Instant Pot Buffalo Ranch Shredded Chicken Recipe
I like to keep shredded chicken in the fridge or freezer, because it's so easy to use in breakfast, lunch, or dinner dishes without much extra work. Buffalo sauce and ranch seasoning are two flavors that just belong together, and I let the Instant Pot do all the work here for super tender, juicy shredded chicken.
Servings: 8 (makes about 4 cups)
Calories: 174kcal
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
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
- Ranch packet vs. bottled dressing: use the dry seasoning packet as written. Bottled ranch dressing isn't a direct swap, since it adds much more liquid and the flavor is not as concentrated.
- Frozen chicken: works in this recipe, may need a few extra minutes of pressure cooking time.
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