This is yet another recipe that was born out of necessity. My friend was coming for dinner, I had no plan and no time to make anything in advance, so I grabbed a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, and made this Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich!
It was perfect because it's a super quick and easy dinner that uses rotisserie chicken, so it requires no actual cooking. These Shredded Buffalo Chicken sandwiches are WW friendly, made with rotisserie chicken and caraway coleslaw, and are quick, easy, and no cook. They're perfect for summer or anytime you need a fast no no-cook meal! It pairs well with my Quick Cucumber Kimchi as a side and my Healthy Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles for dessert!
🍒Reader Review
"This was so easy and so good. Refreshing on a hot summer day!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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I am a little bit buffalo chicken crazy -I love buffalo chicken! And I love it even more when it's easy to make. And if you feel the same way, you have come to the right place!
Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks (no cook), Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Pizza Bites, Crock pot Buffalo Chicken dip, and my Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers can all be made with leftover rotisserie chicken.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
You do NOT need cream cheese for this recipe. For this rotisserie chicken sandwich recipe, you'll need a few simple ingredients:
- Whole Rotisserie chicken. You can buy a whole rotisserie chicken at most grocery stores.
- Buffalo sauce. I use Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce, but you could use another brand.
- Buns. Use any type of sandwich buns you prefer, such as brioche buns, hoagie rolls, or a Kaiser roll. Or use slider buns and make them into shredded buffalo chicken sliders (a great game-day snack, especially during football season!)
- Slaw. You can use broccoli slaw or regular coleslaw.
- Caraway seed. Caraway seed gives this coleslaw a unique flavor. It tastes like a combination of anise or licorice, with notes of citrus, pepper, and a slightly bitter, earthy, and nutty flavor. *Do not use more than directed, as it can be quite overpowering.
- Mayonnaise. I use Hellman's ½ the fat mayonnaise.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Coleslaw: You can use any coleslaw you like with this recipe (even a coleslaw mix) or try it with my Artichoke and Red Bell Pepper Coleslaw or this Skinny Coleslaw Recipe. You could also substitute crispy lettuce.
- Chicken: You can use cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs (you don't have to use a pre-made rotisserie chicken)
- Caraway Seed: If you don’t have caraway seeds or don’t like their flavor, you can leave them out or substitute with celery seed or a pinch of fennel seed for a different twist.
- Buffalo chicken sauce: If you are feeding people who aren't as crazy about spicy buffalo sauce as you are (although it's hard to imagine), like some members of my family who don't like spicy food, then substitute BBQ sauce! You could also use a homemade buffalo sauce or Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
- Add-ins: you can add a little blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, or a drizzle of ranch dressing. Pepperoncini also makes a great topping!
🔪How to Make a Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
- Step 1: Remove chicken from bone and place in a large bowl. Discard carcass (or freeze for soup stock) *Do not use the skin.
- Step 2: Shred/pull chicken with your electric hand mixer or stand mixer. If you are using a hand mixer, do this by using an up and down motion so you do not pulverize it - you don't want to shred it too much or it will be a big, mushy blob. Or pull it with 2 forks, as per video instructions in notes. *Shredding and pulling are interchangeable terms when it comes to chicken. And with this sandwich, you pull (or shred) rotisserie chicken the exact same way you would pull pork (video: How to pull chicken )
- Step 3: Then mix with buffalo sauce. *I do half Buffalo and half BBQ sauce for my family, as not everyone loves Buffalo chicken
- Step 4: Combine the coleslaw ingredients together and mix.
- Step 5: Slice buns in half and add buffalo pulled chicken mixture to the bottom half, dividing between all 4 buns.
- Step 6: Top with coleslaw, again, dividing between all 4 buns. Serve immediately.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use a hand or stand mixer for fast shredding. Shredding rotisserie chicken with a mixer saves time and effort—just be sure to use a gentle up-and-down motion to avoid over-shredding into mush.
- Don’t skip removing the skin. Rotisserie chicken skin becomes rubbery when mixed with sauce and stored. Always discard it before shredding for the best texture and flavor.
- Customize the spice level. Control the heat by mixing buffalo and BBQ sauce to your preferred spice level. This is also a great way to make it family-friendly.
- Add the coleslaw just before serving. To prevent soggy sandwiches, keep the slaw separate and only add it to the bun right before eating.
- Toast the buns for extra structure. Lightly toasting the buns helps them hold up better to the saucy filling and adds a nice crunch.
- Use freshly shredded coleslaw mix for better texture. Pre-shredded bags are convenient, but freshly grated cabbage and carrots hold up longer and stay crispier.
- Make it a slider for parties. Serve on mini buns for easy game-day sliders or a buffet-style summer gathering.
- Double the batch for meal prep. Make extra shredded buffalo chicken to use in wraps, bowls, salads, or quesadillas throughout the week.
🥗 What to Eat with this Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
I usually serve this easy buffalo chicken sandwich with fresh carrot sticks, cucumbers, or Quick Cucumber Kimchi, but it pairs well with Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad as well.
You can also serve it with soup if you want a bigger meal. I like it with my Beef Borscht (with canned beets) or my Healthy Minestrone Soup (shown).
👪 Serving Size
This Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich makes 4 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is 7 ww points.
🌡️Storage
Store the coleslaw in a separate airtight container from the buffalo chicken for up to 3 days in the fridge. These ingredients do not stand up well to freezing.
