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GET IT NOWThere’s nothing quite like a warm, healthy buffalo chicken soup recipe on a cold day. The combination of buffalo sauce and creamy soup is totally irresistible, and makes the perfect comfort food. Like my Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip, buffalo cauliflower bites, crispy baked buffalo chicken, or my personal favorite buffalo chicken wings, this soup is spicy and flavorful!
What’s great about this soup is that you can make it in 3 ways: your Crock Pot, your Instant Pot, or the stovetop! I’m a fan of using my Instant Pot, and if you are too, try using it for cabbage hamburger soup, Instant Pot broccoli, or egg bites.
Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
- Buffalo flavor – spicy, but not too spicy!
- Creamy with chunks of chicken
- Done in 30 minutes
- Instant Pot, Crock Pot, and stovetop options
- Naturally low carb and gluten-free
- All the flavor of buffalo chicken wings in an easy soup!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for chicken buffalo soup, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Olive Oil – For sauteing the onion, celery and garlic. You could also use whatever neutral cooking oil you like (or butter).
- Onion – I used a white onion, but yellow onions would work well too. Dice into small equal pieces.
- Celery – A natural pairing with buffalo flavors! You could also add carrots, potatoes or other veggies.
- Garlic – I prefer to use fresh minced garlic for the best flavor, but you could use 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic for convenience instead. If you don’t have garlic on hand, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder — just add it at the same time as the chicken and broth.
- Shredded Chicken – Cook this any way you like using chicken breasts or chicken thighs, but I prefer to shred pressure cooker chicken breast! You can also use any leftover chicken you have or a rotisserie chicken from the store.
- Broth – You can use any kind of broth you like. I often use chicken bone broth for added nutrition, but regular chicken broth or vegetable broth would work as well.
- Buffalo Sauce – This does add some heat. If you prefer less heat, use 2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce instead of 3.
- Cream Cheese – Warm to room temperature and cut into cubes so it will easily melt into the soup.
- Half & Half – I opted for half and half to lighten this soup up a bit, but you can use heavy cream for richer results. For deeper flavor, you could also substitute ranch dressing.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Soup
This section shows how to make buffalo chicken soup in the Instant Pot, Crock Pot, or stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Saute vegetables. Heat the oil using the Saute setting on the Instant Pot, a skillet on the stovetop for the Crock Pot version, or a Dutch oven on the stove for the stovetop version. Add chopped onion and celery. Cook until onions are translucent and start to brown.
- Saute garlic. Add garlic. Saute until fragrant.
- Combine. For the Instant Pot or stovetop methods, add the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce directly to the pot. For the Crock Pot method, place these in the slow cooker, along with the veggies from the skillet.
- Cook. Simmer the buffalo chicken soup recipe, either using the Soup setting (under pressure) in the Instant Pot, on the Low setting in the Crock Pot, or just simmer on the stove.
- Puree. Ladle about a cup of liquid (without chicken) from the pot and pour into a blender. Add cubed cream cheese. Puree until smooth.
TIP: For best texture, you must blend.
Don’t make the mistake I first made and add the cream cheese directly to the buffalo chicken soup. It will form chunks and not melt. No good!
It works much better to blend the cream cheese with a little liquid first, then add it in. Make sure it’s softened and not too cold, or it won’t blend either.
- Stir. Pour the cream cheese mixture back into the Instant Pot, Crock Pot, or Dutch oven. Add half and half and stir until smooth. The soup already has enough heat and salty ingredients, so I didn’t need any additional salt or pepper, but you can add to taste if needed.
OPTIONAL: Add toppings!
For classic wing flavors, try finishing this soup with a sprinkle of crumbled blue cheese (or a drizzle of blue cheese dressing), sliced green onions, or shredded cheddar cheese.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep creamy buffalo chicken soup covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: Cut vegetables, prepare shredded chicken, and store separately in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave, until heated through.
- Freeze: Cool soup to room temperature, then pour into zip top freezer bags. Lay flat in the freezer until solid, and after that you can move them upright to save space if needed. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Easy Soup Recipes
Warm up with some delicious, easy, and healthy soup recipes! These are some of my favorite quick and easy ones.
Tools To Make Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot – Makes a much quicker soup compared to other cooking methods.
- Slow Cooker – Another option for making this buffalo chicken soup recipe. It’s simple and inexpensive, but I love it for all my slow cooker recipes!
- Dutch Oven – The best option for the stovetop version. Goes beautifully from stove to table!
- Blender – A must to create the creamiest results.
Buffalo Chicken Soup (3 Ways To Cook!)
