This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These saucy and flavorful sandwiches are a fun twist on classic sloppy joes! If you love buffalo chicken hot wings, you’re going to love buffalo chicken sloppy joes. A spicy, saucy ground chicken filling pairs perfectly with ranch and blue cheese, all on a fluffy hamburger bun.
I recently discovered one of my new favorite meals, and I’m eager to share it with you!
It’s basically a combination of two of my favorite dishes: buffalo chicken wings and sloppy joes.
Instead of the traditional ground beef that’s used in sloppy joes (unless you make venison sloppy joes like I do), this recipe uses ground chicken.
The sauce is then made with plenty of buffalo sauce (like you might use on baked chicken wings), and the sandwich is finished with ranch and blue cheese.
It’s a messy, spicy, and flavorful sandwich that’s easy to make and protein-packed!
If you love buffalo chicken recipes, you’re going to fall in love with this one. You might also want to check out my buffalo chicken taco recipe while you’re at it!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick dinner: It’s such a treat to have dinner on the table in under 45 minutes! Buffalo chicken sloppy joes are one of my go-to meals for nights that I need something easy.
- Crowd-pleaser: These sandwiches are such a fun combination of buffalo chicken wings and sloppy joes. They’re a great meal for hosting; everyone always raves about them!
- Adjustable: You can be pretty flexible with what type of meat you use, so this meal is great for using what you have. Check out the ‘variations’ section below for ideas.
Ingredients
- Ground chicken: Offers a lighter flavor than beef that pairs perfectly with the flavors of buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.
- Buffalo sauce: You can use your favorite brand. Keep in mind that the level of heat will change depending on how spicy your sauce is.
- Hamburger buns: You can use store-bought buns to keep it simple. That said, I used homemade freshly milled hamburger buns, and it was absolutely delicious!
- Ranch: Again, I used homemade ranch, and it was so tasty! Store-bought isn’t as good, but it will work if you’re short on time.
Find a full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.
Variations
- If you have shredded chicken on hand, you can use that instead of the ground chicken. Just add the pre-cooked chicken, skip step 2, and continue making the sauce.
- You can make this with ground beef instead of ground chicken, but you will want to drain off the grease after browning the beef before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Ground turkey is also a great option for the meat.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
Step 1. Heat a 4–6 qt Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, then the carrot, onion, and celery. Cook until the carrots are softened.
Step 2. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3. Stir in the tomato sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and buffalo sauce.
Step 4. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook for 5–7 minutes.
Step 5. Once it is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, remove from heat.
Step 6. Serve hot on hamburger buns with ranch and blue cheese.
Tips + Notes
- This can cook up in a 12″ cast iron skillet as well.
- If you prefer more heat, adjust the buffalo sauce and tomato sauce to taste. Use less tomato sauce and more buffalo sauce, keeping the total amount of sauce the same.
- I recommend toasting your hamburger buns if you have the time! It gives them a great flavor and helps prevent them from getting soggy.
- Rather than buns, you can serve the buffalo chicken filling in wraps, lettuce cups, or with tortilla chips (like a dip). It would also taste great on a bed of dutch oven white rice. However you serve it, don’t forget the ranch!
- If you want to hide the veggies or minimize their texture, you can shred or mince them instead of dicing them.
Best Side Dishes for Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
Buffalo chicken sloppy joes pair with so many of my favorite side dishes! My go-to choices are vinegar coleslaw and homemade french fries.
Other great options include a nice green salad, corn on the cob, or cooked veggies like boiled okra, savory asparagus, or roasted brussel sprouts.
Recipe FAQs
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The chicken mixture should be stored separately from the buns so the bread doesn’t get soggy.
Of course! If you don’t like blue cheese, you can skip it or substitute feta cheese or shredded cheddar.
Sure! You can have pickles, onions, tomatoes, and greens, such as shredded cabbage, lettuce, or arugula.
Yes, the sloppy joe filling is great for freezing! That way, when you need an extra-easy dinner, you can just reheat the filling and get out some buns, ranch, and blue cheese.
Related Recipes
- Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken
- Skillet Cajun Chicken Bites
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Creamy Chicken Skillet
- Cast Iron Fried Chicken
If you tried these Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter or cooking oil
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup buffalo sauce *adjust to preference, see notes below
For Serving
- Hamburger buns
- Ranch dressing
- Blue Cheese
Instructions
- Heat a 4–6 qt Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, then the carrot, onion, and celery. Cook until the carrots are softened.
- Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and buffalo sauce.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook for 5–7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve hot on hamburger buns with ranch and blue cheese.
Video
Notes
- This can cook up in a 12″ cast iron skillet as well.
- If you prefer more heat, adjust the buffalo sauce and tomato sauce to taste. Use less tomato sauce and more buffalo sauce, keeping the total amount of sauce the same.
- I recommend toasting your hamburger buns if you have the time! It gives them a great flavor and helps prevent them from getting soggy.
- Rather than buns, you can serve the buffalo chicken filling in wraps, lettuce cups, or with tortilla chips (like a dip). It would also taste great on a bed of dutch oven white rice. However you serve it, don’t forget the ranch!
- If you want to hide the veggies or minimize their texture, you can shred or mince them instead of dicing them.
- This can also be made with ground turkey, ground beef, or shredded chicken. If you use ground beef, be sure to drain off the excess grease after browning it.
amazing recipe!
Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been looking for recipes with ground chicken and this one takes the cake! It was so good and I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
Same! Its one of my favorite recipes with ground chicken!