This buffalo chicken soup is a fun and different way to enjoy your favorite hot wing flavors! The perfect game day grub. Blue cheese is optional.
Well, it's soup season again, and I'm all over it. Not the cooler weather, but I do like soup. Football is also back, so I figured that it would be a nice time to introduce this soup to the blog.
So, what's this buffalo chicken soup all about? Well, I used Frank's Red Hot (the classic hot sauce that you find in buffalo sauce), a little butter (also found in buffalo sauce), chicken (of course), and I deliberated on what the heck else to include in the recipe.
I decided on cream cheese and a packet of ranch seasoning because it balances the spiciness and conjures up the yummy cooling tangy ranch dip that often comes with hot wings. Now, this combination in soup form may sound a little odd, but it works rather well. 😛 I even included carrots and celery in this soup... cuz they usually come with hot wings (see what I did there?). And a crumble of blue cheese for the purists out there.
The blue cheese is totally optional. I know a lot of people aren't blue cheese fans (I admit that I am iffy with it in most cases), so I didn't want to make it a compulsory part of the soup. Add the blue cheese crumbles in at the end... or not at all.
I wouldn't call this creamy buffalo chicken soup crazy spicy or anything, but there's always potential to add more heat if needed. My spice level tolerance isn't high, and I didn't think it was too spicy. Start with the suggested 1/4 cup of Frank's Red Hot, and build it up from there.
How to make buffalo chicken soup
- Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in a soup pot;
- Add in the flour, ranch seasoning, chicken broth, and Frank's Red Hot;
- Add the chicken (I add the whole chicken breasts and cut them up later);
- Simmer for 12 minutes;
- Cut the chicken up (or shred it with two forks) and add the cream cheese to the soup;
- Add the chicken pieces back in, season, and garnish soup as desired.
(Full instructions and ingredients are in the recipe card below)
Don't be shy... you can definitely add more hot sauce at the end if it's not spicy enough for ya!
Love chicken soup? Try my Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup or this comforting Chicken and Rice Soup.
What kind of chicken to use?
I used boneless/skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs would work too! I'd cook the chicken thighs for a few minutes longer since they're more forgiving.
More buffalo chicken recipes to try:
- Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- Easy Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Will you give this buffalo chicken soup recipe a try? Are your Team Blue Cheese or not?
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.
Buffalo Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped small
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped small
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch seasoning (I used Hidden Valley)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce
- 4 chicken breasts
- 8 ounces cream cheese (I used a block of Philly)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish (optional): crumbled blue cheese, chopped scallions
Instructions
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge and let it soften up prior to starting the recipe or microwave it for 20-30 seconds.
- Add the oil + butter to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot for about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and ranch seasoning, followed by the chicken broth and Frank's Red Hot.
- Add the chicken breasts (no need to cut them up) to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat so the soup is simmering. Let it cook for 12 minutes.
- Take the chicken out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese to the soup. Cut up the chicken. It should be mostly cooked, but if it's not quite done yet, that's fine. You may need to give the cream cheese a helping hand with your spoon. Add the cut-up chicken into the soup once the cream cheese is incorporated.
- If the chicken wasn't quite cooked, let it cook for a few more minutes. Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed. Serve and garnish as desired. If you love blue cheese, you can stir some right into the soup prior to dishing it up.
Notes
- Feel free to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts (I'd use 6 boneless/skinless thighs). I'd then cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
- This soup isn't crazy spicy as written. You can add more Frank's Red Hot Sauce in at the end if it's not hot enough for you.
- You could try subbing the ranch packet for ranch or blue cheese salad dressing (but I haven't tested this, so you'd have to experiment). There's also plenty of recipes out there for homemade ranch seasoning if you can't find any in stores.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Colleen Ekback says
I’d love to make this dairy free. I’m thinking coconut milk or cream to sub cream cheese? Hmm might need to experiment before serving guests 😉 I’ll let you know how it goes…
Natasha says
Yes - let me know! Maybe vegan sour cream?
Diane Bond says
Can this be made in an instant pot?
Natasha says
Haven't tested it. Maybe someone else in the comments has tried that?
John says
how many times do you have to multiply this by to get 1 gallon?
Natasha says
Hahhahaa good question!! I am no math whiz. Anyone know? 😀
Mike says
Make it once, measure it out, figure out what yiu need to factor by.
Vin Lish says
I made this and it was great! Instead of using canned broth I used cubes and I mix those with some other spices. I will make again.
Natasha says
Wonderful!!
Melissa Day says
How much chicken is that in pounds?
