Buffalo Chicken in the Instant Pot

Sharing is caring!

Published: 11/18/2020 | Updated: 04/02/2024

You can make huge batches of buffalo chicken in your instant pot for appetizers, meals or just to freeze so you have on-hand for later! It’s easy, delicious and affordable!

We are obsessed with all things buffalo flavored in this house! It doesn’t even really matter what it is, if it has that glorious buffalo flavor, we are all in.

This shredded buffalo chicken is so easy to make in the instant pot, that pretty much always have some in my freezer. I’m going to guess I make it at least twice a month and a big batch at that!

I use my favorite homemade buffalo sauce, chicken breasts and a few pats of butter and that’s it! Three ingredients, a little bit of hands-on time, and I can have bags of this in the freezer just waiting to be turned into delicious appetizers or dinners.

How to Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken

Chicken- I pretty much only use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for my buffalo chicken. You can use chicken tenders or whole chicken breasts. The only thing that will change is the time you cook them for. For chicken tenders, I cook them on high pressure for 10 minutes. For chicken breasts, I cook them on high pressure for 13 minutes.

Buffalo Sauce- As I mentioned above, I use my homemade buffalo sauce. It’s so simple to make and this way I can control the heat. If you are pressed for time, though, you can easily use a bottled buffalo sauce instead.

Butter- I add a couple pats of butter on top of my chicken before cooking it. I just love a buttery buffalo sauce and think it helps tamp down some of the heat. It’s not necessary, though, so you can skip this step. If you do add some butter, it doesn’t matter if you use salted or unsalted. Either will work!

I use about 1 cup of buffalo sauce per 2 pounds of meat.

I pour a little in the bottom of the instant pot insert and then place my raw chicken on top.

Pour the rest of the buffalo sauce over the chicken and then top with about 2 tablespoons of butter cut into little slivers.

Seal the lid and cook on high for 10 minutes for the chicken tenders. When it’s done cooking, do a quick release so the chicken doesn’t continue to cook.

How Do You Shred Chicken?

Two Forks- This is pretty much the only way I ever shred my chicken. Especially when I’m cooking it in the pressure cooker. It’s just so tender that it practically falls apart as soon as you touch it with a fork. I shred it right in the instant pot insert and there’s no need then to get anything else dirty.

Stand Mixer- Some people prefer to shred their chicken in a stand mixer. I did try it once to see what the fuss was about and I honestly wasn’t impressed. I actually felt like it shredded it too much and I like to leave big chunks of chicken in mine instead of finely shredded. Plus, then you just have another dirty bowl to wash. I know others who swear by this method, though, so do what works for you!

This is what my chicken looked like after shredding it in the insert. I didn’t drain any liquid off at all.

You can almost tell that there is still some liquid at the bottom, but honestly, it was such a small amount that I just tossed it with the chicken to keep it all moist.

If you think you have too much liquid in yours, you can turn on the saute function and saute it for a few minutes to help the liquid evaporate.

Can You Freeze Shredded Chicken?

You can and you should! I can’t even tell you the number of times it’s come in handy when unexpected guests stop by. Or if I’m having a rushed night, I can just grab a bag, thaw it quickly and get dinner on the table. It’s so convenient!

Once your chicken has cooled completely, divide it between quart size freezer bags. Depending on the size of your family, put about 1.5-2 cups in each bag.

Seal the bag completely and then lay flat on the counter. They store in the freezer much better if they are flat.

How Do You Use Buffalo Chicken?

• Buffalo Chicken Wings… I had to start with wings, right? Just make some wings in your air fryer or oven and toss with buffalo sauce afterwards.
• Buffalo Shrimp Wraps– we wrap ours in lettuce for a low carb meal, but you can use tortillas too.
• Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
• Buffalo Chicken Sliders
• Buffalo Eggrolls
• Drizzled on a pizza
• Drizzled on eggs
• Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
• Mixed with ranch or blue cheese dressing for a buffalo ranch dipping sauce

This Buffalo Chicken in the Instant Pot is a delicious, easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. The chicken is cooked to perfection and the sauce is flavorful and spicy. I would highly recommend giving this dish a try!

Looking for more Freezer friendly recipes

Looking for more freezer-friendly recipes? Check out our list of favorites! From easy weeknight meals to impressive holiday fare, these recipes are perfect for those busy days when you don’t have time to cook.

• Keto Breakfast Casserole with Ham and Eggs
• Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls in Air Fryer
• Easy Pear Bread Recipe
• Easy Pizza Pancake Recipe
• Homemade Baking Mix: Bisquick Substitute
• Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
• Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
• Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuits

Be sure to PIN THIS POST to save for later!