Buffalo Chicken Chili

When soup season hits, I love to make this Buffalo Chicken Chili. It is a really fun twist on a classic cold-weather dish and quenches my craving for Hot WINGS.

I am amazed at the way this soup captures all of the flavors of eating a big plate of chicken wings doused in buffalo sauce. And topping it with blue cheese just adds to those flavors.

Ingredients

Most of the items needed to make this Buffalo Chicken Chili are typical of what you would use to make any chili. But in an effort to keep the color light and bright, white beans are used. And in place of dark flavorful seasonings, I use ranch seasoning and buffalo sauce.

The other important flavor that you wouldn't think makes a big difference, but it does, is the celery. It just rounds all the flavors out and keeps the feel of a plate of wings.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Method

To make the chili, I start by cooking the onions and celery in some oil and butter till they just start to brown a little. Then add in the garlic and let it perfume the mixture. Place the chicken in the pot and cook till it is no longer pink. I start with roughly diced chicken breast and whiz it up in my little food processor till it is like ground chicken.

When the chicken has browned, add the buffalo sauce, and cook till it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Then "deglaze" the pan with the diced tomatoes. Let them simmer and stew till almost all of their juices have evaporated.

When the tomatoes have gotten thick, add the chicken stock and ranch seasoning. Let that all simmer for a while to let all the flavors meld.

Finish the soup by adding the cream cheese and beans and as soon as it is well melted you are ready to eat. I like to serve the chili topped with some cheddar and blue cheese and a sprinkle of chives or green onions too.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 10-12 cups

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

When soup season hits, I love this Buffalo Chicken Chili. It is a fun twist on a classic cold-weather dish and quenches my craving for WINGS.

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
• 3 stalks Celery, fine diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
• 2 pounds Chicken Breasts, finely minced or use ground chicken breast
• Kosher Salt, as needed
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, as needed
• 1 cup Buffalo Sauce
• 1, 28-ounce can Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Ranch Seasoning
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
• 2 cups Water
• 2 tablespoons Chicken Bouillon Paste
• 2, 15-ounce cans Great Northern Beans
• 8-ounces Cream Cheese, room temp
• Cheddar Cheese, for serving
• Blue Cheese, for serving
• Cornbread Muffins with Blue Cheese and Chives, for serving

Instructions

1. In a 7-quart or larger dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat until glistening in the pan.
2. Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook for 7-8 minutes until well cooked and beginning to brown slightly. Season with a pinch or two of salt and a few cracks of black pepper while cooking. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
3. Place the chicken in the pan and cook until no longer pink. Season with another couple of pinches of salt and some pepper while it is cooking and browning in the pan.
4. When the chicken is fully cooked through, drain any liquid lingering from the pan by tipping it out into the sink.
5. Return the pan to the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes longer to ensure the pan is mostly dry. Pour the buffalo sauce into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, then deglaze the pan by adding in the diced tomatoes.
6. Cook the diced tomatoes into the buffalo chicken until it begins to dry up in the pan and the chicken starts to stick and brown a little. Then add the chicken stock, water, bouillon paste, and ranch seasoning to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer for 30-45 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld.
7. After the chili has cooked for a bit, add the beans and cream cheese to the pot and bring it back to a boil till the cream cheese is fully worked into the chili. Simmer 10-15 minutes longer.
8. Serve the chili topped with blue cheese, cheddar cheese, and a big slice of cornbread in the middle, and enjoy!

Notes

Notes & Tips

I often use a can or two of beans to speed things up with this recipe. But you could make this recipe in an Instant Pot and follow the instructions till you add the water and chicken stock.

Add an extra cup of water, and replace the two cans of beans with 1 ½ cups of dry beans. Pressure cook on Manual High Pressure for 35 minutes then stir in the cream cheese till it melts and you are all set.

I like to serve this chili over my Cornbread Muffins with Blue Cheese and Chives. It really amps everything up, and you just need cornbread with your chili!

Substitutions

If you would like to keep this recipe dairy-free, do not use the butter, replace it with all oil. Also, replace the regular cream cheese with dairy-free or plant-based cream cheese, they work equally well in this recipe. And of course, leave the cheeses off the top for garnishing.

I start with roughly diced chicken breast and whiz it up in my little food processor till it is like ground chicken. You could also just use ground chicken if you like. I just always seem to have some chicken breasts around so I dice them and make my own.

When it comes to the buffalo sauce, you can use any heat level you like. I tend to keep things on the lower heat side. But if you like things hotter, feel free to up the heat level to your liking.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 428Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 1343mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 7gSugar: 7gProtein: 38g

This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.

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