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Home » Dinner » Chicken » Instant Pot Buffalo Ranch Shredded Chicken

Instant Pot Buffalo Ranch Shredded Chicken

Created: September 25, 2019 Updated: September 12, 2022 by Lyuba Brooke 6 Comments

6.7K shares
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Amazing shredded chicken made with buffalo sauce and ranch mix for a great flavor combination. This chicken is so fast and easy to make in an Instant Pot and can be used in many different recipes. Keep it in the fridge and use it for sandwiches, wraps, tacos, salads, or as a main dish with a choice of sides.

buffalo shredded chicken in a bowl  

BUFFALO RANCH SHREDDED CHICKEN

I love having some shredded chicken either in the fridge or in the freezer because I can use it any time of the day, in so many dishes. It goes with eggs in the morning, different sandwiches for lunch, and as a main protein for dinner. I can make it fast and easy in an Instant Pot and the Crock Pot lovers, it’s just as easy to make it in a slow cooker. 

Buffalo wing sauce is one of my favorite sauces to use on chicken. I don’t care if it’s chicken wings, chicken dip, tenders, nachos, or this shredded chicken, it’s all good. And, what makes this particular buffalo chicken even better is the addition of ranch. Buffalo and ranch is one of those perfect couples that are meant to be together. It’s like peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, fries and ketchup, it’s just a perfect couple. 

It’s very easy to adjust the spice level of the sauce too. If you like it hot and spicy, simply use hotter Buffalo sauce. Of course, it goes the opposite way too, if you like it milder, use a mild sauce. Another simple way to decrease the spice level is to use something creamy along with the chicken. For example, use sour cream or ranch dressing on top of chicken and that will balance out the spice. 

Speaking of dressings, many creamy dressings and sauces will go with this buffalo shredded chicken. So when making a sandwich or a wrap, you can use blue cheese, ranch, creamy avocado, and even plain sour cream and yogurt. 

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Chicken and sauce in a instant pot

HOW TO MAKE SHREDDED CHICKEN IN INSTANT POT

It can’t get much easier when cooking this yummy chicken. Simply whisk together Buffalo sauce, chicken broth and ranch seasoning packet and combine it with chicken meat in an Instant Pot.

Close the lid and make sure it is latched. Set the steam valve to “seal” and set the pressure cooker to cook at high pressure for 16-18 minutes. (18 minutes for larger chicken breasts.) Let the pressure cooker do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then carefully do a quick release. 

Take chicken out into a large mixing bowl and leave the sauce in the pot.  

Thicken the sauce right after you take out the chicken, while it is still hot. Set the pressure cooker to saute. In a separate small cup, mix cornstarch and cold broth until combined and pour it into the sauce in the pot. Whisk well and let it simmer until the sauce is thickened. Depending on how much liquid you have left, use 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch per 1 cup of sauce. Once it’s thickened, turn off the heat.

REMEMBER: you can always add more buffalo wing sauce at the end, for a stronger buffalo taste.

Use two forks to shred the chicken meat and add the sauce. Mix it together until evenly incorporated and it’s ready to enjoy. 

Chicken and sauce cooked in a instant pot

CAN I MAKE SHREDDED CHICKEN IN THE CROCK POT?

Absolutely!

It’s very easy to make this chicken in a slow cooker. Whisk Buffalo sauce, broth, and ranch mix together and combine it with chicken meat in a slow cooker. Close the lid and cook it on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for about 4 hours.

To thicken the sauce, transfer it into a sauce pot and bring to simmer of medium heat. Add cornstarch as directed in the recipe. 

HOW TO SERVE THIS SHREDDED CHICKEN?

Sandwiches – make sandwiches, sliders, or wraps. This spicy chicken goes great with sweeter bread like the Hawaiian rolls or potato rolls. Use creamy dressings, sour cream, or plain yogurt is wraps and sandwiches. 

Salads – it’s easy to top off your favorite salad with this buffalo ranch chicken. Creamy dressings will compliment the chicken well. 

Taquitos – roll some of this buffalo chicken and shredded cheese together in small corn or flour tortillas and bake at 400° for about 12-15 minutes. 

