Healthy Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
~ Wish you could indulge in buffalo chicken dip every day? Now you can! We’ve turned everyone’s favorite party dip into a sandwich! It’s just as delicious, but so much healthier and super-easy (in the slow cooker)! YUM! ~
Healthy Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches.
Yep, you read that correctly.
CROCK-POT. BUFFALO CHICKEN. On a bun.
Really, what more do you possibly want out of life?
Buffalo chicken dip is phenomenal. We’ve all had it. We all love it.
It’s spicy, creamy, and ooey-gooey deliciously cheesy. A staple at New Year’s Eve celebrations and Super Bowl parties. It’s always the first thing gobbled up.
Yeah, yeah. We know what you’re thinking, “Silly Gretchen and Shelley! Those parties are months away! Why on earth are we planning that far ahead?!” (But if you are, in fact, planning that far in advance, check out some amazing healthy dips!)
Really, though … we didn’t want to wait that long. And we didn’t want to nosh on buffalo chicken dip just for special, indulgent occasions!
Nope – we wanted buffalo chicken dip NOW. And we wanted to not feel guilty after chowing down on all that spicy-creamy yumminess.
There had to be a way …
Like, if only we could lighten up the typical buffalo dip, and then turn it into an easy-enough-to-make-every-day sandwich. Guilt-free buffalo chicken for dinner? Yes! That we could do!
Oh, sure – you could put this recipe in your back pocket and save it for a special occasion. (Please remove before laundering. Paper never turns out well after a trip through the washer.) OR you could make this awesome sandwich for dinner. Tonight.
(Psssst … you could also turn it into our AMAZING Baked Buffalo Chicken Nachos for a snack, or for your big Super Bowl party menu. Or, you know … make enough for both dinner tonight … and nachos tomorrow. Brilliant!)
With back-to-school only a few days away (where did summer go??), it seems like planning a meal is just too hard. We get it! Life is a little crazy right now, as school looms on the horizon.
All those (lovely) early-morning sports practices. Trying to find the perfect jeans for your growing daughter, or the coolest sneakers for your son. Endless school supply shopping (they need exactly how many glue sticks?). And can we squeeze in just one more trip to the zoo/pool/playground/hiking trails …
By dinnertime, you’re exhausted. It’s hot outside, and you’re tired. You’re busy!
So why not start a speedy-fast dinner in the morning … before the crazy three-ring circus begins? Somewhere between dropping off at soccer practice and heading to Target for the umpteenth time in two days … you could throw together a crockpot chicken recipe that’ll actually make dinner a breeze!
Do ya have five minutes somewhere in your morning? It’s sooooo worth it.
Just look at it. Is your mouth watering? Yeeeaaahhhhh …
The absolute best part? (Did you think it could get any better?? It can! It can!) This delicious recipe takes just a handful of ingredients. And you’ve already got most of them. (Let the happy dance commence!)
Well … it actually gets just a teensy bit better still. That awesome creaminess is a Greek yogurt sauce. No, no we aren’t joking. Protein-packed, low-fat goodness!
And even better yet?!? (Yep … you know us … we just keep on giving!) Once we had this Healthy Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches recipe ironed out, we found so many ways to adapt it, so we could have HEALTHY Buffalo Chicken Dip in our lives in lots more ways, too!
Like those amazing Baked Buffalo Chicken Nachos we mentioned earlier, or our picnic-perfect Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad … even Buffalo Chicken Dip Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (yes … even more fantastic than they sound!). And for a veggie-filled change-up, we created a to-die for riff on a favorite restaurant recipe: LOADED Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings!
(We know! Could this be true? Is this real? Sooooooo many ways to get your “Buffalo” fix!)
Yep. This is as real as real gets.
And it all started with these delicious sandwiches!
Easy. Super fast. Healthy. Delicious. A family favorite.
Real.
Gotta make it!
