We are in the thick of soup season and this creamy buffalo chicken soup might be one of the most comforting ways to do healthy buffalo chicken.
I am a huge fan of buffalo chicken – from casseroles to stuffed sweet potatoes and classic buffalo chicken tenders. It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations and the possibilities are endless.
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What I love most about this buffalo chicken soup recipe is the creaminess factor. There is just something about a creamy soup that is so comforting. The kicker is, it gets its creaminess from potatoes blended with buffalo sauce, broth, and coconut milk. You don’t need any flour, starches, or dairy for thickeners!
It might sound a little different, but it is a simple and healthy way to thicken the soup. And I promise, absolutely delicious!
Why we love this buffalo chicken soup
- super thick and creamy!
- made in one pan (plus a blender)
- ready in about 45 minutes
- easy macro-balanced meal – it’s packed with protein from the chicken, has carbohydrates from the potatoes, some healthy fats from the coconut milk, and fiber from the veggies
- makes a lot and is great for meal prep
Ingredients
- ghee
- garlic
- onion
- carrot
- celery
- yukon gold potatoes – some will be diced and some will be quartered as the quartered ones will be blended to thicken the soup
- chicken breasts
- chicken broth
- full-fat coconut milk – for extra creaminess
- buffalo sauce – homemade or store-bought will work
- cayenne pepper
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
How to make buffalo chicken soup
- Heat a large dutch oven or nonstick pot over medium heat. Add ghee and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Make your soup. Add diced potatoes and mix well to combine. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then add the chicken breasts (keep them whole) and the quartered potatoes on top (do not mix them, just layer them on top). Next, add your broth and make sure everything is covered. Add a little more broth if everything is not covered. Place the lid on the pot and let simmer, untouched, over medium to medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. Be careful that the liquid doesn’t boil over. If needed, adjust the lid so a little air can get in.
- Blend soup. After 25 minutes the potatoes should be softened and the chicken cooked through. Remove the potato quarters and add to a blender. Remove the chicken and shred it with a fork. Add about 1/2-1 cup of the liquid from the soup along with the buffalo sauce, coconut milk, and cayenne pepper to your blender with the potatoes. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add back into the pot along with the shredded chicken and stir to combine.
- Let simmer. Add the lemon juice and a little more salt and pepper. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes until well combined.
- Enjoy! Top with optional toppings and enjoy!
To make it low carb
You can substitute cauliflower florets for the potatoes. You will want about the same amount (about 4 cups) and will want a little more than half to be in smaller bite-size pieces with the rest being in large chunks for blending.
If using cauliflower, you might not need the full 20-25 minutes for it to cook, but you still want to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Potatoes are pretty neutral in taste so the cauliflower might change the flavor a little, but the buffalo broth will still be the main star.
Using cauliflower will reduce the total number of carbs in this recipe.
How to serve buffalo chicken soup
This soup is super hearty and filling on its own. I love to customize it with toppings each time we have it. Here are some of my favorite things to dress it up or serve with it.
- salad – soup and salad is the perfect combo
- bread or crackers
- toppings – green onion, cilantro, a drizzle of coconut milk, more buffalo sauce/hot sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, blue cheese crumbles, yogurt, or sour cream
Storage
- fridge – keep it in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove or microwave when you are ready to eat.
- freezer – this recipe would be perfect to freeze as it makes a lot. Freeze in a large container or in individual servings. Defrost in the fridge overnight. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Substitutions
- ghee – butter or oil will work in place of ghee.
- garlic – garlic powder will work instead of fresh. Use 1 teaspoon worth. Just add it with the veggies if using (do not need to saute it).
- veggies – any kind of veggies will work to add to this soup. You can add more carrots, celery, and onion, or swap them with something else. Use make sure if using others, to dice them small.
- potatoes – any kind of potato or winter squash will work, including sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Using those will change the flavor. You can also use cauliflower as a lower-carb option (see the above section for recommendations).
- chicken – chicken thighs will work instead of breasts. This will a little more fat. To make this soup come together even faster, use cooked shredded chicken. Simply add the potatoes to the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes until softened and cooked through. Add your shredded chicken in with the blended broth or when you are ready to eat.
- broth – any kind of broth will work. Chicken, beef, or veggie. Using beef broth will give this soup a richer flavor.
- coconut milk – you can use low-fat coconut milk instead of full-fat if you like. Almond milk will also work, but the broth will not be as thick if using it or low-fat coconut milk. You can also use heavy cream if you do well with dairy.