Store-bought rotisserie chicken is the best because there's so much you can do with it. It costs almost the same as buying a chicken and cooking it (minus the labor), so why wouldn't I? Especially if I'm in a hurry, it's too hot to cook, or I simply want a break from cooking?
Sometimes I eat rotisserie chicken straight up, but I also love to transform it into something different, and this buffalo chicken sandwich is both satisfying and healthy. The coleslaw is quick and easy to make and balances the texture with a nice crunch!
And if you are making less than 4 sandwiches or find that you have rotisserie chicken leftovers, then reinvent them into this Chicken Pot Pie in a Cup or these Easy Chicken Quesadillas with rotisserie chicken!
❔ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Leftover cooked chicken breasts or thighs work just as well—just shred or chop the meat and mix with buffalo sauce as instructed
It depends on the sauce you use. Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce is moderately spicy, but if you’re sensitive to heat, try a milder buffalo sauce or do a half-and-half mix with BBQ sauce to tone it down.
Yes, you can prep both the shredded buffalo chicken and the coleslaw in advance, but store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Assemble the sandwiches just before serving to avoid soggy buns.
Yes, you can turn this into a low-carb bowl by serving the shredded buffalo chicken and coleslaw over lettuce, in a wrap, or even stuffed into a bell pepper or baked potato.
Between work, after-school activities, and whatever else you have going on, life is busy, and sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to cook, but still want a hot meal.
And if you are looking for more buffalo chicken recipes, try my buffalo chicken dip!
So if you are looking for easy recipes, then why not grab a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and put this No Cook Buffalo Pulled Chicken Sandwich on the menu? Enjoy....
🥪More Sandwich & Wrap Recipes
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📋 Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded/pulled * see video in notes for pulling chicken (same method as pork)
- 1 cup buffalo sauce * I use Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 4 buns
Coleslaw
- 375 g -bag of broccoli slaw or coleslaw
- ½ cup green onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon caraway seed
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise (light) * I use Hellman's ½ the fat
- 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Remove chicken from bone and place in a large bowl. Discard carcass (or freeze for soup stock) *Do not use the skin.1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded/pulled
- Shred/pull chicken as per video instructions in notes (do not use the skin).
- Then mix with buffalo sauce.1 cup buffalo sauce
Caraway Coleslaw
- Combine all coleslaw ingredients together and mix.375 g -bag of broccoli slaw or coleslaw, ½ cup green onion, ½ teaspoon caraway seed, 3 tablespoon mayonnaise (light), 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar
Assembly
- Slice buns in half and add buffalo pulled chicken mixture to bottom half, dividing between all 4 buns.4 buns
- Top with coleslaw, again, dividing between all 4 buns. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a hand or stand mixer for fast shredding. Shredding rotisserie chicken with a mixer saves time and effort—just be sure to use a gentle up-and-down motion to avoid over-shredding into mush.
- Don’t skip removing the skin. Rotisserie chicken skin becomes rubbery when mixed with sauce and stored. Always discard it before shredding for the best texture and flavor.
- Customize the spice level. Control the heat by mixing buffalo and BBQ sauce to your preferred spice level. This is also a great way to make it family-friendly.
- Add the coleslaw just before serving. To prevent soggy sandwiches, keep the slaw separate and only add it to the bun right before eating.
- Toast the buns for extra structure. Lightly toasting the buns helps them hold up better to the saucy filling and adds a nice crunch.
- Use freshly shredded coleslaw mix for better texture. Pre-shredded bags are convenient, but freshly grated cabbage and carrots hold up longer and stay crispier.
- Make it a slider for parties. Serve on mini buns for easy game-day sliders or a buffet-style summer gathering.
- Double the batch for meal prep. Make extra shredded buffalo chicken to use in wraps, bowls, salads, or quesadillas throughout the week.
Diana rosier
This was so easy and so good. Refreshing on a hot summer day
Terri Gilson
Hi Diana,
So glad you enjoyed them!:)
Terri
Leanne @ Crumb Top Baking
I just love a sandwich that's overflowing with filling and toppings! I would make such a mess eating this pulled chicken sandwich, but it would absolutely be worth it! Great recipe Terri!
Terri Gilson
I also make a mess of it(haha) but that's the fun part, right?
Yvonne Langen
This is such a great way to upgrade rotisserie chicken and an awesome recipe for quick weeknight meal!
Terri Gilson
thanks, Yvonne! That's what I like about it too 🙂
Elaine
Such a great idea for rotisserie chicken instead of just eating it "as is!" Thanks! Pinning!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Elaine!
Matt - Total Feasts
Love a good meal with limited prep! Plus, who doesn’t love a spicy sandwich!
Terri Gilson
I agree, Matt! Spicy sandwiches are the bomb!
Isabelle @ Crumb
What a great way to transform a storebought chicken into a flavourful meal. I bet it would be a super-delicious way to use up leftover turkey, too!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Isabelle! I agree -it would make an excellent leftover turkey sandwich as well!
Colleen
This is a great idea for using a rotisserie chicken, Terri. We get them sometimes when we just don't want to cook, and it's great to have another idea for using them. Thanks for sharing!
Terri Gilson
Thank, Colleen. Yes, it's hard to believe that those of that LOVE cooking just don't want to cook sometimes, but it's true!
Joss
I'm a big fan of how convenient this recipe is, and I love buffalo sauce, great idea!