Looking for More Easy, Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Recipes? Check Out Our:
- 3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
- Crock-Pot North Carolina BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
- Top 10 Easy, Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Recipes
- Top 10 Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Soups and Chilis
- Crock-Pot Corn Chowder with Chicken and Bacon
Healthy Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Everyone's favorite party dip – in a sandwich! Just as delicious as buffalo chicken dip, but much healthier and so easy in the slow cooker!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 (5.3-ounce) container nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 6 whole wheat buns
- for serving: additional shredded cheddar cheese and hot sauce, if desired
Instructions
- Place chicken in slow cooker and add water.
- Sprinkle salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper on chicken.
- Drizzle 3 tablespoons hot sauce on top of chicken.
- Cook for 4-5 hours on high, or 6-7 hours on low, until chicken is thoroughly cooked but still moist and fall-apart tender. (See note.)
- Just before serving, shred chicken (we use two forks to do this).
- Stir together cheese, Greek yogurt, remaining 2 tablespoons hot sauce, and basil. (You can do this ahead of time in a separate bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed, and then add the mixture to the shredded chicken in your slow cooker at the end of cooking. Or you can simply add the ingredients directly into the crock-pot after shredding the chicken and stir to combine.) Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and cheese is melted.
- Serve on whole wheat buns and garnish with additional cheese or hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
Slow cooker variations: The exact heat and speed of cooking can vary between different slow cookers. Some slow cookers, especially newer models, may cook hotter and faster than others. Our research has also led us to believe that some models allow for imperceptible evaporation of liquid (although you’d expect that no liquid would be lost when using a slow cooker), which can leave your recipes less saucy and moist. Because this recipe uses very little liquid, it’s particularly sensitive to these variations. No need to worry – it’s delicious even when cooked until it’s a bit drier. The key is simply to control the cook time and temperature to yield the most juicy, fall-apart-tender result.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 2/3 cup chickenAmount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1g
Nutrition information is provided for cooked, shredded chicken only, as nutrition can vary for the buns depending on brand. Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may additionally vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
Your Buffalo Chicken looks delicious. I love how it only takes 5 minutes to prep and then you can leave it in the slow cooker. Perfect meal for a busy day and I’m hoping there’s enough left for Nachos too.
It really is both super easy and SUPER delicious! And yeah … those Buffalo Chicken Nachos … YUM! Might wanna make a double batch LOL! 😉 ~Shelley
I’ve never made Buffalo chicken with Greek yogurt before, but I imagine it’s delicious! Definitely trying that next time!
I think you’ll be surprised and delighted, Lauren! It’s delicious (I really don’t think you’ll even notice the Greek yogurt is in there!) and so, so much healthier! 😉 ~Shelley
Flavors are very good, but the chicken is very liquidy, so I had trouble deciding how to serve it.
Hi Martha! I’m so glad you reached out to us so we can help you troubleshoot! I have to admit, though, I’m completely baffled. As we mention in the notes on the recipe card, if anything we actually worry that, with so little cooking liquid in the slow cooker with the chicken, this recipe might actually be susceptible to drying out a bit. I actually called Gretchen this morning and we talked through this for quite a while to try to help you. She’s not technically with THK anymore, but this recipe was her creation, and she’s made it even more times than I have. She was baffled, too. She said she’s never encountered anything like this in all the times she’s made this recipe. Although there should be a little pool of liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker, once you’ve shredded the chicken and stirred the chicken back in, that liquid distributes throughout pretty completely. And, once you stir the cheesy Greek yogurt sauce throughout, it should really come together even more. I mean, it should definitely be moist and creamy, but we just can’t figure out how it would be so watery as what you described. I’m so sorry we’re not more help! The only vague possibility we could come up with is that, because many chicken processors inject their chicken with liquids (which should be noted on the packaging), maybe (and I’ll admit this is a longshot), the brand of chicken you purchased had an extraordinarily large amount of liquid? And if your slow cooker happens to be unusually good at moisture retention, those two factors might have worked together to make your final dish more moist than usual? If there’s anything else you can tell us about your slow cooker model, cooking times, etc. we’d be happy to see if we can come up with any other ideas. In the end, though, I would suggest that next time you try cutting back the water in the recipe from 1/4 cup to maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons. I’m sorry I can’t be more definitive in troubleshooting for you, but I hope this helps at least a little! ~Shelley