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This irresistibly creamy buffalo chicken soup recipe is a fun and different way to enjoy your favorite hot wing flavors! It’s the perfect game day grub. Blue cheese is optional.
If you like the sound of this, try my Buffalo Chicken Dip, Buffalo Chicken Casserole, and Buffalo Chicken Meatballs as well.
Why you’ll love it
This 35-minute buffalo chicken soup is all about big flavor and easy to make. 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 then I deliberated on what else to include.
I decided on cream cheese and ranch seasoning because it balances the spiciness and conjures up the yummy cooling tangy ranch dip that often comes with hot wings. This combo in soup form may sound a little odd, but it’s amazing! I even included carrots and celery in this soup because they usually come with hot wings. See what I did there?
Is it spicy?
I wouldn’t call this soup crazy spicy or anything (it has a little kick), 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 if you want more heat.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion, celery, and carrots – a great base for many soups. I like using Vidalia (sweet) onions.
- Flour – for thickening up the broth
- Ranch seasoning – for that zesty, cooling quality. I use Hidden Valley.
- Chicken broth – more savory depth
- Hot sauce – Frank’s Red Hot original is the gold standard for hot wings
- Chicken – we’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cream cheese – it makes the broth irresistibly creamy and mellows everything out
- Garnish – I use scallions for a pop of freshness and a crumble of blue cheese for the purists out there. The blue cheese is totally optional since a lot of people aren’t fans of it, however!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use a Le Creuset Dutch oven to make this soup recipe, and a sturdy ladle makes it easier to dish it up with less spilling.
- Store the other half of your onion in the fridge in a handy onion saver.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife for easily chopping up the veggies and chicken.
How to make buffalo chicken soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Take the cream cheese out of the fridge. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until softened. Stir in the flour and ranch seasoning, and then pour in the broth and hot sauce.
Add in the chicken, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer with the lid slightly open. Take the chicken out, and cut it up. Meanwhile, add in the cream cheese and stir until melted in.
Put the cut-up chicken into the pot, and simmer until it’s cooked through. Give the soup a taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed. Garnish with the scallions and blue cheese if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- You can definitely add more hot sauce at the end if it’s not spicy enough for ya!
- 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 are also plenty of recipes out there for homemade ranch seasoning if you can’t find any in stores.
- Chicken thighs would work too in this recipe instead! I’d cook them for a few minutes more since they take a bit longer to become tender and are more difficult to overcook.
What to serve with buffalo chicken soup
- It’s a hearty soup, so a slice of fresh crusty bread on the side or a dinner roll is all you need.
- You can’t go wrong pairing it with hot and melty Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread, though!
- Craving soup and salad? Make my Homemade Ranch Dressing with spring mix or a big Caesar salad with my 10-Minute Caesar Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this easy buffalo chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a saucepan slowly and over a low heat for best results.
- While it’s not my preference, you could freeze this soup. Be aware that the texture may get a little grainy, but it’ll still taste good.
If you gave this buffalo chicken soup recipe a try, please leave a star rating and review below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations.
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
- 1.5 pounds uncooked chicken breasts see note
- 8 ounces cream cheese (I used a block of Philly) see note
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish (optional): crumbled blue cheese, chopped scallions
Instructions
- Add the oil + butter to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, celery, and carrots 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. Cover with the lid slightly open, and let it cook for 12 minutes. If the chicken isn't fully submerged, you may want to flip it over halfway through cooking.
- Take the chicken out of the pot 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 isn'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
- 1.5 pounds chicken works out to two fairly large boneless skinless chicken breasts. You don’t have to be exact with this recipe, and you could even add more chicken than suggested. Feel free to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts (I’d use 6 small boneless skinless thighs). I’d then cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
- The cream cheese for this recipe should be super soft so it melts into the soup more easily. I recommend taking it out of the fridge prior to starting the recipe and then microwaving it in 20-30 second intervals until it’s very soft.
- 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.
- This recipe is also in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on September 28, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Do you cook the chicken first separately or add raw chicken to the pot and cook it like that?
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! 🙂
Can you freeze Buffalo Chicken Soup?
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.
Have you tried making this in the instant pot? Would love to know how to make it that way.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Fantastic!! I agree – chicken with bone is much more flavorful. Thanks for your review! 🙂
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.
Thanks for your suggestions, Carrie! I am glad you gave it a try and tweaked it to your liking. 🙂
The best Buffalo Chicken Soup recipe I’ve come across yet, even my picky husband liked it, delicious – thank you!
Fantastic!! So glad to hear it, Elizabeth! 😀
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!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole!
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!
I’m so glad you two enjoy it!! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review, Barbara!
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!
I’m thrilled you like this soup so much, Christy!! Great tip to shred the chicken too.
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.
Glad it worked out for you, Sandy! 🙂