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 and Slow Cooker too!
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
- 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
- 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!
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.
Alternative Cooking Methods
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!
Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Instructions
- Add the chopped celery, onion, carrots, and garlic to the insert of a slow cooker.
- Pour in the chicken broth, then add the chicken breasts.
- Cook on "low" for 4-5 hours, or on "high" for 2-3 hours - until the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC) at the thickest portion.
- Remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker.
- Add the cayenne pepper sauce, ranch seasoning, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook on "high" for 30 minutes.
- Add in the cream cheese cubes and cook for another 30 minutes on "high", stirring often to help the cream cheese melt.
- Once the cream cheese has melted, add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- Serve and enjoy!
If you loved this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Soup, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Buffalo Chicken Soup
This creamy buffalo chicken soup is packed with all the flavor of buffalo chicken dip!
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 383kcal
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth low-sodium
- 2-3 chicken breasts (approx. 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless)
- ¾ cup cayenne pepper sauce Frank’s Red Hot
- 1 packet ranch seasoning or 3 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces cream cheese brick style, softened
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
For serving (optional)
- Blue cheese crumbles (optional)
- Green onions or chives (optional)
- Crushed tortilla chips or Doritos (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Once the pot is hot, add the butter and swirl to melt.
- Add in the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant (30-60 seconds).
- Immediately pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Nestle the chicken breasts into the broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Top with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through with a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC). Flip the chicken breasts halfway through to help promote even cooking.
- Remove the cooked chicken to a plate or clean cutting board and shred it with two forks (or a hand mixer).
- Return the chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add in the cayenne pepper sauce, ranch seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Cube the cream cheese, then add it to the pot. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes, then stir to melt the cream cheese into the soup.
- Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened.
- Add in the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and spiciness* to your preference.
- Serve by ladling the soup into bowls and adding your desired toppings (blue cheese crumbles, chopped green onions, crushed tortilla chips, Doritos, etc).
Notes
Storing: Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The soup also freezes very well in plastic containers. Freeze for up to 2 months, and thaw before reheating.
Shortcut: If you have cooked and shredded chicken on hand (from a roasted or rotisserie chicken), you can bypass the step of cooking the chicken in the broth and use 2-3 cups of shredded chicken instead.
Keto: Substitute the carrots for an additional rib of celery and/or cauliflower florets.
*Extra spicy: Add ¼ - ½ teaspoon ground cayenne to the soup, or a small amount of extra Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.
Without cream cheese: Substitute for heavy cream, and mix in a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water to help thicken the soup.
Slow cooker or Instant Pot: See the recipe post at https://dashfordinner.com/buffalo-chicken-soup/ for detailed instructions.
Nutrition
Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 2239mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4280IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 264mg | Iron: 1mg
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Dolly {Dash for Dinner}
This has been a family favorite now for at least 6 months! I know you all will enjoy it as much as we do.