Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches are a fantastic option for an easy and delicious dinner! Easy and tasty, this hands-off recipe is great for busy weeknights.
Insanely delicious and cooked to perfection in the crockpot, this easy dinner is perfect for feeding your family any night of the week or to bring along to potlucks or game day gatherings!
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🩵 About This Recipe
Everyone in our family loves buffalo chicken wings, how about you?
Because they are such a fav, I decided that a crockpot buffalo chicken sandwich version was definitely in order. This recipe would be easy, delicious, affordable, and lightened up a bit.
We can always benefit from making a favorite food a little better for you right?
Whenever I develop a crock pot recipe, my goal is to minimize the work as much as possible. I love to come up with something delicious that only requires dumping a few ingredients in the slow cooker and letting it do it's thing for 6 hours or so.
That's my ideal recipe!
And that is exactly what happened with this meal. The prep is sooo easy! Two ingredients and your slow cooker are all you need for the chicken portion.
And since my boys prefer the simplicity of eating the chicken on a nice, soft roll, with no other condiments or toppings, it's flexible, too. Read on to find out how! While you're at it, you may be interested in this Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad as well!
Or for more hand-held deliciousness, you don't want to miss my Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas, ready in less than 25 minutes!
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken - white or dark meat, use your favorite!
- buffalo sauce - spicy and flavorful this is the only flavoring you need for the chicken.
- rolls or buns - soft rolls are our family favorite, but pretzel or sourdough rolls are delicious too!
- blue cheese crumbles, celery and blue cheese dressing - for the relish.
🔪 Let's Make Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Slow Cook Chicken
Place chicken in the crockpot. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook for 6-8 hours on low.
Make Relish
Mix together the ingredients for the relish and refrigerate.
Shred Chicken
When cooked, shred the chicken with two forks.
Assemble
Add chicken mixture to rolls, top with relish, and enjoy!
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- There is a good bit of liquid left in the slow cooker after cooking, so remove the chicken pieces and shred them in a bowl or on a plate (use two forks), and then add enough of the liquid from the crockpot to make the shredded chicken flavorful but not soaking wet.
- If you are worried about your sandwich being soggy, I recommend that you place a leaf of romaine lettuce on the roll underneath the chicken to keep the liquid from soaking in too much.
- Making shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches to feed a crowd? Go ahead and double or even triple this recipe.
❔ FAQs
Absolutely, you just want to make sure that you allow enough time for the chicken to cook thoroughly, at least 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
I love using the slow cooker because it is really forgiving. As long as you have enough liquid in the crock pot and the chicken is covered with it and/or with other ingredients, it won't easily dry out. That being said, I still find that I get the best results with chicken thighs as opposed to chicken breasts, so most of my crock pot recipes use chicken thighs.
There are differing opinions on this, and I myself have started with frozen chicken in the crock pot with no ill-effects, however be aware that the USDA Slow Cooker and Food Safety guidelines recommend against starting with frozen chicken. So my recommendation is that your best bet is to thaw it first, just to be safe.
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- For extra flavor, set aside some extra buffalo sauce to drizzle over the top, or even add a bit of tabasco!
- If you're not a fan of blue cheese, ranch is also a great option.
- You can also serve this pulled chicken over rice or in lettuce wraps for a lower carb option.
- This recipe also works great to make sliders with smaller rolls.
Kristin's Kitchen Tip
Only add enough liquid to cook the chicken properly! Otherwise, you may end up with a liquidy result.
🥡 Storage and Reheating
If you have leftover chicken, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding some water or even chicken broth to prevent drying out. Allow frozen chicken to thaw before reheating for best results.
The celery relish should be refrigerated and used within 2 to 3 days for best results.
Keep It Handy
Don't have time for this shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches recipe right now? Click on or tap the heart icon on the BOTTOM RIGHT of the screen to save it for later!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Bright crunchy celery sticks are traditional, served alongside some blue cheese dip, amazing! Baked dill fries are crunchy, salty and delicious; they go great with this sandwich. This potato and corn salad is another great option - you'll love the grilled corn and all the great crunch!