- buffalo sauce – hot sauce (I like Frank’s) will work the same as buffalo sauce. I like using Frank’s (original).
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Buffalo Chicken Soup
equipment
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 heaping cup diced yellow onion (140 grams)
- 1 heaping cup diced carrot (150 grams)
- 1 cup diced celery (120 grams)
- 2 1/2 heaping cups diced yukon gold potatoes (cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces) – see notes*
- 1 1/2 cups peeled and quartered yukon gold potatoes (cut into about 2-2 1/2 inches pieces) – see notes*
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cups buffalo sauce **
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (make sure fully combined when using canned coconut milk)***
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- optional toppings: green onion, coconut cream, hot sauce, cheese
instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or nonstick pot over medium heat. Add ghee and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Make your soup. Add diced potatoes and mix well to combine. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then add the chicken breasts (keep them whole) and the quartered potatoes on top (do not mix them, just layer them on top). Add your broth and make sure everything is covered. Add a little more broth if everything is not covered. Place the lid on the pot and let simmer, untouched, over medium to medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. Be careful that the liquid doesn’t boil over. If needed, adjust the lid so a little air can get in.
- Blend soup. After 25 minutes the potatoes should be softened and the chicken cooked through. Remove the potato quarters and add to a blender. Remove the chicken and shred it with a fork. Add about 1/2-1 cup of the liquid from the soup along with the buffalo sauce, coconut milk, and cayenne pepper to your blender with the potatoes. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add back into the pot along with the shredded chicken and stir to combine.
- Let simmer. Add the lemon juice and a little more salt and pepper. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes until well combined.
- Enjoy! Top with optional toppings and enjoy!
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notes
nutrition
Recipe by Kelly Nardo, Eat the Gains | Photography by The Mindful Hapa
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Made this with thighs (thigh family thru and thru) and I know it says 8 cups but we ate this in two dinners 😂 sooo freaking delicious. Putting this in the rotation!!
Love that you used thighs! And right, we go through it so fast! Thanks for trying it, Nikki!
This was delicious! My husband ate 2 bowls and asked that it be added to the dinner rotation as a staple in the winter. I used rotisserie chicken since I had bought one yesterday and already deboned it and I used the diced potatoes in the soup but used riced cauliflower to make the creamy part/the chowder to sneak another veggie in. Thanks for the great recipe! Oh and we crumbled some blue cheese on top!
So happy to hear that Jody – love when the guys love it too! Your modifications sound great too and nothing goes better with buffalo than blue cheese. Thanks, Jody!
Made this today and it is delicious! Only subs I made were to use butter instead of ghee and Frank’s Buffalo Sauce instead of making it from scratch. Definitely want to try it again and use cauliflower. Another keeper!
Happy to hear it, Jenny! Thanks for trying it!
I had to use heavy whipping cream due to allergies and it turned out really good. I may add more Buffalo sauce next time to up the spice. This is a great recipe and I’ll be making it again for sure.
Happy to hear it came out! And I am all for more buffalo sauce. Thanks for trying it, Jessica!
This was so delicious and worth the effort (though I didn’t find this to be challenging nor get too many dishes dirty). It heats up beautifully for tasty lunches, too! I’m definitely adding this to the rotation, 5 stars!
Happy to hear it wasn’t too hard to make! Thanks for trying it Jenna and glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner last night and it is SO good. I ended up adding another cup of chicken broth as the amount listed didn’t fully cover the veggies I had in the pot and it still came out thick and creamy. I was also considering adding additional buffalo sauce (because YUM) but I found it wasn’t necessary. This is a recipe I will definitely revisit.
Happy to hear that Adrienne and glad you enjoyed it! Appreciate you trying the recipe!
Delicious and picky boyfriend approved! The only change I made was accidental… I used 1 cup of coconut milk instead of 1/2, and it turned out great. I would probably do the full cup again next time. I love how creamy it came out. A nice change from regular broth based soups.
Love when the boyfriends approve! More coconut milk would just make it more creamy so I bet that was delicious. Thanks for trying it, Angela!
Hello,
I’m so excited to make this! The flavor combo looks so good to me! I was wondering if you have a Instant Pot cooking conversion for this recipe?
Hi Sneha! I haven’t tried it in the Instant pot, but I would think to saute the veggies with the oil (on saute mode). Then add the rest of the ingredients as written and cook on high pressure for 13-15 minutes. Remove the chicken and potatoes and then follow the rest of the directions as written for making the buffalo broth. Let me know how it goes if you try it!