This easy, healthy, instant pot creamy buffalo chicken has been exclusive to my first macro-friendly cookbook, Lillie Eats and Tells. But I’ve decided it’s time to let it live over here! It is easily one of the QUICKEST and TASTIEST things to ever come out of my instant pot. In fact, I always double it because we NEVER WANT IT TO END.
We love a fresh grilled or smoked meat like the next food-loving family…. but for quick weeknight recipes, you just can’t beat having a bunch of shredded, prepped protein on hand like this creamy buffalo chicken.
One of my all-time favorite ways to eat buffalo chicken is stuffed in a baked sweet potato! This one was a fan-favorite from the Lillie Eats and Tells Cookbook. Drizzled with a little low-sugar syrup… TRUST ME.
Perfect and easy for tasty, healthy meal prep:
This is one of my favorite things about this buffalo chicken, or really any shredded chicken. It can LIVE ON AND ON. You can reheat it without feeling like you’re microwaving Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. Ew. You can freeze a big bag of it for later. You can use it for a dinner for a friend. It stays so yummy and absolutely doesn’t need to be eaten same-day.
However you use yours, I support lots of extra hot sauce and blue cheese crumbles. But for the other half of you that despise blue cheese, no fear! It’s not actually included in the recipe.
How to Make Your Easy Instant Pot Creamy Buffalo Chicken
Like so many instant pot creations, it’s so easy! Especially if you follow my lead and find some frozen diced onion and frozen garlic cubes. These will make your life SO MUCH EASIER.
- Spray your instant pot with some cooking spray and throw in your chicken, onions, garlic, hot sauce, broth, and seasonings.
- Close the lid and set for 30 minutes!
- Open, and turn to the saute setting while you shred the chicken with two forks (or use your favorite trick).
- Let it saute for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is mostly reduced and your chicken is nice and shredded to soak up all the goodness.
- Turn off heat and stir in cream cheese and parsley. And it’s ready!
It’s honestly maybe the tastiest shredded meat I’ve ever had kicking around my fridge. It makes it SO easy to whip up a delicious snack without having to get that creative! I even love it cold, throw into a jicama “tortilla” (thin sliced jicama) for a low-carb, fresh, crunchy, mouth-watering little number.
Another favorite from my first book (Lillie Eats and Tells) were these buffalo chicken taquitos made by stuffing the chicken in our FAVORITE ever low-carb Cut Da Carb wraps.
And there are so many other ways to use this creamy buffalo chicken. NO LIMITS. But especially, and in no particular order (ha!):
- tacos
- tostadas
- nachos
- flatbreads/pizzas
- sandwiches
- rice bowls with slaw
- crunch wraps! (you can find a recipe for an actual buffalo chicken crunch wrap in my Macro-friendly Crunch Wrap cookbook here.)
- lettuce wraps
- salads
- over spaghetti squash
- you get it
Go plug in your instant pot. When you take that first bite of this easy, healthy instant pot creamy buffalo chicken, you won’t regret it!
Easy Healthy Instant Pot Creamy Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast about 3 fresh breasts
- 1 small onion diced (200 g) (I love using frozen diced onions for a short cut)
- 6 cloves of garlic minced (or frozen cubes)
- 1 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
- 1 Tbs ranch seasoning
- 1/2 Tbs Italian seasoning
- 3 oz Greek cream cheese or sub reduced-fat cream cheese for just a tiny bit more fat- no biggie overall
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Spray bottom of instant pot with cooking spray, add breasts, onion, garlic, hot sauce, water, Italian and ranch seasonings. Close lid; close vent. Set on manual high pressure for 30 minutes for breasts (12 for tenderloins.)
- Allow the steam to naturally release. Open lid and start shredding but while you do, turn the instant pot to “sauté” setting to let it cook down for 10-15 more minutes (or until liquid is reduced and absorbed, stirring often). Shred the chicken nice and fine, so it really asborbs the juices. You can use your stand or hand mixer to shred, but I’ve found this to be a breeze with two forks and no extra dishes. When most of the excess liquid has reduced, turn off heat. Add Greek cream cheese and fresh parsely, and stir until the cream cheese melts and it’s all well-combined. There shouldn’t be any obvious liquid remaining. Use for taquitos, sandwiches, sweet potatoes, pizzas, etc!
