Buffalo Chicken Chili

Comforting, delicious and easy to make, this buffalo chicken chili combines plenty of ground chicken, beans and veggies. Plus, there’s ingredients like dill, cream cheese and buffalo sauce. If you’re craving the familiar flavours of buffalo chicken wings but want something a little different, then this ground chicken chili recipe is a yummy one to try.

Oh how I love buffalo chicken recipes! You too? Recently, I made this buffalo chicken chili in celebration of the fall season (my favourite of all seasons). I mean, what goes better on a cold day than a big bowl of comfort food, am I right?

I think it’s one of my favourite chili recipes to date. Of course, it’s way different than ground beef chili, but it’s a welcomed change when you’re looking for something a little different.

Going with that buffalo chicken vibe, this chicken chili recipe has ground chicken, celery, carrot, buffalo sauce and dill (along with other yummy ingredients). Dill goes so well with buffalo flavoured foods, in my opinion. It’s typically an ingredient in ranch dressing, and you often see things like buffalo wings served with ranch for dipping. Though there is no ranch dressing in this ground chicken chili, it does have that lovely dill flavour which adds something special.

Optional, but delicious and a must-have in my opinion, is to top your bowl with crumbled blue cheese. Like dill, it’s such a classic pairing with buffalo flavoured recipes and so tasty.

Fan of buffalo chicken recipes? Check out this buffalo chicken pizza!

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil: Used for cooking the veggies and ground chicken.
• Ground chicken: Two pounds of ground chicken is used in this buffalo chicken chili recipe, making it super hearty.
• Veggies: Include onion, celery, carrots and garlic.
• Canned beans: White kidney beans (or cannellini beans) are the bean of choice for this ground chicken chili recipe.
• Canned green chiles: These can usually be found in the grocery store alongside jars of pickled jalapenos and the like.
• Cream cheese: Adds a slight creaminess to the chili. Make sure it’s softened and cut into small cubes before adding to the pot so it blends in easily.
• Seasoning: Simple (but delicious) seasoning includes dill and smoked paprika. You can also add some salt and black pepper if you feel it’s necessary.
• Chicken broth: Use whatever variety (no salt added, reduced sodium or regular) you like best. If you use a no salt added or reduced sodium chicken broth, then you may need to add a little more salt to the chili. Of course, this depends on the broth itself and your preference.
• Salsa verde: Salsa verde, or green salsa, can typically be found in the grocery store alongside regular bottled salsas.
• Buffalo sauce: Use one that you enjoy. I like Frank’s buffalo sauce.
• Fresh herbs: I like to add fresh cilantro and fresh dill and the end of cooking for an extra punch of flavour. The cilantro is optional and can be omitted if you prefer.

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Chili

Here is an overview of how to make buffalo chicken chili (full details are in the recipe card below):

1. Heat some vegetable oil in a large pot, then add the ground chicken and veggies. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies start to soften.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook until it gets nice and fragrant.
3. Add the white kidney beans, green chiles, cream cheese, dried dill, smoked paprika, chicken broth, salsa verde and buffalo sauce.
4. Give everything a good stir to combine.
5. Cover ajar and cook until the chili is nicely thickened and the veggies are tender.
6. Stir in fresh cilantro (optional) and dill. Add some salt and black pepper to taste if you like. There ya have it, easy buffalo chicken chili!

What To Serve With It

My favourite thing to serve with this buffalo chicken chili is tortilla chips for dunking. Other than that, it pairs lovely with a simple side green salad, Caesar salad, garlic bread, corn bread or cheesy toast.

Optional Chili Toppings

This buffalo chicken chili is quite tasty as is, but if you want to add some toppings, go for it! Some of my favourites for this chili are:

• Crumbled blue cheese (a must, if you ask me!)
• Chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro or dill
• Sliced green onion or chives
• Dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• Drizzle of buffalo sauce

Leftovers

Properly store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat before serving.

Reheating

Reheat buffalo chicken chili in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through. As you are reheating, if the chili is too thick, add a splash of water or chicken broth to thin out the chili to your desired consistency.

Tips and Variations

• Mix up the protein: For something a little different, try this recipe with ground turkey instead of ground chicken.
• Veggies: Don’t chop the celery too thick. Sometimes celery can take a little while to soften, so you don’t want it too large. Having said that, if you like a little bite in your veggies, you can certainly cut the celery a little thicker.
• Salt: Depending on your preference and how salty your ingredients are, such as the chicken broth, buffalo sauce and salsa verde, you may not need to add salt to the chili (I didn’t).
• Add more spice: If you like a little more spicy kick to your chili, feel free to add some ground cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

More Easy Buffalo Chicken Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Burgers
• Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
• Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

If you make this buffalo chicken chili recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!