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!)
Why We Love This 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!
Ingredients You Need
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.
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!
How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Soup
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.
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
- Best Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- 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.
The soup is out of this world! I’m a big fan of southwestern flavor, and I’m excited to try some new recipes!
I love buffalo wing so this is perfect. Definitely lighter on the hips! LOL. Perfect for the chilly weather right now too.
We LOVE Buffalo Chicken Soup in our house!! So glad to have this recipe!
I love buffalo chicken, so I know I’d love this soup! Can’t wait to try this one.
Just made this and it tasted pretty great! Had to double it cos I had wayy to much chicken. But it didn’t come out as red and buffalo-y as the pictures? Maybe cos I used Burmans hot sauce instead of Frank’s but they’re the same consistency so I’m not sure why? Anyways I have a tonne of soup for my lunches!
Sommer, we have loved your Detox Chicken Soup for quite a while. I finally noticed the links to other soups recently and decided to try all of your healthy soups one after the other. We keep expecting to not like one or come across one that is just ‘okay’….so far that has not happened! We’ve done the Greek lemon chicken, low carb Green Curry Chicken, low carb Creamy Chicken Mushroom and today we tried the Buffalo Chicken Soup (slightly modified with your Buffalo Cauliflower soup). WE ARGUED ABOUT WHICH IS THE BEST.
I usually have to doctor up the spices in recipes I get online, with yours I make it as is and they turn out delicious! I have made one change, after the first bowl, I add kale just to stretch it out and to get some more healthy greens into the family.
We look forward to the next one! We appreciate you!!!
p.s. my favorite was the mushroom and I am not a big mushroom fan!!!
I made it as directed in the slow cooker. So easy and tasty! I’m wimpy with spice but this wasn’t toooooooo spicy for me. Husband LOVED it and even ate the carrots which he usually avoids! I didn’t do any toppings, but served it with the extra celery and blue cheese dressing. Thanks!
Has anyone ever added reduced fat cream cheese to make it a little thicker?
Hi Laurel,
I haven’t done that with this recipe, but I have with another similar soup recipe. It should work just fine! I would start with 2-3 ounces, then add more if needed.
This looks AMAZING! I am making next week for a family Christmas party. I’m wanting something thicker. Do you think I could add sour cream or would that taste weird with the blue cheese? Can’t wait to let you know how it is!
I just made it!! Smells yummy however it is very thin and soupy… what should I do?
Hi McKenna,
This is a thinner soup. It’s not meant to be super thick. How did it taste?