Creamy, spicy, and easy to make, my buffalo chicken soup recipe is pure comfort food. Cooks fast with stovetop, Instant Pot, or slow cooker!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Instructions:
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Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. Add the oil, chopped onion, and celery. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and start to brown.
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Add garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Press the Off button.
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Add the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce.
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Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Press the Soup button and adjust time to 5 minutes. After cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then switch to quick release and open the lid.
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Ladle about a cup of liquid (without chicken) from the edge of the Instant Pot and pour into a blender. Add the cubed cream cheese. Puree until smooth. (If it's hard to blend, you can add a little more liquid.)
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Pour the mixture back into the Instant Pot. Add the half & half or heavy cream. Stir until smooth.
Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Instructions:
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Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and celery. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and start to brown.
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Add garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Place the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce into the slow cooker. Add all the ingredients from the pan and stir.
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Cook for 3-4 hours on low.
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Ladle about a cup of liquid (without chicken) from the edge of the slow cooker and pour into a blender. Add the cubed cream cheese. Puree until smooth. (If it's hard to blend, you can add a little more liquid.)
-
Pour the mixture back into the slow cooker. Add the half & half or heavy cream. Stir until smooth.
Stovetop Instructions:
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Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and celery. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and start to brown.
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Add garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Add the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
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Ladle about a cup of liquid (without chicken) from the edge of the Instant Pot and pour into a blender. Add the cubed cream cheese. Puree until smooth. (If it's hard to blend, you can add a little more liquid.)
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Pour the mixture back into the pot. Add the half & half or heavy cream. Stir until smooth.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
103 Comments
Cheryl
0The soup turned out exceptionally delicious I spiced it up more with jalapeno peppers that I sautéed added some corn.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad you liked it, Cheryl! Jalapeños and corn sound like amazing additions, I bet that gave it a nice kick. Love your twist on it!
Robin Frankowski
0I have made this twice so far. The only thing I added was a little more cheese, because who doesn’t love cheese? Lol. My family loved it. I will be keeping this in my favorites, as I can see me making this throughout the winter. Thank you for sharing.
Wholesome Yum D
0Robin, that sounds fantastic! Adding extra cheese is always a win in my book too. I love that your family enjoyed it so much and that it’s earned a spot in your favorites. Perfect comfort food for winter!
Linda Dreher
0The soup was very tasty. I added some cornstarch and cheddar cheese to thicken it.
Next time I will add more Buffalo sauce. Will make it again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Linda! Yes, feel free to adjust the buffalo sauce to your taste. One of the great things about soups!
Rhonda Watras-Gayman
0I made this but ended up needing a lot more canned broth and a lot more hot sauce. It was great with the addition of chopped green onions and blue cheese crumbles.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you found a combination that worked well for you, Rhonda! I like this soup pretty thick and not super spicy, but of course that’s easy to adjust to your liking. Enjoy!
Laura
0Very good, my husband really liked it. I thought it needed a little salt (I used hot sauce, not Buffalo sauce so it may be different with that).
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you and your husband liked this soup, Laura! Yes, the amount of salt needed can vary depending on the type of hot sauce you use, and even by brand with the same type of sauce. Feel free to adjust to your taste!
Bryanna
0Is there a way you can make this recipe dairy free?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bryanna, You can use plant-based cream cheese, and full-fat canned coconut milk in place of the half and half.
Jen
0What is the portion size
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jen, You can adjust it to your family’s preference, but the nutrition info is based on 1-cup servings. I always have the serving size in the recipe notes on the recipe card.
Brenda
0I made this recipe on the stovetop. I did not alter a single thing and it was delicious. Since I like spicy food I would add more buffalo sauce to my serving only. Excellent recipe! Thank you.
Sharon lowey
0****
Brooke
0Hi, I made this for a friend who was on keto and loved the taste of it. However, I’m not on keto and would love to make this as a sauce over pasta. Using same quanitity of ingredients, do you have a suggestion of how much or what would thicken this nicely into a sauce without losing flavor? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Brooke, Here is a list of cornstarch alternatives.
Rich in Hong Kong
0This was very nice, Maya. I used half and half as well as all the meat from a rotisserie chicken. We like it spicy at our place, and so I added another 2 tbsp or so of Buffalo sauce as well as about 1 tsp of chicken broth powder to bring out the taste a bit more. Wasn’t salty at all and nicely fed our family of three. Thx!
Dee
0It would be nice if the ingredients were in cups and/or spoon amounts. I want to make it but don’t want to take the time to make the measuring adjustments.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Dee, You can find this info on the recipe card, which is right above where you left this comment.
