Slow Cooker Buffalo
Chicken Wraps
Tender slow cooker buffalo chicken piled into crisp Napa cabbage leaves with shredded carrots, celery, and your choice of a quick Greek yogurt ranch or blue cheese drizzle. Set it up in the morning, shred it at dinner, and serve something that tastes like game day food completely on plan.
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can low-sodium chicken broth (14 oz)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 4–6 Napa cabbage leaves (or large romaine leaves)
- — shredded carrots (optional)
- — sliced celery (optional)
- — sliced green onion (optional)
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1
Load the slow cooker
Add the chicken thighs, onion, garlic, and black pepper to the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over the top — if it doesn't fully cover the chicken, add water until it does. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours until the chicken is completely tender and falls apart easily.
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2
Shred the chicken
Remove the chicken thighs and onions from the slow cooker and shred using two forks or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Drain most of the liquid from the slow cooker, keeping just ¼ cup behind. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
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3
Add the buffalo sauce
Pour 1 cup of buffalo sauce over the shredded chicken and stir well to coat every strand. Cover and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes until the sauce has soaked into the chicken and everything is deeply flavored. Taste and add more buffalo sauce if you want more heat.
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4
Assemble & serve
Lay the Napa cabbage leaves flat on a plate — they hold their shape beautifully and don't wilt under the hot buffalo chicken the way romaine can. Pile the buffalo chicken into each leaf. Top with shredded carrots, sliced celery, and green onion. Drizzle with your choice of Greek yogurt ranch or blue cheese sauce and serve immediately.
- Napa cabbage over romaine: Napa cabbage leaves are sturdier, more flexible, and hold their shape much better under hot, saucy buffalo chicken — romaine wilts and tears quickly. Napa is the right call for this wrap.
- Chicken thighs over breasts: Thighs stay juicy and tender through a long slow cook and shred more easily than chicken breasts — they're the better choice for any slow cooker shredded chicken recipe.
- Any buffalo sauce works: Pick a buffalo sauce with a flavor profile you love — the sauce defines the whole dish. Taste it before adding to the chicken and adjust the amount based on how spicy you want the finished wraps.
- Make it ahead: The buffalo chicken keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheats in the microwave in 90 seconds — assemble the wraps fresh each day for the best texture. It also freezes perfectly for up to 3 months.
- Celery is classic: The cool crunch of sliced celery against the spicy buffalo chicken is a combination that exists for good reason — don't skip it if you have celery on hand.