😋 More Buffalo and Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Buffalo Blue Cheese Potato Bites - These are crispy and delicious shredded potato bites with the flavors of buffalo hot wings baked right in. They are kind of like what you might get if a tater tot and a buffalo chicken wing got married and had babies!
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken - You can make this tasty, flavorful dish right in your crockpot!
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore - Requires only 10 minutes of prep for a delicious and nutritious family meal!
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower - The perfect game day appetizer!
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Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
⭐ Did you make this recipe? Awesome! I would love to hear from you. Please give it a star rating and review below! 👇
📋 Recipe Card
Crock Pot Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken
- 10 ounces buffalo chicken sauce
- 4 sandwich rolls
For the celery relish:
- 1 cup celery, chopped small
- ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 2 tablespoons blue cheese dressing
Instructions
- Place chicken in the slow cooker. Pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken, cover, and cook for 6-8 hours on low.1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken, 10 ounces buffalo chicken sauce
- Mix together the celery, blue cheese crumbles, and blue cheese dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.1 cup celery, chopped small, ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles, 2 tablespoons blue cheese dressing
- When the chicken is done, remove it from the crock pot and shred it with a fork in a medium bowl. Add some of the liquid left in the crock pot - about ¼ cup, more or less to taste, but not too much or your sandwiches will be soggy.
- Distribute the chicken over the 4 rolls. If desired, drizzle some additional buffalo sauce over the chicken. Top with the celery relish and serve.4 sandwich rolls
Notes
Prep Tips:
- After cooking, shred the chicken in a separate bowl (using two forks) so you can control how much liquid you add back in.
- Add just enough cooking liquid to keep the chicken moist and flavorful without making it soggy.
- If you're worried about soggy sandwiches, layer a piece of romaine lettuce on the bottom bun as a barrier.
Variation Suggestions:
- Add a drizzle of extra buffalo sauce or a few dashes of hot sauce for more flavor.
- Swap the blue cheese for ranch if preferred.
- Serve the chicken in wraps or over rice instead of on sandwich rolls.
- Make a slider version using smaller rolls for parties or gatherings.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve on toasted sandwich rolls for extra texture.
- Pair with celery sticks, carrot sticks, or a simple coleslaw.
- Add a side of chips, fries, or a light salad for a complete meal.
Storage Info for Leftovers:
- Store the shredded chicken separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- The chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of the cooking liquid or chicken broth if needed.
- Store the celery relish separately in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days for best texture.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in November 2019, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in April 2026.
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Happy cooking!
Lisa says
Can you use can chicken
Kristin says
Sure, I think so! If you use canned chicken you won't need to cook it for 6 hours. You really only need to cook it until it's heated through. I haven't done it myself but you could certainly give it a try!
Liz says
Thank you for bringing this linkup to FF! Delicious.
Miz Helen says
This will be a great summertime recipe, easy and in the Crock Pot, it looks delicious! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday.
Miz Helen
Jann Olson says
Sounds yummy. I love buffalo chicken! Thanks for sharing the recipe with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Marissa | Squirrels of a Feather says
This looks AMAZING! I was just talking with my friend about how I love EVERYTHING buffalo, and I love this recipe even more because it is made in the crock pot. Going to pin to several boards, thanks for sharing at Miz Helen's!!
Michele @ Queenbeebaker says
I make pulled chicken all the time but I never thought to make it buffalo style. That's a great idea! Pinning! It looks so good.
Chas says
My husband and I love anything buffalo chicken. We are definitely trying this recipe! Pinned and I'll be featuring you next week! Thanks for sharing on To Grandma's House We Go!
Amy says
I love crock pot recipes and these sandwiches sound marvelous. Thank you for sharing at Wonderful Wednesday.
Linda on Poinsettia Drive says
Hi, love your post. I would like to invite you to come share this on the CLASSY FLAMINGOS BLOG PARTY held each Tuesday evening thru Friday. You'll get large picture exposure and shout outs on all of my social media sites. And if you get PINKED you get even more exposure! I hope you'll come by. poinsettiadr.com