If you love bold flavors that warm your soul, this Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe is going to become your new favorite comfort dish. It perfectly balances spicy buffalo heat with creamy textures and hearty vegetables, delivering a bowl full of rich taste and satisfying warmth. Whether you’re craving something cozy for a chilly evening or a flavorful meal that feels like a hug, this recipe brings everything together in one easy, slow-cooked pot.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for this Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe are simple but essential, each playing a special role in building its signature flavor and texture. From the fiery Frank’s Red Hot sauce that gives the soup its famous kick, to the creamy almond milk that rounds it all out, every item works in harmony to deliver a deeply satisfying bowl of soup.
- Olive oil: Helps sauté the vegetables to bring out their natural sweetness and adds richness.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: The protein star of the dish, providing tender, juicy meat.
- Onion, finely chopped: Adds a subtle sweetness and depth to the broth.
- Celery, finely chopped: Contributes fresh earthiness and texture.
- Garlic, finely minced: Introduces a delicious aromatic kick.
- Carrots, cut in coins: Bring color and a hint of natural sweetness.
- Yukon gold potatoes (cubed and halved): Offer creamy consistency and thickness when blended.
- Frank’s Red Hot sauce: The classic buffalo flavor that adds bold spice and tang.
- No or low-salt chicken broth: Forms the flavorful base of the soup without overwhelming the palate.
- Almond milk (or dairy-free alternative): Adds creaminess while keeping the soup light and dairy-free friendly.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
Step 1: Sauté the Vegetables
Start by heating olive oil in a pan and gently sauté the chopped celery, carrots, onion, and garlic for about two minutes. This step is optional but highly recommended because it softens the vegetables and unlocks their natural sweetness, creating a lovely, rich flavor base for the soup.
Step 2: Layer Ingredients in the Crock Pot
Next, carefully layer the raw chicken breasts, the sautéed vegetables, cubed and halved Yukon gold potatoes into your slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth along with the Frank’s Red Hot sauce. Cover the crock pot, set it to low, and let all the ingredients meld and cook together for six hours, making the chicken perfectly tender and the flavors wonderfully blended.
Step 3: Blend the Potatoes for Creaminess
After cooking, remove the large potato halves and chicken breasts from the pot. Blend the large potatoes together with the almond milk and half a cup of the broth until smooth. This step transforms the soup into a creamy, velvety masterpiece without the need for heavy cream.
Step 4: Shred the Chicken
Take the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board and shred them finely. Adding shredded chicken back into the creamy base gives the soup its hearty protein punch and luscious texture.
Step 5: Combine and Finish
Stir everything well to combine the blended potato mixture with the shredded chicken and the broth filled with tender vegetables. The result is a smooth, thick soup bursting with spicy, savory buffalo flavor, ready to be garnished and served piping hot.
How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
Garnishes
The finishing touches truly elevate this Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley for a bright herbal note, crumbled blue cheese for a creamy, tangy bite, or sliced green onions for a hint of freshness and crunch. Each garnish adds personality and vibrancy to every spoonful.
Side Dishes
This soup pairs beautifully with warm crusty bread or garlic toast for dipping. A crisp green salad can add a refreshing contrast to the rich soup, while classic celery sticks offer a nostalgic nod to buffalo wings alongside the dish.
Creative Ways to Present
For a crowd-pleaser, try serving the soup in mini bread bowls or hollowed-out bell peppers for a fun and rustic look. Drizzle with extra hot sauce or add a swirl of dairy-free sour cream on top to create visual appeal and extra layers of flavor that will impress guests.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
This Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe stores wonderfully in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The flavors actually deepen over time, making leftovers just as enjoyable, if not more so, as the fresh batch.
Freezing
If you want to keep this soup on hand for longer, it freezes very well. Pour the soup into a freezer-safe container, leaving some room for expansion, and freeze for up to three months. Just be sure to thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat the soup gently on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. You may want to add a splash of broth or milk to loosen it up if it thickened too much in the fridge or freezer.
FAQs
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breasts?
Absolutely! Using rotisserie chicken is a quick shortcut. Just add the shredded chicken during the last hour of cooking or at the end once the broth and vegetables are cooked through.
What if I don’t like spicy food? Can I adjust the heat?
You can dial down the Frank’s Red Hot sauce to suit your spice tolerance. Start with half the amount and taste as you go. You can even add a bit of honey or creamier dairy to mellow out the heat.
Is there a way to make this soup dairy-free?
Yes, this recipe uses almond milk instead of traditional dairy milk to keep it dairy-free. You can substitute any other plant-based milk you prefer to maintain creaminess.
Can I prepare this Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe in a regular pot?
Definitely. Follow the same steps, sauté the vegetables, then simmer everything together in a large pot over medium-low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until the chicken is tender and the flavors meld.
What’s the best way to thicken the soup if it’s too thin?
Blending the potatoes is key for thickening, but if it’s still thinner than you like, simmer the soup uncovered for a bit longer to reduce the liquid, or add more blended potato or a small slurry of cornstarch and water.
Final Thoughts
This Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe is comfort food at its finest, marrying bold spice with creamy, hearty ingredients for a deeply satisfying meal. It’s simple to make, endlessly adaptable, and perfect for sharing with friends and family. Give it a try — I promise it will quickly earn a spot in your weeknight rotation for cozy, flavorful dinners.
Print
Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 4 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
This hearty and flavorful Buffalo Chicken Soup combines tender chicken, vegetables, and the spicy kick of Frank’s Red Hot sauce for a comforting meal. Slow-cooked to perfection, it’s creamy yet light, with a smooth texture achieved by blending potatoes and milk. Perfect for warming up on a chilly day, and easily customized with garnishes like blue cheese or green onions.
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup carrots, cut into small coins
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup Yukon gold potatoes, cut in half (about 1 large potato)
- 5 cups no/low-salt chicken broth
- ¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk/other dairy-free milk)
Protein
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the vegetables are slightly translucent. This step is optional but helps deepen the flavor.
- Combine Ingredients in Crock Pot: Layer the raw chicken breasts, sautéed vegetables, diced potatoes (2 cups), and chicken broth along with the buffalo hot sauce in the crock pot. Cover and set to low heat for 6 hours to allow slow cooking that melds flavors and tenderizes the chicken.
- Blend Potato and Milk Mixture: After cooking, carefully remove the large potato halves and chicken breasts from the crock pot. Place the large potato halves, almond milk, and ½ cup of the broth from the pot into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, then stir this mixture back into the crock pot to thicken and enrich the soup.
- Shred Chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken finely. Add the shredded chicken back into the crock pot and stir until well combined with the soup base.
- Serve: Stir the soup thoroughly to ensure a smooth and uniform consistency. Garnish with fresh parsley, crumbled blue cheese, or chopped green onions as desired. Serve warm for a delicious, spicy, and creamy buffalo chicken soup experience.
Notes
- For a creamier soup, use whole milk or cream instead of almond milk.
- Adjust the amount of Frank’s Red Hot sauce to taste depending on your preferred spice level.
- Optional sautéing of vegetables enhances flavor but can be skipped for a quicker prep.
- Use a hand blender directly in the crock pot for fewer dishes.
- Garnish options include parsley, blue cheese crumbles, or green onions to complement the buffalo flavor.
