Chicken & turkey

Buffalo Chicken

Name: Buffalo Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 900g chicken thigh fillets; 150ml hot sauce (cayenne pepper sauce); 4g (2 tsp) cayenne pepper; 40g butter; 3 sticks (120g) celery, finely diced; 2 (200g) carrots, finely diced; 1 (150g) onion, finely diced; 4 cloves (20g) garlic, crushed; 10g cornflour; 10ml rapeseed oil; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 300ml water

Shredded chicken in a fiery, buttery cayenne hot sauce with celery, carrot and garlic.

makes 21 blocks, about 43p each

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Illustration of a bowl of Buffalo Chicken

Time: 1 hr15 min prep · 45 min cook
Makes: 21 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 43p
Calories per blockCalories: 84 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

900gchicken thigh fillets
150mlhot sauce (cayenne pepper sauce)
4g (2 tsp)cayenne pepper
40gbutter
3 sticks (120g)celery, finely diced
2 (200g)carrots, finely diced
1 (150g)onion, finely diced
4 cloves (20g)garlic, crushed
10gcornflour
10mlrapeseed oil
1 cubechicken stock cube
300mlwater

Allergens: Celery, Milk. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	84 kcal	252 kcal
Protein	8.3g	24.9g
Carbs	2.9g	8.7g
Fat	4.5g	13.5g
Fibre	0.6g	1.8g
Salt	0.77g	2.31g

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium heat and soften the onion, celery and carrot for 8 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
Step 2: Add the whole chicken thighs, the water and stock cube. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes until the chicken is very tender.
Step 3: Lift out the chicken and shred it with two forks.
Step 4: Stir the hot sauce, cayenne and butter into the pan until the butter melts, then stir in the cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water and bubble for 2 minutes until thickened.
Step 5: Return the chicken and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until the sauce clings.
Step 6: Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Milder: leave out the cayenne and use 100ml hot sauce.

Serve it

In a wrap with crunchy lettuce and blue cheese dressing · Over a jacket potato with soured cream and chopped celery · In soft rolls with slaw

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	84	8.3g	2.9g	4.5g	0.6g	0.77g
Per 3 blocks	252	24.9g	8.7g	13.5g	1.8g	2.31g

Cook’s notes

Frank's RedHot is the classic cayenne pepper sauce. Other vinegary hot sauces work, but some are much hotter, so add them gradually.
For a dairy-free version, use 30ml olive oil instead of the butter.
Dice the celery and carrot finely so they melt into the sauce.

Serve it

In a wrap with crunchy lettuce and blue cheese dressing · Over a jacket potato with soured cream and chopped celery · In soft rolls with slaw.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 252 kcal and 24.9g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Buffalo Chicken questions

Why add butter to the hot sauce?

Classic buffalo sauce is just cayenne pepper sauce and butter. The butter rounds off the vinegar and heat, makes the sauce glossy and helps it cling to the chicken.

Can I use chicken breast?

Breast works and makes leaner blocks. Simmer it for 20 minutes in step 2, just until cooked through, as it dries out if overcooked.

Can I use leftover roast chicken?

Use about 700g shredded cooked chicken. Simmer the vegetables in the stock for 10 minutes in step 2, carry on with the sauce, then add the chicken in step 5 and heat it through thoroughly.