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Whew – this winter has been all over the place! Since we came back from our trip, we’ve seen temperatures in the negatives, swinging up to the 30’s, and back down to zero again. Not surprisingly, keto soup has been making frequent appearances at our house. And since we’ve been constantly craving more intense flavors after the bland food we had while away, this low carb buffalo chicken soup recipe has been a welcome addition.
It’s a relief that the past few days have been a little less frigid, but they are still plenty cold. (Remind me again why we live in Minnesota? It’s pretty sad when 20-something degrees is considered warm-ish.)
At least it’s an excuse to make a warming pressure cooker chicken soup…
Pressure Cooker Chicken Soup for Busy Nights
This is the second buffalo recipe that I’ve posted in a row, after last week’s buffalo cauliflower bites. (And baked buffalo chicken is delicious, too!) It may have something to do with wanting to make lots of spicy, flavorful food in the weeks following our trip.
I love traveling and try to research the best restaurants when we do. But, when it comes to an all-inclusive resort, the choices are limited. So now that we are back, bring on the spicy food!
There’s another reason I couldn’t wait for this low carb buffalo chicken soup recipe. It was another opportunity to use my Instant Pot!
I’ve been falling more and more in love with it as time goes on. It was about time to make a keto pressure cooker chicken soup in it.
I’ll be the first to admit that the Instant Pot takes some time to get used to. With a slow cooker, the oven, or stove, you can see how things are going in the process. Unlike every other cooking method, the main issue with a pressure cooker is that you can’t “check on” your food to see if it’s done.
Fortunately, the Instant Pot makes up for that slight downside. It just takes some practice – or an arsenal of great recipes! The huge advantage is that you can make things a lot faster, and it tends to be less cleanup, too. Win, win!
If you’re looking for more low carb Instant Pot recipes, try my easy shredded chicken, low carb paleo chili, keto chicken and dumplings, and the crustless quiche from my friend’s cookbook. In fact, you’re going to need the shredded chicken for the creamy buffalo chicken soup recipe I’m sharing today. And if you love creamy, spicy flavors, you’ll probably like this Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip as well.
Probably my favorite way to use a pressure cooker is for soup. (Have you tried this beef cabbage soup yet?)
You can saute any ingredients that need it, right in Instant Pot. Then, simmer the soup in the same place under pressure. Yay for less dishes to wash!
The best part is, any soup will cook a lot faster under pressure. Cooking low carb soup in the Instant Pot takes just minutes, yet it tastes like it’s been slowly simmering for hours.
And, Instant Pot buffalo chicken soup is no exception…
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Soup in a Pressure Cooker
The process for how to make buffalo chicken soup in a pressure cooker is very straightforward. The Instant Pot does all the work.
Start by sauteing the onion, celery, and garlic in a little olive oil, at the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Add the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce. You can use any kind of broth you like, but I prefer chicken bone broth. It’s extra flavorful and has loads of benefits!
Now, close the lid and adjust the timer. Believe it or not, your Instant Pot chicken soup needs just five minutes to cook once it reaches pressure. Isn’t that amazing?
After the low carb buffalo chicken soup is done cooking, wait five more minutes for natural release. Ladle a little bit of broth into a blender, add some softened cream cheese, and blend until smooth. Once it’s uniform, you can add it to the soup.
Don’t make the mistake I first made and add the cream cheese directly to the buffalo chicken soup. It will form chunks and not melt. No good!
It works much better to blend the cream cheese with a little liquid first, then add it in. Make sure it’s softened and not too cold, or it won’t blend either.
The last step is to add the half and half, or heavy cream. It’s up to you which one you want to use, but don’t skip it. The soup is very spicy without that part – even for me, and I love spicy food. The cream or half and half mellows it out.
I opted for half and half to lighten it up a bit, and the carbs per serving are still not too high. It comes out to 3.6 grams of carbs per serving.
But, if you prefer to lower the carbs further, at the expense of higher calories, you definitely can! It’s 2.6 grams of carbs per serving if you use the cream. Of course, it tastes more creamy if you use heavy cream, too.
