If you love buffalo chicken wings but don’t want to deal with the mess, I have good news: Today, I’m making buffalo chicken chili. This weeknight chicken chili recipe is an easy-to-make and flavorful way to enjoy the buffalo wing sauce we all love.
This buffalo chicken chili is made with everyday ingredients and comes together in 30 minutes, which is one of the many reasons I love making it. It’s a real crowd-pleaser and brings the whole family into the kitchen while it simmers on the stove.
The spice level can be adjusted by adding extra spicy buffalo sauce or dialed down by using mild buffalo sauce and topping with a spoonful of sour cream when serving, making this a versatile recipe. It’s a riff on my white chicken chili recipe, another family favorite.
Buffalo chicken chili ingredients
To make this buffalo chicken chili recipe you will need two sets of ingredients:
- Chili Ingredients: Gather onion, celery, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic cloves (or garlic powder), ground chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, buffalo wing sauce, and cannellini beans.
- Toppings: When it comes to chili toppings, the sky’s the limit. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand. A few of my favorite toppings for this chili are avocados, blue cheese crumbles (or any Mexican cheese), tortilla chips, sliced jalapeños, and chopped red onion.
Variations & Substitutions
- Chicken : Since I wanted this chili recipe to be a quick weeknight dinner, I used ground chicken as it cooks faster. However, you can also use leftover shredded chicken instead. In the past, I’ve made this recipe with leftover baked bone-in chicken breasts that were shredded and it turned out perfectly.
- Canned tomatoes: If you can’t get your hands on fire-roasted tomatoes, you can use canned diced tomatoes as well.
- Buffalo Wing Sauce: My favorite brand is Frank’s, but feel free to use your favorite brand. If you are serving this homemade chili to children, you might want to look into a wing sauce that is less spicy or else use less of it.
- Beans: Cannellini beans are in the recipe, but you can also use kidney beans, navy beans, or even black beans.
- Cream Cheese: Some people add a block of cream cheese to the soup in the end. To make it a lighter recipe, I’ve skipped the cheese. But if you are in the mood to treat yourself, add that in at the end for lusciously creamy chicken chili.
How to make a slow cooker version
If you prefer a set-it-and-forget-it approach, you can also make this buffalo chicken chili in a slow cooker . Here’s how:
- Sauté veggies and chicken: Heat the oil in a large pot, then add the onion, celery, chili powder, and cumin. After 5 minutes, add the garlic and ground chicken and cook until it’s browned.
- Place everything in the crockpot: Transfer the cooked veggies and chicken into the bowl of your slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir.
- Cook: Set your slow cooker to cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high heat for 3-4 hours.
- Ladle and serve: Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite toppings.
Store, reheat, and freeze
It’s unlikely that you’ll have any leftover buffalo chicken chili, but if you do, it makes excellent leftovers. It’s best to keep the toppings separate.
Store: Cool leftover chili to room temperature, then place it in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat: I reheat this chili in a pot over medium-low heat, but a microwave works just as well.
Freeze: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe
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Ingredients
- ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 medium onion (chopped)
- ▢ 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ▢ 1 pound ground chicken
- ▢ 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ▢ 1 cup chicken stock
- ▢ ½ cup buffalo wing sauce
- ▢ 2 15-ounce cans cannellini bean (drained and rinsed)
Optional toppings
- ▢ Sliced jalapenos
- ▢ Sliced avocados
- ▢ Diced red onion
- ▢ Tortilla chips
- ▢ Shredded Mexican cheese or Blue Cheese
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, chili powder, and ground cumin. Saute, stirring frequently, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 medium onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the ground chicken and saute, stirring constantly and breaking the large chunks of the meat, for 5 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. 1 pound ground chicken
- Put the fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, buffalo wing sauce, and cannellini beans into the pot and stir. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 15-17 minutes. 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 cup chicken stock, ½ cup buffalo wing sauce, 2 15-ounce cans cannellini bean
- When ready to serve, ladle the chili into bowls and add your favorite toppings.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .
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Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 2 stalks celery , chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup buffalo wing sauce
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini bean , drained and rinsed
Optional toppings
- Sliced jalapenos
- Sliced avocados
- Diced red onion
- Tortilla chips
- Shredded Mexican cheese or Blue Cheese
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, chili powder, and ground cumin. Saute, stirring frequently, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 medium onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the ground chicken and saute, stirring constantly and breaking the large chunks of the meat, for 5 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. 1 pound ground chicken
- Put the fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, buffalo wing sauce, and cannellini beans into the pot and stir. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 15-17 minutes. 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 cup chicken stock, ½ cup buffalo wing sauce, 2 15-ounce cans cannellini bean
- When ready to serve, ladle the chili into bowls and add your favorite toppings.
