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About This Recipe
If you love meals that are equal parts flavorful and effortless, this one checks all the boxes. Everything cooks together in the crockpot, creating a full meal with almost no hands-on time. The chicken turns out juicy and fall-apart tender, the sweet potatoes steam-roast beautifully in the crockpot, and the whole dish reheats amazingly well for meal prep. Seriously, this slow cooker recipe is true comfort food at its finest!
Serve this slow cooker buffalo chicken and sweet potatoes as is, or enjoy with a simple side salad or roasted veggies like my Roasted Zucchini with Parmesan, Air Fryer Broccoli, or Charred Green Beans.
If you love all things buffalo, be sure to also try my Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels, Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls, Buffalo Chicken Ranch Wrap Recipe, Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Greek Yogurt, Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe, Buffalo Chicken Soup, or Pulled Buffalo Chicken Recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken and Sweet Potato Recipe
- Minimal prep and effort required: Takes less than 10 minutes to prep, is made with simple ingredients, and the slow cooker does all the work for you!
- Balanced meal: You get protein, fiber, complex carbs, and flavor in one meal.
- Customizable heat level: Use mild or regular buffalo sauce, depending on your preference.
- Meal-prep friendly: Stores and reheats like a dream, so it’s a delicious recipe for your weekly meal prep.
- Kid-friendly: Mild buffalo paired with the sweetness of the potatoes makes it so the whole family can enjoy!
- Boneless chicken thighs: Make sure to trim any excess fat. You can also use boneless chicken breasts if you prefer. You may just need to slightly reduce the cooking time to prevent dryness.
- Buffalo sauce: I used a mild buffalo sauce. If you like spicy buffalo chicken, go with regular buffalo sauce.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the buffalo. Maple syrup works too.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter.
- Sweet potatoes: Washed and scrubbed. Any size works, just adjust cook time slightly for extra-large ones.
- Add veggies: Toss in sliced onions, celery, or carrots underneath the chicken.
- Dairy-free: Use a dairy-free butter alternative or skip the butter and use a drizzle of olive oil instead.
- Lower sugar: You can use sugar-free pancake syrup for a lower-sugar option. Or just omit the honey.
- Make it a bowl: Add your chicken and sweet potatoes to a bowl with slaw, greens, avocado, or quinoa!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Place chicken in the crockpot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Drizzle hot sauce and honey over top.
3. Place sweet potatoes over the top of the buffalo chicken mixture. Drizzle melted butter over the sweet potatoes, coating the skin as much as possible.
4. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 6-7 hours), until chicken is cooked and sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Remove sweet potatoes with tongs. Set aside.
5. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board. Shred with two forks (thick/not super fine).
6. Add to container and toss with 1/4 cup buffalo sauce and 1/4 cup remaining juices.
7. Mix to combine.
8. Slice sweet potatoes and add a pat of butter and some brown sugar, if desired. Serve alongside shredded chicken. Drizzle mayo over top, if desired, and enjoy!
- Fridge: Store leftover chicken and potatoes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Shredded buffalo chicken freezes well for up to 3 months. Sweet potatoes can also be frozen, though the texture becomes softer.
- Reheat: You can reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Helpful Tips
🍴Don’t over-shred the chicken: I like to leave the chicken a little bit chunky to help keep it juicy.
🍠Choose similar-sized sweet potatoes: Using sweet potatoes that are similar in size helps them to cook more evenly.
✨Drizzle of ranch: If you don’t like mayo, feel free to drizzle your bowl with your favorite ranch dressing or extra buffalo wing sauce for more spicy flavor.
🥗Serving suggestions: This meal is great on its own, or serve it with a side salad, roasted veggies, coleslaw, or avocado for a heartier meal.
Can I cook the sweet potatoes separately?
Yes! If you prefer crispier skin, you can air fry or roast them while the chicken cooks.
Do I need to poke holes in the sweet potatoes?
Nope, you don’t need to poke holes in the sweet potatoes if cooking them in the slow cooker. They steam perfectly as-is in the crockpot.
Can I use frozen chicken?
For food safety, it’s best to thaw the chicken first before adding it to the crockpot.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. boneless chicken thighs trimmed (or breasts)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup mild buffalo sauce (60g)
- 2 Tbsp. honey (42g)
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (28g) melted
- 4 small sweet potatoes ~1.5 lbs., washed & scrubbed
To stir in at end:
- 1/4 cup mild buffalo sauce (60g)
- 1/4 cup remaining juices from crockpot
- Brown sugar and butter to serve with sweet potato, if desired
- Mayo for drizzling, if desired
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Instructions
- Place chicken in the crockpot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle hot sauce and honey over top.
- Place sweet potatoes over top of the chicken.
- Drizzle melted butter over the sweet potatoes, coating the skin as much as possible.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 6-7 hours), until chicken is cooked and sweet potatoes are fork tender. Remove sweet potatoes with tongs. Set aside.
- Remove chicken and place on cutting board. Shred with two forks (thick/not super fine). Add to container and toss with 1/4 cup buffalo sauce and 1/4 cup remaining juices.
- Slice sweet potatoes and add a pat of butter and some brown sugar, if desired.
- Serve alongside shredded buffalo chicken. Drizzle mayo over top, if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Fridge: Store leftover chicken and potatoes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Shredded buffalo chicken freezes well for up to 3 months. Sweet potatoes can also be frozen, though the texture becomes softer.
- Reheat: You can reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