Tacos – use corn or flour tortillas to make delicious tacos. Top it off with some sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and green onion. 

Dips – you can use this cooked buffalo ranch chicken in a Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Main dish – for an easy dinner, serve this shredded chicken with a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables.

shredded chicken in a bowl with 2 forks

HOW TO STORE SHREDDED CHICKEN

Store cooked chicken in an air-tight container with a lid, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, shredded chicken will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

If you made a double batch or it’s just too much, buffalo shredded chicken can also be frozen. To freeze it, portion it into freezer zip-lock bags, get as much air out as you can, and seal. Make sure to label the bags and freeze for 2- 3 months. 

It’s best to portion the chicken in separate bags instead of everything in one large bag because it will be easier to take out a little bit at a time. This way you defrost just enough for what you’re making. 

buffalo shredded chicken in a bowl with diced green onions on top

SOME MORE RECIPES TO TRY

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Zesty Buffalo Chicken Salad

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Pulled Chicken Tacos

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joes

shredded buffalo chicken sandwich on a cutting board

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

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PIN THIS RECIPE

Instant Pot Buffalo Ranch Shredded Chicken

Amazing shredded chicken made with buffalo sauce and ranch mix for a great flavor combination. It's easily made in an Instant Pot and very versatile to use.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, sandwich
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Release time:: 10 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 8 (makes about 4 cups)
Calories: 174kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast meat (or a mix of chicken breast and thighs)
  • 1 cup Buffalo wing sauce
  • 1 oz packet ranch seasoning mix
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • salt

Thickening sauce:

  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch per 1 cup of leftover cooked sauce
  • 1 tbsp cold chicken broth
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Whisk together Buffalo wing sauce, chicken broth, salt, and ranch seasoning packet.
  • Combine sauce with chicken meat in an Instant Pot.
  • Close the lid and make sure it is latched. Set the steam valve to “seal” and set the pressure cooker to cook at high pressure for 16-18 minutes. (18 minutes for larger chicken breasts.)
  • Let the pressure cooker do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then carefully do a quick release.
  • Take chicken out into a large mixing bowl and leave the sauce in the pot. 
  • Set the pressure cooker to saute.
  • In a separate small cup, mix cornstarch and about a tablespoon of cold broth until combined and pour it into the sauce in the pot. Whisk well and let it simmer until the sauce is thickened. Depending on how much liquid you have left, use 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch per 1 cup of sauce. Once it’s thickened, turn off the heat.
    Note: you can always add a little more buffalo wing sauce if you wish for stronger buffalo sauce taste.
  • Use two forks to shred the chicken meat and add the sauce. Mix it together until evenly incorporated. 

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 1411mg | Potassium: 536mg | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

shredded chicken collage

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

6.7K shares

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner, Gluten Free, Instant Pot, Instant Pot Main Dishes, Popular Posts

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Janet says

    January 18, 2023 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    This is so good!!! My favorite dip!!!

    Reply
  2. Crystal Waston says

    December 9, 2022 at 12:52 am

    this is so delicious

    Reply
  3. Marie says

    January 31, 2022 at 9:41 pm

    Can you use bottles ranch or does it have to be the packet ?

    Reply
  4. Pam Smith says

    August 27, 2020 at 10:39 am

    5 stars
    Hi, Lyuba,
    Today I was looking for a recipe and came across your recipes, thank you they look so good can’t wait to try them. I really appreciate the crockpot ones and instapot ones. I am on Kidney dialysis and don’t have a lot of time to cook but it is a passion of mine. Thank you so much. Also I would like more of your Rubin recipes. . I also think Rubin sandwiches are the best.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      August 31, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      Hi Pam,

      Thank you for taking the time to comment. I hope your health gets better and you can do all the things you enjoy. I do have a recipe for a good rubin sandwich I will post the link at the bottom of my comment. Take care!

      https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/reuben-sandwich/

      Reply
  5. Holly says

    March 29, 2020 at 3:56 pm

    I had to get chicken tenders instead of breasts. Do I cook them the same amount of time if it’s still 2.5lbs? Thanks.

    Reply

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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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