Natasha says
You don't have to be precise, so that's why I don't list a weight. Approximately 1-1.5 pounds I'd say.
Melissa A. Day says
Thank you! Chicken breasts are so huge now that I was concerned about how many pounds it would be. I made a chicken chili last weekend with just two chicken breasts because together they weighed 3 lbs! Thank you! I will be making this today to bring to the Buffalo Bills game with me tomorrow for tailgating!
Natasha says
You're welcome!! It's funny... here in Canada they keep getting smaller! Go Bills!
Cece says
I used chicken thighs instead. We like spicy so I put in 1 cup of Pete’s and 2 oz of ranch salad dressing instead of the dry packet.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Jackie says
Best ever!!! Found this recipe today. Made this recipe today. Used leftover turkey which was added in after the cream cheese (and used a whisk which helped a lot) and let the flavors incorporate a bit. I thought I'd use 1/2 the amount of hot sauce but turns out I ended up using the amount as recommended in the recipe. We typically like our chicken wings to be medium or maybe even a little bit milder than medium so the amount recommended was perfect My husband said this is the best soup ever! We loved it. I cooked the veggies a little longer than suggested but not enough to make them soft. We really liked it that way
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Glad it was a hit, Jackie!
Laura Loppnow says
Made this tonight, it’s amazing. I added a diced jalapeño seeds and ribs removed, pulsed half the onions in my ninja for a puréed texture, added 2 teaspoons minced garlic and a teaspoon of chili flakes. I only had 1 chicken breast defrosted so I used a small rotisserie chicken to supplement the remaining. instead of traditional Franks, I tried the new Nashville hot Wing Sauce. Adds 16 carbs but that’s less than 3g per serving So so so good!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!! Glad you liked it!
Audrey says
Very good recipe! Turns out you CAN freeze it & it's just as good when it thaws! No grittiness from the dairy thawing. I added a splash of heavy cream, extra flour, onion & cauliflower to the original recipe! Tres magnifiqué!
Natasha says
That's great! I'm happy you enjoyed it, and thanks for reporting how it froze for you. 😀
Robynn says
Could this be made in a crockpot for a church potluck? I’m wanting to double this recipe and wondering if it’ll fit in my 6qt crockpot!
Natasha says
Hi! I am not sure. I've only ever made it as directed, and it's been a while, so I'm not entirely sure how much it makes. You could try reading thru the comments - I think some others may have tried it in the crockpot.
Leigh Brittingham says
I've made it and served it to my son's: teachers for a crockpot day by keeping it on warm.
Dana says
Soo good as is, but next time I’d like to try it with cauliflower instead of celery and another tablespoon of flour for thicker consistency. Soo good though
Natasha says
So glad you like it! 🙂
Chum says
This was terrific. I should say that I’m not much of a recipe follower, more a person who uses recipes to trigger my imagination usually. I try to look at what I have and just figure it out when I see a great recipe.
In this case, I made some changes based on what was in the kitchen (for example, I had only two small chicken breasts, so added a potato and a can of butter beans to bulk it up; only a half bar of cream cheese on hand; no commercial ranch mix, etc). (Btw, if you used ranch spices and added a bit of buttermilk, it works so well in this!)
I love recipes that inspire me and are forgiving because I’m a terrible planner and often decide what I’m making when I get to the kitchen (I know, I know). Your recipes are always gorgeous. This soup was very yum and got my creative juices flowing, too. Thank you!
Natasha says
Nothing wrong with that! That's how I cook too. 😀 Thanks for your review!
cindy says
can you freeze this soup?
Natasha says
You can but since there's dairy in it, the texture could become a bit grainy, but it'll still taste fine.
Jeremy says
As soon I saw this I knew I needed to try it and like everyone else has commented, it’s really good! I got a rotisserie chicken for the meat and then used the bones to make a stock for the soup.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
We're so glad it was a hit for you as well, Jeremy! Thank you. 🙂
Karen says
This was delish! Very easy to make and full of flavor. My fiance was worried it would be too spicy, but 1/4 cup Franks was the perfect amount. Maybe my portion sizes were too large as it made 5 servings - two currently in the freezer, so we'll see how the reheat does.
Natasha says
I'm so happy it was a hit, Karen!
Heidi says
Tried this recipe and will be making it again! Was super easy and delicious! Added more Frank's hot sauce and used an oven roasted already cooked chicken from the store! I am from Buffalo, and will be serving this at the next game day party instead of our Buffalo chicken wings!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome to hear, Heidi! So glad it's a new game day favorite!