- For slow cooker: Place chicken in the slow cooker. Top with onions, garlic, Frank’s hot sauce, ½ cup water or chicken stock (TWICE what the recipe calls for) and seasonings. Combine. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-6 hours until chicken is easy to shred. Shred chicken and toss around in the juices to soak up as much as you can. Discard excess liquid and stir in cream cheese and parsley.
Notes
- I usually prefer tenderloins, but breasts have turned out great in this recipe, and sometimes feel so easy! If you use tenderloins, you only need to cook for 12 minutes.
- We love to double this recipe and freeze some to use later. I don’t adjust the cooking time.
- For tracking purposes, search MFP for: “Lillie Eats and Tells Creamy Buffalo Chicken”
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Tag @LillieEatsAndTells on Instagram with #LillieEatsandTells! We’d love to see your creations!
Great recipe! I used a chipotle BBQ sauce instead of the Frank’s Hot Sauce to make this kid friendly and adjusted the sauce / stock ratio to further reduce the heat. We have been eating it with baked potatoes this week and will try tacos next. This is a keeper. Quick, delicious and packed with protein.
PS I used a mix of skinless chicken breasts and thighs and cooked them for 25 minutes in the instant pot. Worked brilliantly.
How long would you cook in the instapot for thighs? I’m an instapot newbie and thoroughly confused after googling. Recommendations ranged from 6- 13 min for thighs and 8 – 10for breasts with natural and/or quick releases. Ack!
Doubles this recipe for my husband’s & my meal prep for the week. Paired it with some t rice and veggies. We LOVED it!! Can’t wait to try it in other things…I’m thinking sliders.
Made this last night and it was absolutely delicious!! I was so excited to have plenty of leftovers to freeze!
Love this! It is beyond easy and so versatile: top a sweet potato, buffalo air frier fries, air fryer taquitos, nachos, a Crunchwrap. Literally anything!
What is Greek cream cheese? :o)
My local Walmart sells Green Mountain Farm Cream Greek Cheese. It’s delicious and what I use in this recipe.
This was so yummy, but SUPER spicy! I only used 3/4 cup of the Franks and I would reduce it again next time to 1/3 or 1/2 cup. We are total wimps on spicy stuff though. The flavor was outstanding though!
That was my thought , too! Big wimp on spicy things, also, but then thought maybe a little more cream cheese would help . Gonna try that when I make it!
Easy and DELICIOUS. ThIs on repeat weekly in my kitchen for lunch. I always have the inGredients on hand, and I make enOugh for a week of lunches!
I have enjoyed every recipe on this site we have tried, but oh my, this one is my favorite so far. So good!!! I made it for the first time last night and already pulled another 4 pounds of chicken breasts out of the freezer to make a double batch in a few days!
I love this buffalo chicken recipe. You can make a double batch and freeze half of it. It thaws well and it makes it easy to put a quick meal together.
This combo is just the best! Love all of the flavors. Comforting, filling, DELICIOUS.
Great for serving to company since you can customize your potato to your preference!
This looks great- how would you convert this to a crockpot?
Oh so yummy!!! I’m serious you guys!! And this is coming from someone who DOES NOT LIKE Buffalo sauce! I don’t even like spicey food, but this isn’t too spicey. But my husband loves Buffalo sauce so I figured I’d try this! And oh my heavens I loved it! 🙂 so yummy and SO easy! Just put it in the pressure cooker and it does it all for you 🙂 yum!! I’ve made this several times (the first time I bought the wrong hot sauce 🤦🏼♀️ I bought regular hot sauce instead of Buffalo sauce – they were both the orangey color haha anyways it was actually very good with a different hot sauce still!) anyways! Try this! You won’t regret it 🙂
Seriously….save and make this. You will not be disappointed. I’ve made this numerous times and anyone who has tasted asks for recipe. So many options on how to use as well.
SO. DANG. GOOD. This was my first EVER instant pot creation. I have to admit I was intimidated to use it. Holy moly, am I mad that I waited so long on this one. It is to DIE for. I didn’t even have time to put it on my tortilla and just ate it straight with a fork. Wow. Thank you. 🤤🤤🤤
Have you ever tried using Trader Joe’s chili pepper sauce in place of Frank’s? I grabbed some today at TJ’s since I didn’t want to run to a different store for one item, but now I’m not sure about it.
Which ranch seasoning do you use?
I just googled to make my own. Much more healthier in my opinion versus store bought.
Hi- if I wanted to make this little kid friendly using less Buffalo sauce – would I sub equal part broth/water to replace/lease buffalo sauce? Thank you!
Love this recipe! Do you think I could do it with pork tenderloin?