I’ve been making this crock pot buffalo chicken for the past 12 years and it is always one of my kids favorites. The buffalo sauce just a hint of spice, which is what we all like. And if you don’t know my secret for crockpot shredded chicken, scroll on down to learn how to save yourself a TON of time!
Is It OK to Put Raw Chicken in Slow Cooker?
Absolutely, as long as you start that slow cooker right away, it is perfectly safe. If you want to wait to start up the slow cooker, combine the ingredients inside the crockpot insert, then place it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.
How Long Should You Cook Chicken in the Crockpot?
The answer depends on the type of chicken you are using:
Thawed boneless chicken breasts will need about 4 hours on high.
Frozen boneless chicken breasts will need about 6 hours on high.
Thawed bone-in chicken breasts will need about 5 hours on high.
Thawed boneless chicken thighs will need about 3 hours on high.
Add 2-3 hours to the times listed above for cooking on low.
Is It Better to Cook Chicken on High or Low in Crockpot?
It depends on what your end goal is. If you are looking for something quick because time is short, then go for high. If you have the time however, always cook your chicken on low so it doesn’t dry out and get tough. It only takes a couple extra hours and makes a big difference.
Cook: Put chicken into your crock pot and dump on the sauce and ranch mix. Stir. Cook on low for 6 hours until chicken is cooked through and falls apart.
Shred: Remove the cooked chicken from the crock pot and allow it to cool slightly. Reserve the cooking liquid. Using two forks, shred the meat and place into a large bowl. Once the chicken is completely shredded, ladle on enough of the cooking liquid so the meat is very moist after you stir it all together.
Serve: We like to top ours with ranch dressing, blue cheese, and some extra wing sauce from the bottle.
Notes
If you don’t have 6 hours, you can increase the temperature to high and it will be done in 4 hours but it will be a bit dryer and tougher.
**Freezer options: Â You can combine the uncooked ingredients all together in bag and freeze until ready to use. Â When ready to cook, place in your slow cooker for 8 hours on high. You can also freeze the cooked meat and then thaw and reheat to prepare.
Author:Carole Jones
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:4 hours
Category:Main dish
Method:Slow Cooker
Cuisine:American
Nutrition
Serving Size:4 oz
Calories:114
Sugar:0 g
Sodium:499 mg
Fat:1 g
Saturated Fat:0 g
Unsaturated Fat:0 g
Trans Fat:0 g
Carbohydrates:1 g
Fiber:0 g
Protein:25 g
Cholesterol:75 mg
Step by Step Crockpot Shredded Chicken
Carole Jones
Carole Jones is an Arizona-based cookbook author & food blogger. She's authored The 30 Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook and the self-published Take 5: Chicken e-cookbook. For the past 15 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children here on My Kitchen Escapades. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.
4 comments
Shelly
6 years ago
These are so easy and makes a bunch! I froze some for later.
Carole
6 years ago
You are right! It does make a large batch and good call on the freezing option 🙂
Mercer Lynda
5 years ago
This is such a tasty meal! My family loves this recipe. I made it 3 times now and it’s one of our favorites, so easy and delicious. My hubby says that I may only make him pot buffalo from now on. Thanks so much for your recipe!
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4 comments
These are so easy and makes a bunch! I froze some for later.
You are right! It does make a large batch and good call on the freezing option 🙂
This is such a tasty meal! My family loves this recipe. I made it 3 times now and it’s one of our favorites, so easy and delicious. My hubby says that I may only make him pot buffalo from now on. Thanks so much for your recipe!
Mercer Lynda
So glad to hear it!