Deborah Blackburn says
This soup is just PERFECT! Not too hot and absolutely delicious! I used 2 pounds of rotisserie chicken and it saved me some time. I will be making this again and again. Perfect for a casual dinner with friends. Serve with nachos or taco!
Natasha says
Thank you!! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
L. Pierce says
I made this tonight with a couple of small modifications. I subbed a few potatoes for the carrots, did not add flour (needed no gluten), and added a little heavy cream. It was amazing!! It is so flavorful and yummy!!
Natasha says
Love that!! 🙂
Anne Burns says
We all love this soup! At the beginning of the school week, I ask my teenage son for dinner requests and this is what he asked for this week! Absolutely delicious and easy to make!
Natasha says
Aww I love that!! 🙂 So happy it's a hit in your home!
Bee says
Our family loves this soup! We eat it with tortilla strips, and I had another 1/4 cup of buffalo wing sauce to the recipe. Can't thank you enough for this--dinner in under an hour AND everyone eats it all. Priceless!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 😀 I love when the whole fam enjoys a meal! Thanks for letting me know.
Roxann Mrochko says
Could you substitute goat cheese instead of cream cheese? Also, when I make buffalo dip I use Feta cheese and cheddar could I add those?
Natasha says
Hi! You could for sure try swapping, but I've never used goat's cheese into a soup... I'm not quite sure if it'll melt in the same way. The cream cheese is also fairly tangy and less strong, so the flavor will definitely be different. I'd add some feta crumbles on top perhaps after serving.
L. Pierce says
I used feta crumbles on top instead of blue cheese- it was really good.
Lacy says
I keep coming back to this recipe, and it's become one of my partner's favourites! The spiciness is just right for my taste. Cooking the chicken in the same pot as the rest of the soup is genius. I love anything that reduces how many dishes I have to use!
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! I'm so happy it's a hit. 😀
Alyssa says
Made this tonight for my family! Husband and kids all loved it and so did I. It is creamy, full of flavor, easy to make... just so good!! I dipped my kids soup out before I added the Frank’s Red Hot since they don’t like spice and then I added it in for my husband and I. It was absolutely just as delicious without the Frank’s as it was with it! Will make this again!
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so happy everyone liked it!
Sarah says
About how many cups or ounces of soup would this make?
Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi Sarah! I honestly don't know. The nutrition info is for 1/6 of the recipe. I provide that info as a courtesy to give a rough idea of calories, but I am not a trained nutritionist and I don't know what that equates to in cups/oz/etc. unfortunately.
Jodi says
Made this tonight and it won’t be the last time
So happy with it
I used 1/3 cup of Buffalo sauce
2 Tbsps of flour and 6 cups of homemade chicken broth
Delicious doesn’t do it justice
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Jodi!!! 🙂 Thanks for your review.
Mallory says
Will be trying this for our super bowl party! Looks amazing. Hows the consistency of it, is it thick like a broccoli cheddar soup, or it is more brothy? Has anyone had success adding extra cheese, such as a sharp cheddar or Colby jack? My family prefers a really thick cheese soup 🙂 Thank you!
Natasha says
Hi! It's fairly brothy. I think you could probably make a roux and/or add in more cheese at the end. Or add in a little more flour, but in that case I'd probably just do a roux.
Melissa says
It’s a great recipe and I’m definitely making it for the super bowl. I doubled up in on the mirepoix and also let it simmer for a while after I cooked it and it thickened up nicely. Just keep an eye on the soup so it doesn’t burn or stick to the pot.
Natasha says
Excellent!
Lisha says
Can I do this with precooked chicken and just skip step 4?
Natasha says
Sure! I think others have done that.
Jenny Weiner says
This is my new favorite soup recipe! I made 2 incredibly slight alterations (homemade ranch seasoning and 1/3 less fat cream cheese) and OMG it's amazing!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I am set for the week now!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Jenny!! 🙂
Cristal says
Made this for dinner tonight while we watch the game and it was delicious! I baked some honey cornbread to go along with it and the sweet and spicy paired perfectly. I’m thinking I’ll turn the cornbread into croutons to add right into the leftovers.
I chose to shred the chicken before adding it it back to get the pot and definitely glad I did! Seems like there’s so much more to go around that way!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Cristal! Thanks for your review! 🙂
Kristen says
Looks amazing. Do you think I could do it in a slow cooker? Would I add the cream cheese towards the end?
Natasha says
Yup, that's what I would do. 🙂
Ally says
Kristen, did you try making this in the slow cooker? I'm planning to make this tomorrow but would prefer to do in the slow cooker.
