Crockpot Buffalo Turkey Tenderloins in 10 Minutes of Prep Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Cook on low whenever the schedule allows. Low heat gives the lean tenderloins a wider window of tenderness, so a twenty-minute delay in serving does no harm.

On high, the window is narrow, and the difference between perfect and dry can be a single hour, so set a timer for the early end of the range and check the temperature then.

Shred the turkey while it is hot; it pulls apart effortlessly warm and fights back once cooled. Stir the shredded meat back into the sauce and give it five minutes on warm before serving. That short rest lets the strands absorb the sauce, turning a pot of turkey in sauce into sauced turkey through and through.

Variations

• Buffalo turkey bowls: Skip the rolls and serve the shredded turkey over steamed rice with a spoonful of the pot sauce. The rice absorbs the buffalo sauce, and the bowl format makes the leftovers easier to pack for lunches during the week.
• Extra-hot version: Stir an extra 1/4 cup of hot sauce into the pot along with the buffalo sauce, or add a few dashes of cayenne-heavy sauce at the shredding stage. Taste before serving, since the heat concentrates slightly as the sauce reduces.
• Milder family version: Cut the buffalo sauce to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of the cooking juices back at shredding time to keep everything moist. The ranch seasoning still comes through, and the heat sits well below the original without losing the tangy character.
• Buffalo turkey melts: Pile the shredded turkey on the toasted roll, top with a slice of cheese and broil just until melted. The cheese blunts the vinegar heat slightly and turns the sandwich into a warm, gooey melt that holds together better for packing.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Refrigerate the sauced turkey in an airtight container for up to 4 days; store rolls separately at room temperature.

Freezer

Freeze the shredded turkey and sauce together in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat

Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water, until steaming hot to 165°F (74°C). Re-toast the rolls fresh each time.

Cool the leftover turkey and sauce at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Keep the rolls separate at room temperature so they stay crisp. The sauced turkey keeps well for up to 4 days and actually improves as the flavors settle overnight.

Assemble everything in the slow cooker insert the night before: turkey, celery and ranch seasoning, with the buffalo sauce measured and covered separately in the refrigerator.

In the morning, pour the sauce over, set the insert in the cooker and start it on low. Starting from cold adds roughly 30 minutes to the cook time, so plan the doneness check accordingly.

Serving ideas

Serve the sandwiches straight from the pot, with the extra sauce in a small bowl for dipping and a stack of napkins within reach.

The toasted rolls are the only accompaniment the video shows, and they are enough: crisp outside, soft where the sauce soaks in. For a larger spread, add carrot and celery sticks on the side.

For a crowd, keep the shredded turkey on warm in the slow cooker with the lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally so the surface does not dry.

Set out the toasted rolls and let everyone build their own. The turkey also works spooned over baked potatoes or tucked into lettuce cups, using the same pot of shredded meat.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Crockpot Buffalo Turkey Tenderloins in 10 Minutes of Prep

Prep 10 minCook 4 hTotal 4 h 10 minServes 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb turkey tenderloins (about 2 pieces)
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 oz ranch seasoning mix (1 packet)
• 1 cup buffalo sauce
• 6 sandwich rolls, split and toasted, for serving

Instructions

1. Unwrap the turkey tenderloins, pat them dry with paper towels and lay them in a single layer in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Keep the pieces from stacking so each one sits in the sauce and cooks evenly from edge to edge.
2. Dice the celery stalks into small, even pieces and scatter them over and around the tenderloins. The celery softens as it cooks, releases moisture that keeps the turkey from drying out, and leaves a mild, savory backbone in the finished sauce.
3. Tear open the ranch seasoning packet and sprinkle it evenly over the turkey and celery, covering every surface. Sprinkling before the sauce goes on lets the dry herbs bloom against the meat instead of clumping in the liquid.
4. Pour the buffalo sauce from the measuring cup over the seasoned turkey, letting it run down the sides and pool around the tenderloins. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the turkey is cooked through.
5. When the cook time is up, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest tenderloin. The turkey is safe to shred once it reaches 165°F (74°C) in the center. If it reads short, cover and continue cooking, checking again every 20 minutes.
6. Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board and shred them with two forks, pulling against the grain into bite-size strands. Return the shredded turkey to the slow cooker, stir it through the sauce, and let it sit on warm for 5 minutes so every strand drinks up the buffalo mixture.
7. While the turkey rests in the sauce, split the sandwich rolls and arrange them cut side up on a baking sheet. Toast them under the broiler or in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cut surfaces are golden and crisp at the edges.
8. Pile a generous scoop of shredded buffalo turkey onto the bottom half of each toasted roll, letting the sauce soak slightly into the crumb. Cap with the top half and serve right away, while the turkey is steaming and the roll is still crisp.

Contains: gluten, milk, celery

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

300

Protein

33 g

Carbohydrates

27 g

Fat

6 g

Fiber

2 g

Sugar

3 g

Sodium

980 mg

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.