I really like spicy food, and I’ve been a fan of Buffalo chicken wings since I was in college. I spent many a night eating 10 cent wings at The Strutting Duck. But that was a long time ago. And as much as I still enjoy eating Buffalo wings, it seems I gain weight just looking at them these days. So I allow myself to splurge on them occasionally, but only occasionally. In the meanwhile, I treat myself to this dish, adapted from SkinnyTaste.com.
Of course, the key ingredient in Buffalo chicken (well, besides the chicken) is cayenne pepper sauce. “The cayenne pepper belongs to the Capsicum family, more commonly known as chile peppers,” according to the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University. “All chile peppers, including cayenne, contain capsaicin.” And capsaicin fights inflammation, relieves pain and has cardiovascular benefits. “Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of vitamin A. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and dietary fiber.”
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Cook time
Total time
- 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 celery stalk, whole
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic
- 16 ounces chicken broth
- ½ cup hot cayenne pepper sauce
- 6 large lettuce leaves
- 1½ cup shredded carrots
- 2 large celery stalks, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
- In a slow cooker, combine chicken, onions, whole celery stalk, garlic and chicken broth. (The liquid should cover the chicken. Add water or more broth if needed.)
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the pot.
- Reserve ½ cup of the broth from the slow cooker and discard the rest (or save for later to make soup).
- Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker with the ½ cup of broth. Add the hot sauce and stir.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 hour or on high for 30 minutes.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, place ½ cup of the Buffalo chicken in each lettuce leaf, top with ¼ cup of shredded carrots and celery.* Wrap and eat.
3.2.2802
*I eat these without adding dressing, but my children like them with either ranch or blue cheese dressing. That makes them less healthy, but they are tasty.