Laura Eilts says
Absolutely delicious! Whole family loved it! No leftovers at all. I’ll make this on repeat! Thank you!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks, Laura!
Tanya says
I had thawed a package of ground chicken and came across this recipe. I love finding a recipe that has normal ingredients that are stocked in the kitchen. This was a home run!! I added shredded cheddar to the top of our bowls and served w hot croissants. The whole family loved it! Will be making it over and over thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased it was a hit!! 🙂 Thanks for your review, Tanya!
Kelly says
Do you cook the chicken first separately or add raw chicken to the pot and cook it like that?
Natasha says
Hi Kelly! It's uncooked chicken. Assume any ingredient is uncooked unless otherwise specified. Like step 5 indicates, "...it should be mostly cooked but if it's not quite done yet, that's fine..." Hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂
Jim says
Can you freeze Buffalo Chicken Soup?
Natasha says
Hi! So, if you happen to have leftovers, you could give it a try, but in general, soups with cream/cream cheese often don't freeze well (the texture can get a bit weird and it can separate once thawed). I'd reheat over a low heat if you do try. It'll still taste fine.
Rebecca says
Have you tried making this in the instant pot? Would love to know how to make it that way.
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't. I'd probably do 10 minutes high pressure, natural release for 10 min then release the remaining pressure manually (this technique can help keep chicken more tender, apparently, and I've used it in other IP chicken recipes). Add in the cream cheese after you take the lid off.
Lori H says
Yummy addition to my recipe collection. Great aroma and taste. Can you freeze this if you make a larger quantity? I wasn't sure because of the cream cheese. Thanks for sharing this recipe, your kindness will be remembered each time I serve this dish of love.
Natasha says
Hi Lori!! I'm so happy you like it. 🙂 I haven't tested freezing this one, and you're right... I have the same concern about the cream cheese. I think you could try freezing leftovers, and if you reheat them slowly over a low heat, there's a chance it won't separate. With that said, I am sure it'll still taste good... the texture just may be a little different than when it's freshly made.
Paris Roach-Rowe says
This is my go-to soup recipe. It is so comforting and just tastes great!
Only things I've tweaked for myself is I use chicken with bone as I'm not a fan of breast. I also pre-season the chicken and brown them off in the pan before adding to the soup.
This is a great recipe!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I agree - chicken with bone is much more flavorful. Thanks for your review! 🙂
Carrie says
This is one of the most complimented soups I’ve ever made. I really enjoy making it, but had to modify a few things after the original did not work well for me. I’ve done the original 2-3 times, but have made the following modifications many times with great results:
The chicken was too much and not enough liquid. I reduced it to two chicken breasts (around 1 lb).
I added more broth…about 2 more cups and a few tablespoons off hot sauce (to prevent the soup from weakening).
Not really needed, but I also added 3 ears of corn. I cut cooked ears off the cob and added them with the chicken after the cream cheese was blended.
Natasha says
Thanks for your suggestions, Carrie! I am glad you gave it a try and tweaked it to your liking. 🙂
Elizabeth Palmer says
The best Buffalo Chicken Soup recipe I've come across yet, even my picky husband liked it, delicious - thank you!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! So glad to hear it, Elizabeth! 😀
Nicole says
This was quite tasty!!!! I was a little nervous that the cream cheese wouldn't melt in all the way but with a little patience and time it did. I used four whole chicken breast, but this seemed to be a lot. Next time I'll either add less chicken or double the soup recipe up. Overall absolutely satisfied. Easy to make and DELICIOUS!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole!
Barbara says
My husband loves this soup, as he is a Buffalo chicken and Frank Red Hot Sauce fan, and this soup combines both! It has been our “go to” soup throughout the cooler months. I usually use a Rotisserie chicken, so it speeds up the preparation. Delicious!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you two enjoy it!! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review, Barbara!
Christy Gurganus says
OBSESSED with this soup!! I have made this soup 15+ times, and have loved it every time. So filling, but you don’t feel sluggish or overly full after a few bowls (yes, you will go in for seconds or thirds lol)
I like to shred my chicken instead of slicing it. Partially because I prefer shredded chicken in almost all dishes, and also because I’m lazy. I like to throw the full chicken breasts in my kickenaid mixer and it’s shredded in 30 seconds.
Highly recommend this soup!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled you like this soup so much, Christy!! Great tip to shred the chicken too.
Sandy says
I have made this without the flour and ranch dressing mix. It is fabulous. I've added mushrooms to the veggies too snd it's amazing.
Natasha says
Glad it worked out for you, Sandy! 🙂