ShaRene
0So absolutely delicious!!!♥️
Robbin
0I made a pot of this soup and it has to be one of the absolute best things I’ve ever had. I love buffalo sauce but had never even thought to incorporate it into soup. The recipe is perfect (I used the stovetop method) and it was incredibly easy and quick. A bowl of this has warmed me up on cold days. Make this. You won’t be sorry!
Michelle Goth
0This was delicious. Used a rotisserie chicken and chicken broth. Will make this soup again!
Lisa
0Loved that this soup had all the flavors of buffalo chicken without all the mess. It’s a new favorite.
Shelby
0This soup comes out the perfect blend of comfort! I love the little kick from the buffalo sauce though, it makes it so you keep coming back for more!
Healing Tomato
0I have friends who love chicken soup, so I sent them your post. They were thouroughly impressed by the ease of making this soup. They also loved the complex flavors and it also hit the spot.
Donna
0Oh my goodness, this is the ultimate bowl of comfort food! So much flavor too! The whole family came back for seconds.
Elli
0What can you substitute the buffalo sauce with if in the UK ???
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Elli, You can use any hot sauce.
Carol
0Can you just omit the heavy cream for this soup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, You probably can, but it would be extremely spicy. It’s still quite spicy with the cream in there.
Bethany
0Perfect for a chilly night! Loved the flavor. I went light on the buffalo sauce so my Dad could eat it. I chunked chicken I had grilled and frozen and loved the grilled flavor. I’ll definitely make this again.
Momof6
0This soup was delicious!! Kid approved as well!! I added jalapeños, cheese, sourcream, carrots, celery sticks and ranch, saltines and French bread (for my non keto kiddos) to the table for everyone to add as they pleased. I doubled recipe and was easily able to make in instapot.
Manda_Panda
0I made this soup last week and have LITERALLY been craving it since then. It’s certainly soup season and this was an awesome one to add in to the mix! While it was a bit runnier than I expected originally, it was SO GOOD…especially leftover the next day! I may experiment and reduce the cream a bit more next time, but honestly it’s fine either way. My only suggestion is to keep your onion/celery chunks on the larger side. I diced mine pretty fine and I was wishing for a little more texture in the soup…but that’s my own fault. Now I know for next time! I also think this would be really tasty over riced cauliflower or riced broccoli. I plan on making this soup again this week. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe!
Karen
0OMG! Delicious! Made so much, tho. Can I freeze some?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, Yes, this soup freezes well. I suggest separating into single-sized portions first, then freezing.
Priscilla Wallace
0I wanted to make this and didn’t have buffalo sauce but I had Mcilhenny Co. Tabasco Pepper sauce… we used only 1 teaspoon, it was great, it had a little spice to it which worked well as my youngest is 12 & not a big fan of spice. For more spice, each person could easily add a drop or more in their own bowl. I used the instant pot, added a bit more diced onion & probably celery, we don’t measure. I didn’t have enough leftover grilled chicken breast… so, I used a can of prepared shredded chicken from Sams Club. This would be a great recipe to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken.
Nan
0Easy, tasty, keto… had all ingredients on hand.
Kids loved it too!
Nikki
0Sooooo good and soooo easy!!! I did it in the crockpot and used leftover chicken from the night before! Delicious! Thanks for this delightful recipe. Nice spin on chicken soup!
Barb
0I also use rotisserie chicken. So yummy. Easy go-to meal.
Kim
0This is delicious and so easy. I used rotisserie chicken. Next time I’ll double the recipe and the and more buffalo sauce.
Jennifer
0I Loved this recipe! I didn’t have celery on hand instead I used a red bell pepper to saute with onions, garlic, and a dash of chilli pepper. I like extra heat. Thanks so much for this easy recipe. I had rotisserie chicken to use up it worked out perfectly.
Mahy
0Now this is the chicken soup recipe to make. It’s creamy, it’s inviting and it is just how I like it!
Sonali
0How is this a 30 minute recipe If you have to cook the chicken before hand? The whole point of the instant pot is for everything to go in and cook at once. Your ingredient list calls for already cooked shredded chicken which makes no sense to me.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sonali, You could definitely cook your chicken in the Instant Pot before assembling the soup! It adds a bit of additional time, but still would easily get this soup on the table in under an hour.
Joe
0Love looking up slow cooker recipes and being told to whip out a blender, brown onions and use precooked chicken… Why even bother with a slow cooker at that point
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Joe, This recipe was originally made for the Instant pot, where you could brown onions and pre-cook chicken all in the same vessel. Feel free to amend the methods to this recipe as it fits your schedule best. The only step I suggest not skipping is to blend the cheese into the soup with a blender. It creates a creamy, cohesive soup quickly and is worth the extra equipment.
