Spicy Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe for Game Day

When soup season arrives, I love making this Buffalo Chicken Chili. It’s a playful twist on a hearty cold-weather favorite and satisfies my craving for Buffalo-style wings.

This chili captures the bold flavors of chicken wings tossed in buffalo sauce, and a sprinkle of blue cheese on top amplifies that savory, tangy profile.

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Ingredients

Most ingredients for this Buffalo Chicken Chili are familiar if you make chili regularly. To keep the color light and the flavor bright, this recipe uses white beans and relies on ranch seasoning and buffalo sauce rather than darker spice blends.

One ingredient that makes a subtle but important difference is celery. Its crisp, slightly vegetal note helps round out the flavors and evokes the familiar elements of a plate of wings.

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

Method

Start by cooking the onion and celery in a mix of oil and butter over medium heat until they begin to soften and brown slightly. Add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. I often roughly dice chicken breasts and pulse them in a small food processor until they resemble ground chicken, but you can use store-bought ground chicken if you prefer.

Once the chicken has browned, pour in the buffalo sauce and cook until the sauce begins to cling and darken on the bottom of the pot. Deglaze with diced tomatoes and simmer until the tomato liquid reduces and thickens.

When the tomatoes have thickened, add chicken stock and ranch seasoning. Let the pot simmer so the flavors can meld together and deepen.

Finish the chili by stirring in cream cheese and the beans until the cream cheese melts into a silky texture. Serve topped with shredded cheddar, crumbled blue cheese, and a scattering of chives or green onions for freshness.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 10-12 cups

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Prep Time:
20 minutes

Cook Time:
40 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour

A bright, savory chili that brings the flavors of buffalo-style chicken into a comforting soup bowl.

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 temperature
• 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.
2. Add the onion and celery and cook 7–8 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Season with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Add garlic and cook 1–2 minutes more.
3. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, seasoning as it browns.
4. When the chicken is cooked, drain any excess liquid, then return the pan to the heat for 1–2 minutes to dry slightly.
5. Pour in the buffalo sauce and cook 2–3 minutes until it begins to stick to the pan. Deglaze with the diced tomatoes and cook until the tomato liquid reduces.
6. Add chicken stock, water, bouillon paste, and ranch seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 30–45 minutes to develop flavor.
7. Stir in the beans and cream cheese, bring back to a simmer until the cream cheese is fully incorporated, and cook another 10–15 minutes.
8. Serve topped with cheddar, blue cheese, and chopped chives, with cornbread on the side or underneath, if desired.

Notes

I often use canned beans for convenience. For Instant Pot instructions: after the initial steps, add an extra cup of water and replace canned beans with 1 ½ cups dry beans. Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes, then stir in cream cheese until melted.

To make the recipe dairy-free, substitute oil for butter and use a plant-based cream cheese. Skip the garnishing cheeses. Ground chicken is an acceptable shortcut if you don’t want to process diced breasts.

Adjust the buffalo sauce heat to your preference: choose a milder sauce for subtle spice or a hotter one for more kick.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Shun Classic 7″ Hollow Ground Santoku Knife
• John Boos Chop-N-Slice Maple Cutting Board
• Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender
• STAUB Cast Iron Round Cocotte, 7-quart
• RSVP International Olive Wood Spoon
• Forest Decor Olive Wood Soup Ladle

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 428
Total Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 107mg
Sodium: 1343mg
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 7g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 38g

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

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