Buffalo Chicken Nachos (Instant Pot, Paleo)

I’ll say it again in case you missed it — Instant Pot BUFFALO CHICKEN NACHOS (with slow cooker adaptation, of course!). Don’t you just love it when something gives you all the feels of a fun game-day tradition, but is actually squeaky clean & good for you?These nachos are Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, and Whole30,* too!

Recipe Ingredients

You might already have most of these ingredients in your pantry and fridge!

• Chicken Breasts: You can substitute thighs but the cook time will need to be increased. For boneless, skinless thighs, add 5 minutes.
• Hot Sauce: I like to use Franks
• Coconut aminos
• Chicken Broth or water: This is added to make sure you have enough liquid in your Instant Pot.
• Ghee
• Seasonings: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt
• Arrowroot Powder: Arrowroot Powder is a Whole30 and Paleo alternative used to slightly thicken the buffalo sauce

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken

The best thing about this recipe is how EASY it is! You basically just throw everything into your Instant Pot, set it, and you’re done! Okay it’s slightly more involved than that, but not much. Here’s how you do it:

1. Add all ingredients except arrowroot powder to your Instant Pot. Set it to High Pressure for 15 minutes. 
2. Remove the chicken and shred the chicken with two forks.
3. Whisk the arrowroot starch into the liquid in the Instant Pot and set to Sauté mode. Bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly. 
4. Add the chicken back to the liquid and stir.

Why I love my Instant Pot

I get asked a lot about the products I use and recommend, and I have a few favorite products I’m happy to share about, but the most game-changing product I ever got (BY FAR) was my Instant Pot.

I can’t say enough good things about my IP, truly. I just wish I had known about it years ago, and that once I did learn about it, I wish I would’ve made the investment to buy one immediately. It’s SO GREAT to have.

Because you know what? We’re all busy. If you’re a stay at home mom, work at home mom, boss lady, entrepreneur, volunteer, or some mix of all of those, the time you have to make dinner is limited.

Before my IP, I’d order Chipotle on those crazy days (I still do that sometimes, let’s get real). But now I don’t have to stress out at 5pm! I can grab some chicken, pork chops, whatever (even right out of the freezer), and make a decent meal that’s a ton healthier and cheaper than takeout.

So if I can leave you with one piece of advice, it’s this: Get yourself an Instant Pot. And the second piece of (unsolicited) advice? Find recipes that make you feel like you’re celebrating something. Buffalo Chicken Nachos always bring me back to so many happy Sundays spent watching our football team, having a blast yelling at the refs on TV.

Except this time, I felt like a rock star afterwards. No bloating, no indigestion. I think that’s what makes choosing whole foods such an obvious choice for me – it makes me feel good.

Slow Cooker / Crock Pot Adaptation:

• You need to adjust the time: I’d recommend cooking the chicken on low for 5-6 hours.
• Omit the chicken broth. Slow cookers don’t need the extra liquid.
• Once the chicken is cooked, shred the chicken and add it back to the slow cooker for about 10 minutes or so.

Roasted Potato Rounds

1. Preheat your oven to 400.
2. Wash and dry potatoes. Leaving the skin on, slice into 1/4 inch rounds and set in a medium bowl. 
3. Drizzle with olive oil and seasonings and toss gently to coat. Lay the potato slices on a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Lay the potato slices on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, turning once halfway. Watch closely near the end of the cook time and remove that are cooking too fast before they burn.

Pro-tip: If you make the the potato rounds in advance, once they’re crispy, remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack above a baking sheet. Just before serving, place the whole cooling rack/baking sheet into the oven under a HOT broiler for about a minute. It’ll crisp them right up!

Once the chicken and potatoes are made, all you need to do is assemble the nachos, and top with celery, cilantro, green onions, and ranch, plus an extra drizzle of the buffalo sauce or hot sauce– and ooooh baby, it’s good.

FAQ: Is this recipe Whole30?

The answer is up to you! The ingredients are Whole30 compliant, yes, and the fact that this recipe has the word “nachos” in the title (in my humble opinion) doesn’t automatically mean this is SWYPO.

The finished dish doesn’t taste anything like traditional nachos — because you’ll find no cheese, no tortilla chips, no sour cream, etc.. It’s not recreated almost-but-not-quite-good-enough food.

To me, the only difference between this and the many other Whole30 Buffalo Chicken recipes out there is that this is served on bite-sized (or fun-sized!) potato rounds rather than baked potatoes, so you can eat it with your hands.

I only named them nachos because I think it’s fun to have fun with your Whole30. I’ll leave it up to you to decide how to use this recipe!

But either way, trust me, you’re going to want to save this and make it sometime soon because. It’s. So. Good. And really, really, ridiculously simple. 

More healthy, fun recipes:

• Weeknight Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers (Whole30, Low Carb)
• BBQ Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Pineapple Slaw! (Whole30)
• Bacon Loaded Roasted Parsnip Fries (Whole30)
• Instant Pot Carnitas Salad (Whole30)

Do you like this recipe?
Drop a star rating below, and let me know what you think in the comments below!