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Buffalo Chicken Soup

Published: / Updated: / 167 Comments

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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. 

close-up of creamy buffalo chicken soup in a bowl

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. 

buffalo chicken soup in a yellow pot

How to make buffalo chicken soup

  1. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in a soup pot;
  2. Add in the flour, ranch seasoning, chicken broth, and Frank's Red Hot;
  3. Add the chicken (I add the whole chicken breasts and cut them up later);
  4. Simmer for 12 minutes;
  5. Cut the chicken up (or shred it with two forks) and add the cream cheese to the soup;
  6. 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.

buffalo chicken wing soup with cream cheese in two bowls

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:

buffalo chicken wing soup close-up

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. 

close-up of creamy buffalo chicken soup in a bowl

Buffalo Chicken Soup

This buffalo chicken soup is a fun and different way to enjoy your favorite hot wing flavors! The perfect game day grub.
4.97 from 53 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 378 kcal

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 35gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 1572mgPotassium: 848mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4068IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 1mg
Keyword buffalo chicken soup
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Mackenzie says

    5 stars
    We loved it! My store was out of Frank’s sauce but I had the spice blend version on hand. An extra 1/4 cup of water plus 2 Tbsp of Frank’s Red Hot seasoning was perfect. Didn’t change anything else. Another delicious, unique recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Nope, but you could do this in the slow cooker. I'd probably go 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 on low and add the cream cheese in towards the end. You may want to use chicken thighs instead since they're less likely to dry out/go tough than chicken breasts, but it's up to you.

      Reply

  3. Laura Strebel says

    5 stars
    I just made this soup tonight. I didn’t change a thing. It was just plain delicious. Thank you for a recipe that’s a real keeper. Yumm.

    Reply

  4. Kate says

    5 stars
    So so good! I forgot to buy bleu cheese crumbles as a topping but the soup was still delicious. This will be on repeat in my house!

    Reply

  5. Andrew Probst says

    4 stars
    As a Buffalonian, the blue cheese is absolutely not optional to create a proper Buffalo dish. In fact, swap the ranch with blue cheese. Any restaurant that serves ranch with wings has no idea what they're doing.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hey, I like to give people options. The more people who make my recipes, the better. 😉 My husband is a huge Bills fan btw!

      Reply

  6. Shannon says

    This soup is amazing!! I made this for my roommate and I, and she said it’s her favorite dish I’ve made. Will definitely be making again!

    Reply

  7. Meagen M KLEINER says

    I felt like it was missing a few things, so I added Cauliflower and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic.
    I didn't like the blue cheese crumbles on top for some reason, so next time won't do that. I also added 1/2 cup Frank's and the hotness is perfect.

    Reply

  8. Terry says

    5 stars
    I NOT a fan of “wings” anything but was recommended by my daughter who had tried it and enjoyed it. It was spot on. The flavors were just right, the wing sauce was mild with just a bit of heat! It was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone at the table. I will be making this again!

    Reply

  9. Agaither Durr says

    5 stars
    This soup is delicious. I did not add salt or pepper and it was seasoned just perfectly, my husband loved it said we definitely have to put it in our dinner rotation.

    Reply

  11. Kendalyn says

    5 stars
    SO delicious... I used more broth (half carton extra)... more butter (2-3 tablespoons extra)... more flour (1 extra tablespoon)... little more Buffalo sauce (about 1/3 instead of 1/4 cup)

    I also added just a small handful of shredded cheese and the crumbled cheese while cooking.... I substituted Gorgonzola bc I prefer it to Blue cheese - though they are similar

    Reply

  12. Tania says

    5 stars
    This soup is so so delicious! I subbed light cream cheese and half a cup of light ranch dressing added at the end (I couldn't find the seasoning). Also tried slightly more franks and dressed it up with croutons and blue cheese as suggested... perfect!

    Reply

  14. Christy says

    5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner and this recipe is now a favorite and I will undoubtedly make it again!
    We used Melinda's Ghost Pepper Wing Sauce instead of Frank's Red Hot and we were on fire!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Lisa! I don't include weight because in a recipe like this it's fine if it's not exact. I'd say 4 chicken breasts are typically around 2 pounds, though. They're sold in packs of 2 where I live.

      Reply

  17. Bruce Weisbein, D.C. says

    5 stars
    This soup was fantastic! I made only one modification: added two cloves crushed garlic after sweating the vegetables (I nearly always do this for savory soups/sauces). Thanks for posting the recipe and for the super-clear instructions!