Either way is delicious, though. If spicy food is your thing, you won’t regret adding low carb buffalo chicken soup to your menu.
(UPDATE: By popular demand, I’ve added instructions to make this buffalo chicken soup in a slow cooker, too!)
Tools To Make Buffalo Chicken Soup
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Crock Pot – It’s simple and inexpensive, but I love it for all my low carb slow cooker recipes!
- Instant Pot – Makes a much quicker low carb buffalo chicken soup.
More Low Carb Soup Recipes
If you like this low carb buffalo chicken soup recipe, here are more to try:
- Broccoli Cheese Soup – only 5 ingredients, and it’s the most popular soup on Wholesome Yum!
- Low Carb Taco Soup
- Slow Cooker Keto Chili
- Mexican Caldo de Pollo Soup – both low carb and dairy-free!
Need more? Browse all the low carb soup recipes here!
Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Reader Favorite Recipes
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Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Instructions
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Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. Add the oil, chopped onion, and celery. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and start to brown.
- Add garlic. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant. Press the Off button.
- Add the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce.
- Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Press the Soup button and adjust time to 5 minutes. After cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then switch to quick release and open the lid.
- Ladle about a cup of liquid (without chicken) from the edge of the Instant Pot and pour into a blender. Add the cubed cream cheese. Puree until smooth. (If it's hard to blend, you can add a little more liquid.)
- Pour the mixture back into the Instant Pot. Add the half & half or heavy cream. Stir until smooth.
Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Instructions
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Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and celery. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and start to brown.
- Add garlic. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant.
- Place the shredded chicken, broth, and buffalo sauce to the slow cooker. Add all the ingredients from the pan and stir.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on low.
- Ladle about a cup of liquid (without chicken) from the edge of the slow cooker and pour into a blender. Add the cubed cream cheese. Puree until smooth. (If it's hard to blend, you can add a little more liquid.)
- Pour the mixture back into the slow cooker. Add the half & half or heavy cream. Stir until smooth.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
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71 Comments
Bethany
Perfect for a chilly night! Loved the flavor. I went light on the buffalo sauce so my Dad could eat it. I chunked chicken I had grilled and frozen and loved the grilled flavor. I’ll definitely make this again.
Momof6
This soup was delicious!! Kid approved as well!! I added jalapeños, cheese, sourcream, carrots, celery sticks and ranch, saltines and French bread (for my non keto kiddos) to the table for everyone to add as they pleased. I doubled recipe and was easily able to make in instapot.
Manda_Panda
I made this soup last week and have LITERALLY been craving it since then. It’s certainly soup season and this was an awesome one to add in to the mix! While it was a bit runnier than I expected originally, it was SO GOOD…especially leftover the next day! I may experiment and reduce the cream a bit more next time, but honestly it’s fine either way. My only suggestion is to keep your onion/celery chunks on the larger side. I diced mine pretty fine and I was wishing for a little more texture in the soup…but that’s my own fault. Now I know for next time! I also think this would be really tasty over riced cauliflower or riced broccoli. I plan on making this soup again this week. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe!
Karen
OMG! Delicious! Made so much, tho. Can I freeze some?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Karen, Yes, this soup freezes well. I suggest separating into single-sized portions first, then freezing.
Priscilla Wallace
I wanted to make this and didn’t have buffalo sauce but I had Mcilhenny Co. Tabasco Pepper sauce… we used only 1 teaspoon, it was great, it had a little spice to it which worked well as my youngest is 12 & not a big fan of spice. For more spice, each person could easily add a drop or more in their own bowl. I used the instant pot, added a bit more diced onion & probably celery, we don’t measure. I didn’t have enough leftover grilled chicken breast… so, I used a can of prepared shredded chicken from Sams Club. This would be a great recipe to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken.
Nan
Easy, tasty, keto… had all ingredients on hand.
Kids loved it too!
Nikki
Sooooo good and soooo easy!!! I did it in the crockpot and used leftover chicken from the night before! Delicious! Thanks for this delightful recipe. Nice spin on chicken soup!
Barb
I also use rotisserie chicken. So yummy. Easy go-to meal.
