Effortlessly make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken for quick and easy meals. It is a great way to get out of a ground beef rut for dinner. This recipe for shredded buffalo chicken has a not-too-spicy flavor profile. Everyone will love it.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only FOUR ingredients!
- For easy meal planning, keep a container of buffalo chicken in the freezer.
- Use in buffalo chicken rice bowls, as buffalo chicken sliders, or a lettuce wrap.
Featured Ingredients
- Chicken - Boneless chicken breasts work perfectly for this recipe.
- Buffalo Sauce - Use homemade Buffalo sauce or your favorite Buffalo wing sauce. Frank's Red Hot is a great option. Make sure it is chicken wing sauce and not hot sauce. There is a difference.
- Chicken Broth - This is used to tamper down the spice of the buffalo sauce and add moisture to the chicken while it cooks.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Grab an Instant Pot or whatever brand of electric pressure cooker you have, and make sure the seal is set in the cover. Grease the liner with cooking spray for easy cleanup.
To the Instant Pot inner pot, add the buffalo sauce and chicken broth. Stir.
Step 2: Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the chicken.
Add the Instant Pot lid and set it to sealing if needed. Some Instant Pots do not require this step.
Cook on normal pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release of any remaining pressure and remove the cover.
Step 3: Using tongs, remove the cooked chicken breasts and shred them. My favorite way to do this is to remove the cooking liquid and place the chicken breasts back into the Instant Pot.
Grab a hand mixer and shred the warm chicken right away. Or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Another option is using two forks and a cutting board.
Step 4: Add the remaining ½ cup of buffalo sauce and stir.
If you would prefer a more mild flavored chicken, leave the remaining buffalo sauce off and add it to individual servings.
Tips and Tricks
Using a meal prep bag holder, add the chicken breasts, buffalo sauce, and chicken broth. Freeze flat. Defrost before making.
Worried about the spice level? Do not add the extra buffalo sauce to the shredded cooked chicken. Perfect for anyone concerned about spice level. Also, add a bit of ranch dressing to cool the chicken down.
Ingredient Swaps
- Chicken Options: Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Another option is chicken tenders. The same cooking times apply to the chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
- Chicken Stock: Use chicken stock in place of the chicken broth. Also, if you do not have chicken stock or broth, water will also work.
Special Diet Options
Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken - Use a gluten free buffalo sauce and chicken broth.
Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken - Typically, buffalo sauce contains butter. Use a dairy free buffalo sauce, like Primal Kitchen’s buffalo sauce.
Low FODMAP Buffalo Chicken - Usually, buffalo sauce uses garlic powder. If you cannot tolerate garlic, make low FODMAP buffalo sauce. This homemade recipe also allows you to customize the spice level, which can also be an issue for people with IBS.
Additional Cooking Methods
No Instant Pot? Below are two additional options to make Buffalo chicken.
In the oven:
- Using the Dutch oven shredded chicken recipe as a guide, add ½ cup Buffalo sauce to the Dutch oven before baking.
In the slow cooker:
- Using the instructions on how to cook chicken in the slow cooker, add ½ cup Buffalo sauce to the slow cooker before cooking.
Storing And Reheating
Store: Keep shredded chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheat: Reheat the chicken in a microwave-safe container or in a small saucepan on the stovetop until warm. Add additional buffalo sauce if the chicken is dry.
Freeze: Store chilled leftovers in a freezer-friendly container in the freezer for up to four months.
How To Use Shredded Buffalo Chicken
Let me count the ways to use buffalo chicken in menu planning. Use buffalo chicken as a flavorful protein option in all sorts of meals. Need more chicken recipes? We've got them!
Buffalo Chicken Sliders: The simplest dinner idea, the perfect appetizer for game day. Grab a package of Hawaiian rolls and ranch dressing. I love homemade ranch dressing. Pile on the shredded chicken, drizzle with ranch dressing, add a chopped green onion, and dinner is done.
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps: A low-carb way to enjoy buffalo chicken! My favorite option is butter lettuce, but romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce will work, too.
Buffalo Chicken Casserole with Tater Tots: Use the shredded buffalo chicken as a shortcut! Just add the cream cheese and ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt. Don't forget the tater tots!
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls: A perfect way to use leftovers or items in your fridge. I love the combination of rice, sweet potatoes, chopped celery sticks, carrots, blue cheese crumbles drizzled with ranch dressing. There are so many different ways to make a rice bowl.
FAQs
No. The cooking time will remain the same. Always make sure the internal temperature of the chicken breasts is at 165 degrees F before eating.
Shred the chicken while it is still warm. Cold chicken is easier to slice versus shred. The best tools to shred chicken - are an electric mixer, a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or two forks.
Once the chicken is chilled, it will slice very easily.
Additional Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice - A copycat recipe from Chipotle. It is buttery, with hints of lime and fresh cilantro leaves.
- Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken - Perfect for a rice bowl or wrapped in a burrito.
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend - A great side dish of nutty, earthy wild rice.
Love This Recipe?
Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating + comment. It helps so much, and we love hearing from everyone! Thank You -Venessa
Recipe
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3-4 breasts
- ½ cup chicken broth (Note 1)
- 1 cup buffalo sauce divided, (Note 2)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Use a 6-quart Instant Pot or whatever brand of electric pressure cooker you have. Place the seal in place on the cover. Spray the liner with cooking spray for easy cleanup.
- To the Instant Pot inner pot, add ½ cup buffalo sauce and chicken broth. Stir.
- Place the chicken breasts into the sauce. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the chicken.
- Add the cover and set it to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release of any remaining pressure and remove the cover.
- Remove the chicken breasts. Shred or slice the chicken. Grab a hand mixer and shred the warm chicken right away in a bowl. Using two forks will also work, as well as a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. For slicing, cool the chicken. It will be easier to slice once chilled.
- Add the remaining ½ cup of buffalo sauce and stir into the chicken. If you would prefer a more mild flavored chicken, leave the remaining buffalo sauce off and add as needed.
- Store the shredded chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
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