I'm a buffalo-everything person. Wings, dip, wraps, pizza. If it involves Frank's RedHot and blue cheese, I'm in. But wings are a production and I needed something low-pressure this year for the Super Bowl.
Something one-pan, weeknight-easy, with ground chicken, no deep fryer required.
Enter: Buffalo style sloppy joes with sauteed onion, celery, and carrot, tossed in a generous pour of Frank's RedHot with butter and finished with cream cheese to give the sauce this silky, rich body.
And in a stroke of major inspiration (totally optional) but I added crispy fried onions on top. A little salty crunch, just like the best bits on real chicken wings.
Of course, ya don’t need to wait for the next game day to roll around to have these again. Let's dig in!
🔥 Hot Tips for the Best Sloppy Joes
Cream cheese is magic. Stirring in a couple ounces of cream cheese at the end gives the sauce a rich, velvety texture instead of pooling at the bottom of your bun. It also mellows the heat just enough to make this crowd-friendly.
Water chestnuts add surprise crunch. This one's also optional, like the crispy onions, but such a fun add for a light crunch. They're also surprisingly nutritious: high in fiber, rich in potassium and vitamin B6. Flavor and function!
Step by Step Instructions
This whole recipe happens in one skillet, start to finish. Here's the flow:
- Brown the ground chicken. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken, breaking it into crumbles, until it's cooked through. Move it to a plate.
- Saute the vegetables. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of butter and cook the onion and celery until they soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the diced carrot and minced garlic, adding one more tablespoon of butter if the pan looks dry. Cover and let everything cook on medium-low for about 3 minutes until the carrots start to soften.
- Prep the Water Chestnuts if you're adding this extra crunch factor to your Joes, dice up a can of them into small pieces.
- Build the sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet and add 3 tablespoons of butter along with the paprika. Stir in the Frank's RedHot and water chestnuts. Let everything simmer on medium-low for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then add in cubed cream cheese and stir until it melts into the sauce.
- Pile it high. Spoon the buffalo chicken onto buns. Top with blue cheese dressing or crumbles and a handful of crispy fried onions.
Tips, Swaps, and Make It Your Way
The Buns. I served these on homemade sourdough burger buns, but use the kind you like! Pretzel buns, brioche, hoagie rolls, ciabatta. Anything sturdy enough to hold a sloppy filling will work.
Wing Sauce. I'm a traditionalist (Frank's RedHot all the way). But use whatever hot sauce you love best.
Heat Level. The cream cheese does a nice job of taming the heat, so this lands at a medium spice level as written. 🔥 Want it spicier? Add a pinch of cayenne with the paprika or use a hotter wing sauce. Want it milder? Start with half a cup of wing sauce and add more cream cheese.
Meal Prep Friendly!
Store the filling (no buns or toppings) in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low. If the cream cheese looks like it's separated, just stir it and it should come back together.
Joanie's Balanced Bites ❤️
This recipe is built with blood sugar balance from the start. You've got protein from the ground chicken, plenty of satisfying fat from the butter and cream cheese, and fiber from the vegetables (and the water chestnuts, if you use them).
That combination (protein, fat, and fiber alongside your carbs) is exactly what helps your body process a meal with steadier energy.
As for how to enjoy it to support blood sugar balance, everyone’s mileage will differ, but for me I like a bun. Of course, if you’d rather skip the bun entirely, lettuce wraps keep things super low-glycemic, almond flour tortillas make a satisfying wrap, or just scoop the filling onto cucumber rounds and celery sticks for a fun, dippable version.
Round it out with a simple side salad, some raw veggies with ranch, or a handful of crunchy celery sticks to lean into the full buffalo wing experience.
Browse ➡️ Blood Sugar-Friendly Recipes
Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes (No Added Sugar)
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb
Description
Saucy, tangy ground chicken and veggies simmered in Frank's RedHot with cream cheese for richness, piled onto buns and finished with blue cheese and crispy fried onions.
Ingredients
The Filling
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce
- 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and finely diced (optional — adds crunch)
- 2 oz cream cheese, cubed
For Serving
- 6 burger buns
- Blue cheese crumbles
- Crispy fried onions
Instructions
- Brown the chicken. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the onion and celery. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add carrots and garlic. Add the finely diced carrots and minced garlic to the skillet. Add an additional tablespoon of butter if the pan looks dry. Stir to combine, then cover and cook on medium-low for about 3 minutes, until the carrots begin to soften.
- Build the sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the paprika. Stir until the butter is melted and everything is evenly coated.
- Add the wing sauce. Pour in the Frank's RedHot and stir to combine. If using water chestnuts, add them now. Let the mixture simmer on medium-low for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together.
- Stir in the cream cheese. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce, creating a creamy, tangy filling.
- Serve. Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture onto burger buns. Top with blue cheese crumbles or dressing and crispy fried onions.
Notes
Canned water chestnuts: These are optional but add a great light crunch. If you can't find them, skip them.
Cream cheese: Cut it into small cubes so it melts quickly and evenly. Room temperature cream cheese incorporates even faster.
Make it milder: Use less wing sauce (start with ½ cup) and add more cream cheese.
Make it spicier: Add a dash of cayenne with the paprika, or swap in a hotter wing sauce.
Storage: Store the filling (without buns) in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Facts: reflects the nutrition of the filling without the bun and toppings
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 273
- Sugar: 2.6 g
- Sodium: 1330.2 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.7 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 14.6 g
- Cholesterol: 104.3 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!