Kim
This is delicious and so easy. I used rotisserie chicken. Next time I’ll double the recipe and the and more buffalo sauce.
Jennifer
I Loved this recipe! I didn’t have celery on hand instead I used a red bell pepper to saute with onions, garlic, and a dash of chilli pepper. I like extra heat. Thanks so much for this easy recipe. I had rotisserie chicken to use up it worked out perfectly.
Mahy
Now this is the chicken soup recipe to make. It’s creamy, it’s inviting and it is just how I like it!
Sonali
How is this a 30 minute recipe If you have to cook the chicken before hand? The whole point of the instant pot is for everything to go in and cook at once. Your ingredient list calls for already cooked shredded chicken which makes no sense to me.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sonali, You could definitely cook your chicken in the Instant Pot before assembling the soup! It adds a bit of additional time, but still would easily get this soup on the table in under an hour.
Joe
Love looking up slow cooker recipes and being told to whip out a blender, brown onions and use precooked chicken… Why even bother with a slow cooker at that point
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Joe, This recipe was originally made for the Instant pot, where you could brown onions and pre-cook chicken all in the same vessel. Feel free to amend the methods to this recipe as it fits your schedule best. The only step I suggest not skipping is to blend the cheese into the soup with a blender. It creates a creamy, cohesive soup quickly and is worth the extra equipment.
Paul
I had high hopes, but after making it, it has a very milk-ish and we just can’t really eat it. Going to play around with adding more hot sauce to the batch that we did make and some seasonings to try and cut down on the dairy flavor, so we’ll see how that goes.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Paul, I’m sorry this wasn’t to your liking. Maybe you would have preferred it without the half and half?
Sandy
Nom nom nom . Mad a double batch last night and my family has inhaled it. Making more tonight for weekday lunches. Really easy recipe to follow and Delish.
Laura Clarke
I’m looking for a dairy free alternative for heavy cream. Coconut milk/cream can do the trick in many recipes but I’d like a product that’s more flavour neutral for most of my keto recipes. Can you suggest something?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Laura, I’m sorry, the only low carb alternative for heavy whipping cream I know of is coconut cream.
Kelsey
This was the third recipe I’ve made in my instapot. It could use a little more “stuff” like possibly chopped bell pepper and/or a little rice but OH. MY. GOD. I can’t get over the amazing flavor! I made it exactly like the recipe said and I will DEFINITELY make it again! So delicious!
Terry E
If you want the creaminess of half and half or cream, but don’t want the calories then substitute condensed 2% milk. Might not be exactly as creamy but it’s close. I do this all the time, no one notices.
Shady
Can you freeze this soup?
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Shady, I wouldn’t recommend that because the creamy ingredients might separate.
Cindy Anderson
If cooking this soup in a crockpot, you can add the cream cheese as it cooks. In the slow cooker it melts down easily over time and does not clump!
Jayma
Absolutely delicious!! I will definitely make this one again. I add more buffalo to my bowl, but no other changes!
Jenn
Did you put all the cream cheese in at the beginning?
Wanda
I used raw chicken, browned it first then carried on with the recipe.
Cooked it on the stove top Absolutely yummy and a great Keto recipe.
Thank you Maya
Ed R
This was really good. I like to make a low carb dish I can take to lunch for the week and this worked out well. I used a cut up a rotisserie chicken. Next time I may use 1 1/2 chickens as I like soups a bit chunkier.
I also added some blue cheese crumbles to it after I heated it up each day.
Great recipe!
Tiffany
If making in a crock pot, could you just use raw chicken thighs instead of browning, or would that be a no-no? I work 12 hours shifts, so if I am able to toss it all in raw and let it cook for 8-10 hours, that would be amazing.
Anyone try that?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Tiffany, Yes, you can use raw chicken if slow cooking the recipe for a long period of time. You can find slow cooker instructions under the Instant Pot / Presssure Cooker instructions in the recipe card. Enjoy!
Catherine Lee
I finally have an Instant Pot coming for Christmas and this will be my first recipe to try!
CR
Do you use buffalo sauce or hot sauce?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You could use either one, but use buffalo sauce for more traditional buffalo chicken soup.
Melissa
Hoping to make this tonight but actually want to throw the chicken breasts in the pot whole and cook with the soup, then shred. It’s easier and I think it will give it more flavor. With that in mind, how should I modify this recipe? I assume I’ll need to use the Pressure Cook/Manual button and add 5-7 minutes?? Appreciate the help!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Melissa, I haven’t tried that, but it sounds like that should work. Let me know how it goes!
Melissa
It turned out great! We did end up using the whole 8oz package of cream cheese and then added 2-3 tbsp extra of the buffalo sauce, some spicy pepper sauce, and black pepper to kick it up a notch. Otherwise, it was great. We also made your buffalo cauliflower, which was amazing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks for sharing your tips with us, Melissa!
Lynda
Made this tonight – so good and so easy!! I used leftover rotisserie chicken and red/green pepper in place of the celery. Will definitely make again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Lynda! Have a great day!
Beth
Bought an Instant Pot just for this recipe, and I’m in love! Your shredded chicken recipe was so easy! Although it isn’t specified in the recipe, I think it’s better to mince the garlic ahead of time, rather than directly in with the onion & celery– I found that mine sautéed a little too quickly in between taking each clove out of my garlic press.
Instead of a blender/food processor, I just diced my cream cheese into a bowl, added the broth, and whisked it together until smooth. Worked fine for me!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so glad you liked the IP! Thanks for stopping by, Beth!
Kris
I was searching for a low carb chicken soup recipe and came across this. I didn’t have cream cheese or HWC, but I added a low carb, no added sugar Blue Cheese dressing instead. This soup is amazing and easy. I will be making it again for sure!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy that you liked the soup, Kris! Thanks for stopping by!
Tina
How much heavy cream or half and half?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tina, The amounts are all on the recipe card. It’s 1/2 cup.
Olivia Brown
Wow! Wonderful soup recipe, love it so much. Thanks for sharing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that, Olivia! Thank you!
Julie H
Family started Keto WOE a couple of months ago. This is one of our new favorite dinners. I use your recipe, but I’ve added caramelized onions and sometimes bell peppers. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Julie! Caramelized onions and bell peppers sound amazing in this.
Heidi
Can you make this, or have you tried making this, with almond milk or another non-dairy milk option?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Heidi, I haven’t tried it but it would probably work. The taste will be slightly different depending on what you use.
Melissa
The flavor will be different and it’s sometimes runnier. I’ve found that cashew milk is thicker but have yet to cook with it.
Katie
Can you use frozen chicken breast then shred later when using the instant pot?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Katie, Yes, you can. You just need to cook and shred it first, then use it in the soup.
Debbie Hill
Do you have a way that you shred your chicken before putting it in the pressure cooker? Are you cooking it first?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Debbie, here is how I make the shredded chicken in the pressure cooker before using it in this recipe.
RW
Do you have a recipe for or can you buy Buffalo Sauce that does NOT contain sugar or other sweeteners?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi there, Store bought buffalo sauce doesn’t have sugar (at least I have never seen one that does). Check the label to be sure.
Marie k
Frank’s Red Hot is zero carbs – no sugar.
Alice L
I would love to make this soup, but don’t have an Instant Pot. What changes would I need to make to cook it in a slow cooker?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alice, I added slow cooker instructions to the recipe card.
Denise
Hi! This is more of a question. Can this be made in a slow-cooker? I guess I’m still living in the 80’s.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Denise, Yes, you can! I added slow cooker instructions to the recipe card.
Deb Devany
Hello!
I love your stuff, lovely stories and directions. I have subscribed. I do not have an Instant Pot. I have a regular old pressure cooker and Crock Pot. Can you please include those options on your soups? Please? 🙂
Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Deb! You should be able to make this soup in either one of those. I added slow cooker instructions to the recipe card.
Becca
Can you do this without an Instant Pot?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Becca, I added slow cooker instructions to the recipe card.
Kathy Buchter
Can you make this another way if you don’t have an Instant Pot?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kathy, I added slow cooker instructions to the recipe card.