Buffalo Chicken Chili
This Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe is a one-pot, less than an hour main meal that's hearty and packed with flavor. Toppings of crumbled blue cheese and fresh chopped celery at serving are a must!
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 356kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 carrot, large, chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp chili powder
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2- 15 oz. cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed. Or chili beans or combination of favorite beans for chili
- 1- 15 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce, plus extra for serving, original may be used if that's all you have
- 2-3 cups rotisserie chicken meat, shredded into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
Toppings:
- Crumbled blue cheese, This makes the chili! Don't skip it
- Chopped celery
- Sour cream, not necessary except if you need to lower the heat level for anyone
Optional:
- Tortilla chips, tortilla strips
- Limes, quartered. Optional, but some people like to squeeze some lime juice over the chili.
Instructions
- Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 chopped celery sticks and 1 chopped carrot, cooking until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, and 3 minced garlic cloves. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add 2 cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans (or whatever beans you're using), 15 ounces of fire-roasted tomatoes with their juice, 4 cups chicken broth, and ½ cup Frank's wing sauce. Let the mixture start to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and let heat through, just a couple minutes more. Taste for heat and salt, adding more if desired. You can also add more garlic powder. I've added more than the half teaspoon of garlic powder to the chili recipe before with success. Just depends on how you like the garlic flavor.
- Serve with plenty of crumbled blue cheese, freshly chopped celery, extra buffalo sauce, and sour cream if desired.
Cook's Note:
- The chili is delicious the next day as the flavors increase even more over night. If you have leftovers and more chicken broth, add another cup of broth, or water, sprinkle a little extra chili powder, garlic powder, and salt in and refrigerate to enjoy the next day. The step with adding more liquid to the leftovers is a personal preference for us but not necessary.
Notes
- If you like your chili really thick, reduce the amount of chicken broth to 3 cups rather than 4 specified in the recipe.
- When adding beans to the recipe, any type of chili-friendly bean works. Kidney beans, black beans, pinto, or a combination.
- If blue cheese is not your thing, you can substitute Gorgonzola which has a little milder flavor, or a sharp cheddar or any favorite cheese. But the blue cheese really improves each bite of the chili, so I highly recommend it.
- For a vegetarian option, we just leave out the chicken and make the rest as the recipe is written. You can also add cooked cauliflower or jackfruit in place of the chicken, though not necessary.
- Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for three days. The Buffalo Chicken Chili is also a great meal to make ahead and place in the freezer. Freeze for up to two months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 1886mg | Potassium: 959mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3193IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 5mg