Hearty, healthy, and perfect for meal prep, these buffalo chicken baked potatoes are loaded with flavor and come together with minimal effort. They're made with just a handful of simple ingredients, and most of the cooking time is hands-off!
If you love buffalo chicken, then this from-scratch recipe is the perfect way to enjoy it in a baked potato.
While many recipes call for leftover shredded chicken, I prefer to make freshly cooked buffalo chicken. It’s easy to do while the baked potatoes roast, and both can cook in the oven at the same time while you prepare the buffalo sauce.
When creating this recipe, I took inspiration from my baked buffalo chicken thighs and popular no-foil baked potato recipe. Combining the two recipes was a no-brainer as they both bring together hassle-free cooking methods for a delicious and satisfying meal.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy - Minimal prep and simple ingredients make it fuss-free.
- Versatile - Enjoy buffalo chicken baked potatoes as a nutritious weeknight dinner, or prep them in advance for easy, heat-and-eat lunches.
- Time-saving options - Swap the scratch-made buffalo chicken and instead prepare my Dutch oven shredded chicken in advance, or use a rotisserie chicken.
Ingredient notes
- Russet potatoes - Russet potatoes (also known as Idaho potatoes) are the best choice for baking because of their high starch content. This results in a fluffy interior and crispy skin when baked.
- Chicken breast - Choose similar-sized chicken breasts for even cooking. Make sure to trim off any fatty sections and season them well using the seasoning blend listed in the recipe card.
- Buffalo sauce - We start with Frank's RedHot Buffalo Sauce and then doctor it up a little with melted butter and honey.
*See the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and measurements.
Optional toppings
As far as toppings go, I keep it traditional and in line with classic buffalo chicken wing flavors. Crumbly blue cheese and ranch dressing are my go-tos, along with green onions for a pop of color. Here are some other options:
- For crunch - Bacon bits or diced celery
- To balance out the heat - Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- More creamy texture - Blue cheese dressing, creamy dill salad dressing, sliced avocado, or melted cheese
How to make buffalo chicken baked potatoes
Recipe rundown
- Bake the potatoes and the chicken.
- Make the buffalo sauce.
- Combine the cooked chicken and buffalo sauce.
- Slice the potatoes in half and top with buffalo chicken, blue cheese, and ranch dressing.
- Serve and enjoy!
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Thoroughly wash the russet potatoes, pat them dry with a paper towel, and then poke several holes in each potato to allow steam to escape while baking.
Step 2: Generously rub each potato with melted butter and kosher salt. Bake at 425°F for 45-60 minutes, or until cooked through.
Step 3: Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and then sprinkle the seasoning blend onto both sides of the chicken breasts. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through.
Step 4: While the chicken and potatoes are baking, combine the buffalo sauce, butter, and honey in a saucepan over low heat. Bring up to a gentle simmer and then remove from heat and set aside.
Step 5: Chop the cooked chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and then mix with the buffalo sauce blend.
Step 6: Slice the cooked potatoes in half lengthwise, keeping the bottom skin attached. Then, scoop 1 cup of buffalo chicken into each potato. Add your favorite toppings, serve, and enjoy!
What to serve with buffalo chicken potatoes
In my opinion, all balanced meals need a non-starchy vegetable. Here's a list of my top choices, but you can obviously go with whatever you have on hand!
- Broccoli, cauliflower, carrot sticks, celery sticks, sauteed kale and mushrooms, or air fryer zucchini and squash
- A simple garden salad, Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad, or creamy American coleslaw.
- Dutch oven mac and cheese
Expert tips
- Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Some of the butter will melt off of the potatoes when they're cooking, so you'll need a rimmed baking sheet to contain the drippings.
- Forget the foil! Wrapping russet potatoes in aluminum foil traps moisture and steam, leading to soggy skin. By baking the potatoes without foil, air can circulate around them, giving you that perfect, crispy skin!
- Don't forget to poke holes in your potatoes to allow steam to escape.
- Chop the chicken into very small bite-sized pieces. It will be easier to stuff into the potatoes this way.
Storage tips
- If possible, store the buffalo chicken and baked potatoes separately to maintain the texture of both. Place the chicken in an airtight container and store the potatoes in another.
- Storing assembled buffalo chicken baked potatoes is perfectly fine, too, if you're prepping meals in advance. You can add crumbled blue cheese on top, but I recommend keeping the ranch dressing on the side and adding that when you're ready to serve.
Frequently asked questions
While I have not tested this recipe variation yet, I think it would be pretty easy to pull off! I would combine the cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, and potatoes (minus the skins) in a large bowl. Scoop the mixture back into the skins and then top with shredded cheese. Melt the cheese under your oven's broiler and then serve with any desired toppings.
Yes, simply combine the chicken, buffalo sauce mixture, and the spice blend together in a mixing bowl and then complete the rest of the recipe as instructed.
Other recipes to consider
If you tried this Buffalo Chicken Baked Potato Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Buffalo Chicken Baked Potatoes
Hearty, healthy, and perfect for meal prep, these buffalo chicken baked potatoes are loaded with flavor and come together with minimal effort. They're made with just a handful of simple ingredients, and most of the cooking time is hands-off!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-8 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the baked potatoes:
- 4 large russet potatoes (baking potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
For the Buffalo chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Crumbly blue cheese
- Ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash the potatoes under running water, scrub them clean of dirt, and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Use a fork to pierce several holes in each potato.
- Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them with melted butter. Use your hands to coat all sides evenly. Finish by sprinkling kosher salt over the tops, bottoms, and sides.
- Place your chicken breasts on a separate baking sheet.
- Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning blend onto both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Place the chicken and potatoes into your preheated oven. Bake the chicken breasts for 20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Once cooked through, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest while the potatoes finish baking.
- Bake the potatoes for 45-60 minutes or until they easily pierce with a fork.
- Meanwhile, add the salted butter, buffalo sauce, and honey to a small saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until the butter melts and the mixture reaches a gentle simmer. Once it simmers, remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove the cooked potatoes from the oven and slice them in half length-wise. Use a fork to gently fluff the inside of the potatoes while keeping the skins intact. You can fully slice them into halves or slice them part-way through so they can be served as whole potatoes.
- Chop the chicken breast into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl along with the buffalo sauce, butter, and honey mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Spoon ½ cup of buffalo chicken onto each baked potato half or 1 full cup into each whole potato. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, then finish with a drizzle of ranch dressing. Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- I used Frank's RedHot Buffalo Sauce.
- Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Some of the butter will melt off of the potatoes when they're cooking, so you'll need a rimmed baking sheet to contain the drippings.
- Forget the foil! Wrapping russet potatoes in aluminum foil traps moisture and steam, leading to soggy skin. By baking the potatoes without foil, air can circulate around them, giving you that perfect, crispy skin!
- Chop the chicken into very small, bite-sized pieces. It will be easier to stuff into the potatoes this way.
- The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. The nutrition facts listed below are for half of a potato topped with buffalo chicken, without any extra toppings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 half potato
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 3.3 g
- Sodium: 1651.7 mg
- Fat: 11.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 29.6 g
- Cholesterol: 105.6 mg
Katie says
These are so filling and delicious! I'll definitely be making them again!