    Reply

  18. Edward Carter Jr says

    4 stars
    Hey, I have began to make your dishes and the variations are endless. We here in TX love your brand and food. Great job. Keep it up and create a cookbook and I'm the 1st to purchase and of course we hope its personally signed. Good day. GOD bless.

    Reply

  19. Noyan Aktug says

    5 stars
    Not sure where to begin with this, but wifey made this for us tonight and it is unbelievably delicious! As I was eating it, I was angry that it was so hot because I wanted to scarf it all down and go back for more. Thank you for this recipe--it is a keeper and just one more reason why I love your recipes so much.

    Reply

  20. Heidi says

    Born and raised in buffalo, NY! Made This tonight... We used franks wing sauce and added some russet potatoes! Expect it to thicken up a lil more over night but loved the recipe!

    Reply

    • Melissa says

      @Heidi I too was raised in Buffalo but don’t live there now. I miss the true flavors of Buffalo so anytime I see a “wing” recipe, I’m skeptical. Thank you for commenting and letting me know it’s worth a shot. Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply

  21. L says

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! One if the best soup recipes I've had. I used A LA BRAVA hot sauce instead and used 1/8 cup since it can be a bit hot. Thank you for sharing this recipe! ☺️

    Reply

  23. Jen says

    5 stars
    SO delicious. Made it after work and it came together real quick. One to keep in the rotation for sure. I added tons of extra Franks, but otherwise followed the recipe.

    Reply

  24. Olivia Flynn says

    5 stars
    I make this soup about once a week. It’s something I now crave. I’m so glad I found your account on Instagram. Keep up the great work it’s definitely appreciated!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I typically cook with the sweet yellow ones (vidalia). White works too. I usually only use red ones for things like salads or serving raw (they're also great pickled). With that said, if you only had a red one available, it wouldn't hurt the recipe. Just the color may be a little funky 🙂

      Reply

  27. Lois says

    5 stars
    This soup is excellent!

    I had leftover Buffalo chicken dip from the Super Bowl. (Too much food) After soup was ready I added the pre-made Buffalo chicken dip to the soup, heated it through and it was amazing!!

    Reply

  29. Dallas says

    5 stars
    Just made this for a "Souper" Bowl party. Doubled and used three 12.5 oz cans of chicken as a short cut, turned out amazing. Will make again. Thanks

    Reply

  30. Michelle says

    Made this for dinner tonight, added 1 1/2 cups more broth, 1 cup of instant rice, and a little more buffalo sauce.... it was SOOO delicious! Thanks for a fabulous recipe!

    Reply

  31. Barb says

    5 stars
    Great soup! I added two jalapeños sans the seeds. I tried it and then added some blue cheese crumbles on top. It was good without the crumbles but the blue cheese took it over the top! I seriously felt like I was eating wings! Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply

  36. Kristen says

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!! A winner. This soup has been on regular rotation in our house since the leaves started falling. It’s warm and comforting while also flavorful and appealing to my entire picky eater crew - which is no small feat. Thank you for the super yummy recipe!!

    Reply

  40. Michaela says

    Can I use cream cheese spread? We dont have american cream cheese here. Or could I use whipped cream instead?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I'm not entirely sure what cream cheese spread is, but if it's anything like American cream cheese, then it would probably be fine. It has sort of a tangy taste. I wouldn't use whipped cream, but whipping cream or heavy cream would give it that creamy consistency. Do you have sour cream? I think that might be the best alternative, actually, because it has that tangy taste.

      Reply

  41. Phyllis says

    We’re invited to a chili/soup and fixings potluck and I think I just found what I’m taking, sounds delicious. Thanks so much!!!

    Reply

  42. Deepinthesnow says

    5 stars
    Outstanding!
    I used rotisserie chicken and 1/3 fat cream cheese. WW members it’s about 6 points a serving.

    Reply

  45. Jools says

    5 stars
    Just made this for dinner and it was delicious! Really easy to make! Clean plates all around!
    I didn’t have ranch seasoning so looked up some key ingredients and added, as many as I had, separately and it was absolutely amazing! Will definitely make it again! 😍

    Reply

  46. Lauren says

    What could you sub for the ranch packet? I would use vegan cream cheese for my daughter who is lactose intolerant, but the ranch mix has buttermilk. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I haven't tested it, but you could give it 8 min on high pressure and then add the cream cheese in after. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply