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.
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.
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! 🙂