it can be made in the slow cooker :)
YUM! I bet my family would love this.
and this is why we are friends <3 IT