This Creamy Buffalo Chicken Soup is the perfect way to enjoy all of the flavors of buffalo chicken dip - packed into a hearty and satisfying soup!

If you like all things creamy, spicy, and buffalo chicken, you're going to fall in love with this cozy soup recipe. Includes instructions for the Instant Pot too!

A bowl of buffalo soup topped with crumbled blue cheese.

Over the past several months, this buffalo chicken soup recipe has become a new favorite in our home (with the adults of course). If you like buffalo wings, I just know you're going to love it as much as we do.

It's packed with buffalo chicken flavor - after all, it was inspired by my favorite buffalo chicken dip recipe. I used the same ingredients and reimagined it as a protein-packed soup - and couldn't be more thrilled with the result!

Once ladled into bowls, I love to top mine with blue cheese crumbles (or a drizzle of blue cheese dressing) and some crushed tortilla chips. That being said, it's just as delicious without toppings or garnish, so don't feel the need to embellish an already yummy meal.

Why You'll Love It:

Best flavor. It has all of the flavor of buffalo chicken wings - without the mess!
Protein-packed. Thanks to the generous amount of tender chicken this meal is high in protein, while being low in carbs.
Soup season. If you're looking for creative new soup recipes, this one is at the top of the list! Perfect for a chilly winter day.
Great for game day. Instead of filling up on appetizers, serve this flavorful soup and see what happens.

Ingredients

Chicken - Boneless and skinless chicken breasts are cooked with the broth and aromatics, but you can use 2-3 cups of shredded chicken instead. For a super quick and easy option, pick up a rotisserie chicken and use the meat from that!
Cayenne pepper sauce - This is the type of hot sauce that is used to make buffalo sauce (along with butter and sometimes honey). The national brand is "Frank's Red Hot Sauce", which what I use.
Aromatic vegetables - You'll need fresh onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
Cream cheese - This makes for a super creamy soup, and thickens it a bit as well. If you don't have cream cheese, you can use heavy cream and a little bit of cornstarch.
Ranch seasoning - I like to use a store-bought packet for convenience, but you could use homemade ranch seasoning if you can't find it in your store.
Broth - I recommend using a low-sodium chicken broth and adding salt to taste as needed.
Cheese - This adds a lovely savory flavor, and thickens the soup. I've tested it with and without cheese - and cheese is the clear winner!
Other ingredients - Butter, for sauteing the vegetables, and worcestershire sauce for adding flavor. I also like to offer blue cheese crumbles and crushed tortilla chips on the side for topping - but that's totally optional.

Needed Equipment

Large dutch oven or soup pot
Wooden spoon

Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.

Instructions

Adding chicken breasts to a simmering soup, then shredding the cooked chicken and returning it to the pot.

Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in butter over medium heat. Add the garlic for the last 30-60 seconds.
Add in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Transfer the chicken breasts to the pot and bring to a low boil.
Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are cooked through (they must reach a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF or 74ºC).
Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and shred with two forks. Return to the pot.
Add the hot sauce, ranch seasoning, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Making it Creamy

Stirring cream cheese cubes into a soup until its creamy and melted.

Slice the cream cheese into cubes and drop them into the soup. Allow them to rest for 3-5 minutes to help encourage melting.
Stir the soup until the cream cheese completely melts into the soup (this may require some whisking to help break up lumps). Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened.
Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the thickened soup.
Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and spiciness to your taste. Serve and enjoy with your choice of toppings!

Easy Shortcut Using Rotisserie Chicken

To save time you can use 2-3 cups of cooked chicken that's been shredded or cubed. This can be done with leftover chicken from another meal, or taken from a convenient store-bought rotisserie chicken.

This shortcut version saves about 20-25 minutes and is a great use for leftovers!

A bowl of buffalo chicken soup topped with blue cheese crumbles.

Topping and Garnish Ideas

Crumbled blue cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
Ranch dressing
Crushed tortilla chips
Corn chips
Doritos (or Quest chips for a low carb option)
Fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Cooked and crumbled bacon

Storing Leftovers

Allow the soup to cool down, then transfer to an airtight storage container. Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Note about freezing: When freezing and reheating I found this soup did really well! Sometimes cream cheese based soups will separate during freezing and thawing, but I did not find this to be the case.

Substitutions

Keto/Low carb: The recipe as written has just 7 net carbs per serving, but if you want to reduce the carbs further you can substitute the carrots for an additional rib of celery and/or cauliflower florets.
Gluten free: The ingredients used are naturally gluten free, but be careful if selecting a store-bought chicken broth. Many name brands carry versions with barley added, and barley is not gluten free. I have had luck with lots of the low-sodium types being gluten-free.
Low Calorie: Use light cream cheese in place of the full fat cream cheese, and substitute the cheddar cheese for a low-fat version.
Without cream cheese: Substitute the cream cheese for heavy cream, and add a cornstarch slurry to help thicken the soup (you'll need about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cool water).

Variations

Extra spicy: Add ¼-1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne to the soup, and/or a little extra cayenne pepper sauce. A little ground cayenne goes a long way!
With blue cheese: Top each bowl of soup with blue cheese crumbles. This is what we do in my home, but not everyone is a blue cheese fan so do your thing!
With chicken thighs: Substitute the chicken breasts for 1 ½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

A ladle scooping soup from a dutch oven.

Instant Pot Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to "saute" and add the butter, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until soft.
Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
Add the chicken breasts, secure the lid, and set the valve to "sealing."
Cook on manual pressure for 10 minutes.
Once the cooking time is up, allow the pot to do a natural pressure release for 5 minutes. Then flip the valve to "venting" and allow the pressure to release completely.
Once the pressure has fully been released, carefully open the lid and remove the chicken with tongs.
Shred the chicken with two forks, then return it to the Instant Pot.
Add the cayenne pepper sauce, ranch seasoning, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir well.
Set the pot to "saute" and add the cubed cream cheese. Cook and stir until the cream cheese melts completely.
Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened.
Sprinkle in the cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Taste and adjust seasonings, then serve and enjoy!

A bowl of spicy chicken soup with a spoon taking a portion.

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Buffalo Chicken Soup