This Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken is super easy to make and comes together with buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese – serve with carrot sticks and celery for a full meal!
Ingredients in buffalo chicken
I like to use chicken breast for recipes like this one. You will be shredding the chicken after it cooks. It’s easier to use chicken breasts because it shreds well and there are no skin or bones to have to discard.
Other ingredients you will need for this recipe are:
- Buffalo wing sauce – Buffalo sauce is typically made with hot sauce, vinegar, worchestire sauce, butter and seasonings. The original Buffalo sauce uses Franks Red Hot sauce as the secret ingredients. This sauce is a little spicy because of the hot sauce. If you want something more mild, it’s easy to make your own Buffalo sauce and adjust the amount of hot sauce you use.
- Butter and salt
- Blue cheese crumbles
I like to serve this with fresh veggies on the side, just like you would get Buffalo chicken wings in a restaurant.
How to make buffalo chicken in the Instant Pot
In less than 30 minutes, you will have a delicious meal or a refrigerator full of healthy lunches. The great taste of Buffalo wings comes in a healthier serving of chicken breasts and is super quick when you use your Instant Pot.
Here’s how to make Instant Pot buffalo chicken:
- Add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. The Instant Pot works based on the pressure from the steam the water produces. You always need liquid in the Instant Pot for it to work and not burn.
- Place the trivet in the bottom of the pot. While you do need the water for the Instant Pot to work, you don’t want your meat sitting in the water. The trivet comes with the Instant Pot and is so useful for recipes like this!
- Put the chicken on top of the trivet and set the Instant Pot to cook for eight minutes
- Let the pressure release naturally. This means you don’t have to do a thing while the Instant Pot cools. It continues to cook the chicken while the pressure drops.
- Shred the chicken. Use a knife or pull it apart with two forks.
- Toss the chicken with Buffalo sauce, butter and salt (the butter cuts the heat of the hot sauce!)
Can you use frozen chicken?
One advantage of an Instant Pot is that you can cook chicken from frozen in it. Unlike a crock pot that takes a long time to heat, the Instant Pot increases the temperature very quickly. The meat does not sit at a dangerous temperature or allow bacteria to grow in the Instant Pot.
If you are using frozen chicken breasts, you will need to increase the cooking time. It will take 11-14 minutes with a natural release depending on the size of the breasts.
More topping ideas
I like to serve this Instant Pot Buffalo chicken with blue cheese crumbles, just like you would eat Buffalo wings. You can try different toppings to create unique combinations. Here are some more topping ideas:
- Diced red onion
- Jalapenos
- Cheddar cheese
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Chives
What to serve with buffalo chicken
The side dishes are more than just a vehicle to get that smothered Buffalo chicken to your mouth. These great pairings let the Buffalo taste shine and enhance the creamy sauce:
- Fresh veggies like carrots, celery and bell peppers
- Tortilla chips
- Crackers
- Bagettes
- French fries
- Pretzels
Ways to use up Buffalo chicken
Since it’s easy to double this recipe, you can use it to feed a crowd at a party. You can also use it as the base of several other meals. Shredded Buffalo chicken tastes great as part of these other dishes as well:
- On a sandwich
- Topping for pizza
- In a wrap
- Loaded French fries or potato skins
- Mixed with pasta
- Stuffed in an egg roll or wonton
- Wrapped in crescent rolls
Storing and reheating
Instant Pot Buffalo chicken will last in the refrigerator for five days. That means that you can make this in advance or divide it into individual portions or use it for meal prep.
To reheat individual servings, put it in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir and continue to heat it if needed.
If you make the entire dish in advance, you can reheat the Buffalo chicken on the stove top or in the oven. Add a little more Buffalo sauce or water if it starts to dry out.
Freezing shredded Buffalo chicken
You can freeze Buffalo chicken for about three months. This is true of any shredded cooked chicken.
You can follow this recipe to quickly cook shredded chicken to freeze. Then you can season it as you wish when you are ready to eat it.
Thaw chicken in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it for a minute or two in the microwave. You can also reheat from frozen for 5-6 minutes – make sure to sprinkle some water overtop before reheating and stir halfway through.
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The trivet that comes with your Instant Pot
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this chicken into weekly lunches
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen
- Get a meat thermometerto make sure your chicken is cooked through
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
Instant Pot resources
If you’d like some more help with your Instant Pot, then you’ll love my free resources! Sign up for free below when you get my weekly newsletter:

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- Carrots, celery and cucumber to serve
- Salad dressing to serve
Instructions
- Add water and trivet to Instant Pot and place chicken breasts on top. Press the pressure cook button and select the high setting, then set to cook for 8 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to preheat then the 8 minutes to pressure cook. Note: to double recipe, add 5 more minutes cook time.
- Let the pressure naturally release once chicken has finished cooking (should take 15-20 min), then open lid when safe to do so.
- Remove chicken and shred with a fork and knife. Drain water from the pot and then toss chicken with buffalo sauce, melted butter and salt. Serve with veggies and dip and enjoy!
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