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Crockpot Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli, a cozier weeknight slow cooker meal. This comforting spicy chicken and broccoli is tossed in a creamy buffalo white cheddar cheese sauce. Then finished with extra buffalo sauce and chopped green onions, so delish. A simple weeknight dinner everyone really enjoys. Serve over rice with a side of yummy beer bread. It’s especially fun for game night too!
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As a kid, the buffalo chicken pizza we’d order from our local pizza spot used to be one of my favorites. Anytime we’d do an at-home pizza night I’d request the buffalo chicken. Most of the time we stuck with cheese and pepperoni, super average. But then there were nights we’d order from our local in-town pizza place in Ohio, Pelicanos. It was my best friend, Stephanie, who first introduced me to this saucy, spicy, cheesy chicken pizza.
I first had it at Stephanie’s, loved it, and then got my family hooked. Anytime that pizza was on the menu, everyone was excited for dinner.
Obviously, this is not a buffalo chicken pizza recipe, if you need that I already have one on the site. But this slow cooker buffalo chicken reminds me so much of that pizza.
The pizza I remember had a creamy chicken base with lots of sauce. It was not thick or heavy, just super saucy and spicy. The cheese on top held everything together.
It was loaded up with green onion, which I think was part of their secret.
At the moment, I’m very into green onions, so I did the same here. I piled green onions onto the chicken and made sure to have lots of sauce. Not only was this the easiest to create, but it’s delicious and saucier than you’d expect.
Details – these are quick
Step 1: layer the chicken
Working in the bowl of your crock pot, layer the onions, boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs, and ranch seasoning. I like to use dried parsley, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Then pour over your favorite hot sauce and add some water.
Add the butter for the sauce, and then if you like it spicy, we do a chopped jalapeño.
Now cover the crockpot and let the chicken cook. I usually cook for 1-2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low.
Step 2: make the chicken creamy
Once the chicken is cooked, mix in a block of cream cheese, a couple of handfuls of cheddar cheese, and lots of fresh broccoli. Aside from the broccoli, this is very similar to how you would make buffalo chicken dip.
Let the chicken and broccoli cook on high for 5 or 10 minutes. Just until the sauce is very creamy and the cheese has melted.
Step 3: extra buffalo sauce, top, and serve
Before serving, you can mix up a homemade buffalo sauce with equal amounts of melted butter and hot sauce, and a good pinch of seasoned salt. This is my go-to sauce. I love to drizzle it over the chicken for extra spiciness. You can also use your own buffalo wing sauce.
This is “extra” and while you don’t need it, it makes every bite of this dish that much yummier. Of course, if you like less heat, adjust as you please!
I love to serve the chicken, broccoli, and sauce over rice. Or have fun and make a big plate of nachos for the family with queso on top. That would be so yummy too!
If you decide on rice, beer bread on the side is a must. You can mop up all the sauce with a slice of beer bread. Sounds a little different, but it’s so good.
This would be a great dish to meal prep with keeping leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftover chicken would also be great to use in sandwiches or wraps.
Looking for other easy family dinners? Here are a few ideas:
One Pot Buffalo Chicken “Helper”
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
One Pan Autumn Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Easy Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Cheese Stuffed Pasta Bolognese Bake
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3-4 cups chopped broccoli
- 4 green onions, chopped
- buffalo sauce, for serving , (optional)
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, layer the onion and then the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with paprika, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the hot sauce and 1/4 cup water. Add the butter and jalapeño. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.2. Crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Stir in the cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Add the broccoli. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is creamy.3. Serve the chicken, broccoli, and sauce topped with green onions. Enjoy!
Stove
- 1. In a large skillet with sides, layer the onion and then the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with paprika, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the hot sauce and 1/4 cup water. Add the butter and jalapeño. Turn the burner to medium. Partially cover the skillet and cook, stirring around the halfway point, 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 2. Stir in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, then add the broccoli. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is creamy.3. Serve the chicken, broccoli, and sauce topped with green onions. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
My family loves this meal. I shred the chicken at the end and it was delicious over rice. The only thing I did differently was add 2 cups of chicken broth so it could cook all day and not be dry. I also did not add the cheese for less calories and my family loves it still!
Hey Katie,
Happy Friday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe so often and your comment, so glad it is always enjoyed!☃️
I made this tonight and liked it! The smokiness was unique but in a good way. I wish I had chopped the broccoli better, as it was a bit crunchy while the rest of the dish was creamy. I would make this again!
Hey Rebecca,
Really appreciate you making this recipe and reporting back. Thrilled it turned out well!
This recipe is AMAZING! So incredibly easy to make, and SO incredibly delicious! Yum, Yum, Yum! Thank you, Tieghan, for sharing this fantastic recipe! My husband loved it, my friends loved it and I will be making this on repeat for future dinners!
Hey Megan,
Fantastic! Thanks a bunch for making this dish and your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well!
I LOVED this!Will definitely be a weekly rotation.
I made a few adjustments to make it higher in protein/lower in fat:
Substitute cream cheese for 1 block blended silken tofu & 1 tbsp nutritional yeast & lemon juice
Substitute cheddar cheese for 1/4 c King Arthur’s cheddar powder
Still creamy and just as delicious!
Hey Liz,
Amazing! Thanks a bunch for trying this dish and your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed!
Was hoping to love, this as my fam loves Buffalo dishes and I love doing chicken in a crockpot. But I wasn’t a fan of the smoked paprika with the Franks (we are huge fans of them separately). I ended up pulling out broccoli and served in tortillas with cheese and lettuce to cut the flavor. I would advise trying the smoked pap in franks before committing to cooking this to make sure u like the combo. Glad everyone else enjoyed it, I guess we are the exception.
Hey there! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! Thank you so so much for giving it a try, I appreciate the feedback! xT
Hello, I made this today for dinner to open our fast with for Ramadan. My husband loved it so much, he had servings before bed too. I am no natural cook, and I am so grateful for your blog. I love watching him enjoy my cooking this much-Thank you!
Hey there,
Awesome! Thank you so much for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
I’ve made this so many times at this point, it’s pretty much a weekly staple. We put it over baked potatoes and add some blue cheese crumbles. Delicious every time!
Hey Heather,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and sharing your comment! So glad to hear it is always enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xxT
If I half the recipe, are the cooking times the same in the crockpot?
Hi Kelly,
You bet! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This sounds so good but want to make it less spicy for family. What would you recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Karen,
Thanks so much! I would skip the jalapeño and chipotle chili powder. Just be sure the hot sauce you choose is mild. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi 🙂 we made this a couple of nights ago and we all loved it!! Perfect balance of spicy and creamy! Thank you for all of the wonderful recipes ❤️
Hey Kate,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! XxT
Super yummy! Great for watching football!!!
Love to hear this, Kathy! Thanks for making this dish and your feedback! Have a great Sunday! xT
Great recipe. So easy, and my family loved it!!
Thanks so much, Bridget! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you! Thanks for giving it a try! XxT
Soooo yummy!!
Thanks so much, Kayla!
I was also wondering about a cream cheese substitution. I’m not worried about dairy, just can’t tolerate the taste of cream cheese.
Hey Kimberly,
You can just skip it, no big deal:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Have you ever substituted hummus for cream cheese? Considering it as non dairy option.
Hey Christine,
I have never tried that and I’m not sure I would recommend it. I would try a dairy free cream cheese, that will work better for you:) I hope you love this recipe! xT