Buffalo sauce is one of my favorites, and these buffalo chicken sloppy joes are a delicious twist on the classic recipe! Ground chicken is mixed with tangy buffalo sauce and topped with blue cheese crumbles and ranch dressing for one delicious handheld bite. And because this recipe is ready in just 25 minutes, I can have my buffalo sauce fix any day of the week!
When I say this recipe is simple to make, I’m not kidding. It’s all made in one pan and takes only a few minutes to cook! Diced carrots, onion, and celery add extra flavor to the dish, while the tomato sauce and hot sauce create a tangy and spicy base for the sloppy joe mixture. Served in a burger bun and topped with blue cheese and ranch, these buffalo chicken sloppy joes are beyond delicious and full of flavor.
What’s in This Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes Recipe?
You only need a handful of ingredients and 25 minutes to make these delicious buffalo chicken sloppy joes. Most items are pantry staples, making this recipe easy to whip up at any time!
- Ground Chicken: Creates the meaty and protein-packed base for the sloppy joes. You can also use shredded chicken or a different ground meat for this recipe.
- Vegetables: Diced onion, carrots, and celery bulk out the sauce and add extra flavor.
- Garlic: Adds a delicious savory flavor.
- Olive Oil: Softens the veggies and helps the garlic become fragrant.
- Tomato Sauce: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade tomato sauce for the sloppy joe base.
- Hot Sauce: Any hot sauce will work great! My favorite is Frank’s RedHot.
- Hamburger Buns: The perfect vehicle for your buffalo chicken sloppy joes!
- Toppings: These are totally optional but highly recommended. Blue cheese crumbles, ranch dressing, and fresh chives are perfect pairings for buffalo sauce and help cut through the heat.
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How to Store and Reheat
Keep the meat mix for your buffalo chicken sloppy joes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it on the stove until heated (you might need to add a splash of water or chicken broth if it gets too thick) before serving in burger buns.
How to Freeze
If you have any leftover chicken mixture, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. It’s a great idea to make a double batch of this recipe to have on hand! Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight and then quickly heat it on the stovetop before serving. Easy!
Notes and Tips
- The mixture should be thick, like a classic sloppy joe. You might need to simmer it longer than indicated to achieve this, especially if your hot sauce is quite watery. Alternatively, if it looks a little too thick, add some water or chicken broth to loosen it up.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce depending on your preferred level of spiciness.
Top Reader Review
“We really enjoyed this recipe. We used ground turkey and a combination of wing sauce and hot sauce, but otherwise left the base recipe in tact. The buns we had were for a different meal, so we topped pretzel slider rolls with havarti, then the buffalo turkey sloppy joe meat, ranch dressing, and blue cheese crumbles, closed up the sliders, sprayed with olive oil spray, and baked for about 15 minutes at 350 to get everything warmed and the cheese melty. They made great leftovers too (the couple we had). We’re definitely keeping this one in rotation.” – Mel
Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 8 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
- ⅓ cup hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot
- 4 hamburger buns
Optional Toppings:
- crumbled blue cheese
- ranch dressing
- chopped chives
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Sauté for a few minutes until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves garlic
- Add in the ground chicken and break it up into pieces. Cook until the meat is browned.1 pound ground chicken
- Stir in the tomato sauce and hot sauce. Turn the heat to low. Cover the pan, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.8 ounces tomato sauce, ⅓ cup hot sauce
- Uncover the pan and give everything a good stir. Continue to cook, uncovered, for another 2-4 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens to your liking. If the mixture seems dry, stir in ¼ cup water or chicken broth. If the mixture has too much liquid, keep simmering until the sauce thickens.
- Add the sloppy joe mixture to the buns, and serve with blue cheese, ranch dressing, and chives if desired.4 hamburger buns, crumbled blue cheese, ranch dressing, chopped chives
Notes
- You can use shredded chicken instead of ground chicken for a different texture.
- The chicken mixture should be fairly thick. Let it simmer for as long as needed until you get the desired texture.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes Step by Step
Soften the Veggies: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add ½ a chopped onion, 2 finely chopped carrots, 2 finely chopped celery stalks, and a little salt to the oil once hot. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
Brown the Chicken: Add 1 pound of ground chicken to the softened vegetables and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the ground chicken is no longer pink and browned slightly throughout.
Add the Sauce: Pour in 8 ounces of tomato sauce and ⅓ cup of hot sauce. Stir to combine and turn the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes.
Reduce the Sauce: Remove the lid and stir well to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer (uncovered) for an additional 2-4 minutes or until thickened to your desired consistency. If the sloppy joe mixture appears a little dry, add ¼ cup of water or chicken broth and stir to combine.
Serve: Portion the sloppy joe mixture between 4 hamburger buns, and (optional) top with crumbled blue cheese, chives, and your favorite ranch dressing. Enjoy!
We really enjoyed this recipe. We used ground turkey and a combination of wing sauce and hot sauce, but otherwise left the base recipe in tact. The buns we had were for a different meal, so we topped pretzel slider rolls with havarti, then the buffalo turkey sloppy joe meat, ranch dressing, and blue cheese crumbles, closed up the sliders, sprayed with olive oil spray, and baked for about 15 minutes at 350 to get everything warmed and the cheese melty. They made great leftovers too (the couple we had). We’re definitely keeping this one in rotation.
Sounds delicious!
Delicious! I used ground turkey as the chicken was out of stock. We really enjoyed it and will definitely make it again