Paul
0I had high hopes, but after making it, it has a very milk-ish and we just can’t really eat it. Going to play around with adding more hot sauce to the batch that we did make and some seasonings to try and cut down on the dairy flavor, so we’ll see how that goes.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Paul, I’m sorry this wasn’t to your liking. Maybe you would have preferred it without the half and half?
Sandy
0Nom nom nom . Mad a double batch last night and my family has inhaled it. Making more tonight for weekday lunches. Really easy recipe to follow and Delish.
Laura Clarke
0I’m looking for a dairy free alternative for heavy cream. Coconut milk/cream can do the trick in many recipes but I’d like a product that’s more flavour neutral for most of my keto recipes. Can you suggest something?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laura, I’m sorry, the only low carb alternative for heavy whipping cream I know of is coconut cream.
Kelsey
0This was the third recipe I’ve made in my instapot. It could use a little more “stuff” like possibly chopped bell pepper and/or a little rice but OH. MY. GOD. I can’t get over the amazing flavor! I made it exactly like the recipe said and I will DEFINITELY make it again! So delicious!
Terry E
0If you want the creaminess of half and half or cream, but don’t want the calories then substitute condensed 2% milk. Might not be exactly as creamy but it’s close. I do this all the time, no one notices.
Shady
0Can you freeze this soup?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Shady, I wouldn’t recommend that because the creamy ingredients might separate.
Cindy Anderson
0If cooking this soup in a crockpot, you can add the cream cheese as it cooks. In the slow cooker it melts down easily over time and does not clump!
Jayma
0Absolutely delicious!! I will definitely make this one again. I add more buffalo to my bowl, but no other changes!
Jenn
0Did you put all the cream cheese in at the beginning?
Wanda
0I used raw chicken, browned it first then carried on with the recipe.
Cooked it on the stove top Absolutely yummy and a great Keto recipe.
Thank you Maya
Ed R
0This was really good. I like to make a low carb dish I can take to lunch for the week and this worked out well. I used a cut up a rotisserie chicken. Next time I may use 1 1/2 chickens as I like soups a bit chunkier.
I also added some blue cheese crumbles to it after I heated it up each day.
Great recipe!
Tiffany
0If making in a crock pot, could you just use raw chicken thighs instead of browning, or would that be a no-no? I work 12 hours shifts, so if I am able to toss it all in raw and let it cook for 8-10 hours, that would be amazing.
Anyone try that?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tiffany, Yes, you can use raw chicken if slow cooking the recipe for a long period of time. You can find slow cooker instructions under the Instant Pot / Presssure Cooker instructions in the recipe card. Enjoy!
Catherine Lee
0I finally have an Instant Pot coming for Christmas and this will be my first recipe to try!
CR
0Do you use buffalo sauce or hot sauce?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You could use either one, but use buffalo sauce for more traditional buffalo chicken soup.
Melissa
0Hoping to make this tonight but actually want to throw the chicken breasts in the pot whole and cook with the soup, then shred. It’s easier and I think it will give it more flavor. With that in mind, how should I modify this recipe? I assume I’ll need to use the Pressure Cook/Manual button and add 5-7 minutes?? Appreciate the help!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Melissa, I haven’t tried that, but it sounds like that should work. Let me know how it goes!
Melissa
0It turned out great! We did end up using the whole 8oz package of cream cheese and then added 2-3 tbsp extra of the buffalo sauce, some spicy pepper sauce, and black pepper to kick it up a notch. Otherwise, it was great. We also made your buffalo cauliflower, which was amazing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for sharing your tips with us, Melissa!
Lynda
0Made this tonight – so good and so easy!! I used leftover rotisserie chicken and red/green pepper in place of the celery. Will definitely make again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Lynda! Have a great day!
Beth
0Bought an Instant Pot just for this recipe, and I’m in love! Your shredded chicken recipe was so easy! Although it isn’t specified in the recipe, I think it’s better to mince the garlic ahead of time, rather than directly in with the onion & celery– I found that mine sautéed a little too quickly in between taking each clove out of my garlic press.
Instead of a blender/food processor, I just diced my cream cheese into a bowl, added the broth, and whisked it together until smooth. Worked fine for me!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so glad you liked the IP! Thanks for stopping by, Beth!
Kris
0I was searching for a low carb chicken soup recipe and came across this. I didn’t have cream cheese or HWC, but I added a low carb, no added sugar Blue Cheese dressing instead. This soup is amazing and easy. I will be making it again for sure!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy that you liked the soup, Kris! Thanks for stopping by!