Crock Pot Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

How do busy moms get dinner on the table every night? With easy and tasty meals like this Buffalo Chicken Sandwich recipe! Insanely delicious and made in the crockpot, this easy meal is perfect for feeding your family during the week or serving a crowd on the weekend!

Update Notes:This post was originally published in June 2018, but was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in November 2019.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich 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!

BEST Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

DH and I are partial to some additional flavors on our sandwiches, so I like to make a blue cheese and celery relish to complete the buffalo chicken wing experience right in the sandwich.

To me, the blue cheese celery relish is the best part of this sandwich.

It is super-yummy, and if you have leftover relish, you can use leftovers as a tasty dip for crackers or pretzels.

Ingredients needed for this pulled buffalo chicken sandwich

• 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

What are some good side dishes for buffalo chicken sandwich?

• bright crunchy celery sticks are traditional, served alongside some blue cheese dip, amazing!
• baked dill fries - crunchy, salty and delicious; goes great with this sandwich.
• potato and corn salad - you'll love the grilled corn and all the great crunch!

Some additional tips:

• 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.
• For extra flavor, set aside some extra buffalo sauce to drizzle over the top, or even add a bit of tabasco!
• Feeding a crowd? Go ahead and double or even triple this recipe.

More of my favorite buffalo and chicken recipes!

• If you like all things buffalo, you won't want to miss these 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!
• Or maybe you just like spicy chicken? You can make this tasty and flavorful Slow Cooker Thai Spicy Peanut Chicken right in your crockpot. So easy and delicious!
• For another spicy chicken option, try this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, which requires only 10 minutes of prep for a delicious and nutritious family meal!
• This Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is the perfect game day appetizer!

FAQs for cooking chicken in the crock pot

Is it safe to start with raw chicken in the slow cooker?

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.

Will the chicken dry out if cooked for longer than the minimum needed for it to be done?

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.

Is it safe to start with frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

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.

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(Pssst...love flavorful sandwiches? Try my Grilled Avocado Sauerkraut Sandwich! You won't be disappointed!)

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