You know that buffalo chicken recipe you’ve probably seen 4,000 versions of on Pinterest? Maybe you’ve tried it and it’s already in your rotation, or maybe you’ve just looked at it and wondered if it’s really good enough to show up on your page over and over. It was one of the first things we tried when we first bought our crockpot, and it’s been a favorite ever since. It’s beyond easy, perfect for football games or any other night of the week you’re looking for a little heat, and it’s become mandatory whenever my husband’s office has a pitch-in. When he takes it for a pitch-in, we just throw everything in before we go to bed so it cooks all night, and it takes all of 5 minutes to toss in before you leave for work in the morning.

You’ll need:

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (we use frozen, but raw is fine too)
• 1 12 oz bottle of buffalo sauce
• 1 packet ranch seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter

One thing to note, if you’ve grabbed the bottle of Frank’s Extra-Hot Buffalo Sauce thinking it can’t be that different, it’s HOT. Really hot. So hot we could barely handle it hot, and we love heat. Consider yourself warned.

Place your chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot, sprinkle on the ranch seasoning, and dump in the bottle of buffalo sauce, making sure to coat the chicken breasts. That’s it.

Cook on low for about 8 – 9 hours, or on high for 4-6. The meat is ready when it shreds easily. After you’ve shredded the chicken, mix in the 2 tablespoons of butter and let it cook another 20-30 minutes. If I’ve been at work, I usually just switch it to warm until we’re ready to eat.

We put it on baked potatoes this time around, but it’s great on sliders, nachos…the possibilities are pretty much endless. We usually sprinkle a bit of cheese on top (whatever you have around), and I like a little bit of avocado to balance out the heat. A drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing is also a good way to add a bit of cool creaminess.

Another perfect thing about this recipe is that it’s great to throw in the freezer and pull out a container when you aren’t sure what to do for dinner. This brings me to my favorite round 2 use for this recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pasta. Stay tuned!