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This simple Buffalo Chicken Chowder is a set it and forget it meal that you can make so easily in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker! Packed with veggies, protein, and flavor, and creamy this easy soup is bound to be a new favorite for busy weeknights! This Dairy-free soup is made with coconut milk to give you a decadent taste you will love.
Let’s bust out everyone’s favorite kitchen appliance: the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker! You all know that I live by this during my busy seasons (which is basically year round!). Whether it be a soup or stew, a Sunday Pot Roast, or some of my favorite healthy Asian dishes, I find myself reaching for my Instant Pot constantly!
As a nutritionist, my favorite kind of meals to make in the Instant Pot are soups. I love the way soups pack in nutrition! Hearty vegetables, protein, and fresh herbs are centered around a warming broth that provides a nutrient dense meal. This not only is good for the body and gut, but also so good to keep us warm and full during cooler months!
Reasons you will love this Buffalo Chicken Soup!
- Buffalo sauce is my favorite kind of condiment: spicy and tangy! If you love the flavor of chicken wings, but don’t love chicken wings, this soup is exactly what you’ll want.
- Loaded with veggies! Celery, potatoes, carrots, and fresh cilantro. Flavors, texture, and fiber all loaded in one!
- The leftovers are fantastic! Perfect for meal prep. Make a batch on the weekend and enjoy throughout the week.
- Hit the easy button with less than 10 minutes of prep time. Only 30 minutes of total time for the Instant Pot, or use the slow cooker so that you can let this soup cook while you are gone during the day!
How to make Buffalo Chicken Chowder:
This recipe comes together with just a few easy steps and a handful of healthy ingredients:
- chicken breast or thighs
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- potatoes
- chicken broth
- buffalo wing sauce
- full fat coconut milk for creaminess
- fresh cilantro for garnish!
Simply chop up the veggies to prepare. If using the Instant Pot, saute the onion beforehand. Then toss in the celery, carrots, potatoes, chicken, and wing sauce. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, then use a quick release. Shred the chicken with a fork. Pour in the coconut milk to get the creamy texture.
For the slow cooker, dump all ingredients (minus the coconut milk). Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Shred the chicken with a fork and pour in the coconut milk to serve.
Why Coconut milk?
I use coconut milk as the “cream” base to make it a chowder, but if not following a strict dairy-free diet, half and half can also be used. I promise that between the buffalo sauce and vegetable flavors, there is…..Wait for it……
NO COCONUT TASTE!!
Tips and Adaptations:
- Chicken thighs or chicken breast: chicken thighs will pull apart and shred easier. I prefer breast, but this is just a personal preference! You can also do boneless, skinless, thighs.
- Buffalo Sauce: I use 3/4 cup of buffalo sauce. For many, this may be too spicy. You can always start with 1/2 cup and adjust as needed.
- Potatoes: Potatoes provide a hearty starch to this soup. You can omit completely if following a low carb or keto diet, or substitute with cauliflower florets or rice.
This would make the perfect soup for a healthy super bowl meal, or even for a tailgate. And as I mentioned above, this one is kind of a no-brainer for me for an an easy weeknight dish. Serve with my Easy House Salad as a side dish!
Enjoy, my friends!
Instant Pot Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chowder (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1.5 cups diced potatoes*
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup buffalo hot sauce, I use Frank’s
- 2/3 cup full fat canned coconut milk or half and half
- 1/4 cup cilantro for garnish, optional
Instructions
For the Slow Cooker:
- Place chicken breast at the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, chicken broth, and buffalo sauce.
- Cook on low for 4 hours (up to 6 hours, may depend on potatoes for slow cooker).
- Remove lid and stir in coconut milk (or half and half). Serve with cilantro for garnish.
For the Instant Pot:
- Set your instant Pot to saute. Add a bit of oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Now add in onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Select cancel.
- Place chicken, celery, carrots, potatoes, chicken broth, and buffalo sauce on top of the chicken. Now add chicken broth. Secure the lid.
- Select the manual function on your IP, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Use a quick release (place a kitchen towel over the valve to prevent a mess). Once steam is completely released, remove lid.
- Add coconut milk or half and half. Top with fresh cilantro and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you shred the chicken before you put the coconut milk in or will it fall apart on its own?
I usually have to shred, sometimes it falls apart on it’s own. It depends really, I find that it’s more likely to fall apart in the slow cooker than the Instant Pot.
Can you cook it for longer than 6 hours? I wanted to throw this in the crock pot but I likely will be gone for about 12 hours.
Yes, the potatoes might get too soft. I would cut them into larger chunks.
Do you use Franks Hot sauce or Franks buffalo hot sauce?
I use Frank’s Original Hot Sauce.
Hello, I made the buffalo chicken chowder and it was delicious, thank you! One question, how do you add the chicken breast? Chopped into cubes and raw? Do you leave them raw whole and tear apart after intstant pot is done cooking? Thanks in advance!
Please ignore and apologies for the redundancy. I saw the in a previous comment that you cook raw whole and then tear apart.
Thanks
I just put this recipe in my instant pot 5 minutes ago. I’ll let you know how it turned out. I am using heavy cream though. None of that watery coconut o,ilk or half and half. full fat or nothing 🙂 lol
You left 3 stars without having tried it? The cook of this recipe would probably appreciate you waiting to review the recipe until after you’ve tried it. Im not trying to be rude but I feel that its not a fair review.
This was my first instant pot recipes and we loved it! We substituted yucca for the potatoes. I will definitely make this again.
So happy to hear that, Marsha! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi Amy,
I am following a keto/Atkins induction diet but also need to be dairy free for allergy reasons so is pretty much perfect for me. I cannot have potatoes as they are high GI root veggies. Do you suggest a sub for them or just omit totally. I have an instant pot and love buffalo anything so cannot wait to make this especially because of this artic winter we are having so far!
Hi Barbara! Thanks for stopping by. You should use cauliflower florets or riced cauliflower in place of potatoes. It will taste delicious!
Can I use frozen chicken breast? If so, do I need to adjust cooking time?
Yes, I am thinking it would work but probably make the chicken a little more tough. I would increase time to 15 minutes.
I’m confused as to the method of releasing. Is it a quick pressure release or a natural pressure release?
Hi Lisa,
Sorry for the confusion, I just re-worded the recipe. It is a quick release. However, I make this recipe all the time and will use a natural release if I’m not pressed for time. I think it makes the chicken a bit easier to shred. So either one works!
This sounds yum. Do you put in diced chicken or shred it after cooking?
Shred after cooking!!