Flavorful chili ready to eat in an hour? Why yes, it is possible with this Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe! Ground chicken, black beans, and hot sauce come together in this hearty one pot meal.
Here we are, seven days into 2016.
Did you make any New Year resolutions? Or rather, did you break any of them yet?
Mine are pretty boring. There’s the usual eat healthier, exercise more. I’ve been buying more bananas lately so I can make my banana yogurt smoothies and grapefruit and clementines for snacking.
I can’t go on a full sugar detox since making desserts is part of my job, so I have to balance it out with lots of produce.
For the exercise, I haven’t been walking as much since it gets dark at dinner time, so at the very least I will walk up and down my street during my afternoon break.
Then of course another resolution is the dreaded menu planning.
Some weeks I really hit it out of the park and plan out the entire week effortlessly.
Other weeks I’m struggling to figure out dinner at 4 PM when it’s time to prep and cook.
When you think of quick meals, chili may not be the first dish to come to mind as most recipes take a few hours to simmer, but since I tend to be impatient, I made a quicker version with this Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe.
I’ve had the idea to make this chili for a few years now but have never gotten around to it. Every time I put it on the list, it was soon replaced by another dinner recipe.
Finally I said January will be it – the month of buffalo chicken chili.
January felt like the ideal month to make it. One – it’s cold and dreary outside (or relatively warm and dreary, depending on Mother Nature’s mood).
Two – it’s a bit on the healthier side (or at least compared to most dinners I make).
Three – The Super Bowl is one month away, and instead of buffalo chicken wings, you can totally serve up a big batch of buffalo chicken chili instead for Game Day.
Chili – to add beans or not to add beans?
I asked this question to a group of friends, and it was pretty split.
Half said they added beans while the other half were pretty adamant about no beans.
It boils down to whether you’re from the North or South.
Since I’m from PA, I’ve always had chili with beans, so I added black beans. Otherwise it’d just be ground chicken with sauce, which sounds a lot like sloppy joes to me.
Since you’d be the one making and eating this chili, I’ll let you be the judge of adding beans.
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 cup chopped white onion
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup canned tomato sauce
- 1 cup canned tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 - 4 tablespoons hot sauce, to taste
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 green onion, chopped
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil until hot. Add the chicken, onion, and carrot. Cook until chicken is brown. Add the garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and salt and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the broth, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot then stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the hot sauce, ranch, and cheese until cheese has melted. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Right before serving, garnish each bowl with green onion.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Soup
Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
Thin Crust Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Jan says
Looks ! Just went to the store to get the ground chicken, and just noticed the recipe calls for 1/2 lb. ground chicken. Just wanted to make sure this amount is right, as most chili recipes call for 1 lb. ground meat. Hopefully you see this right away, as I would like to make this tonight!! Thank you.
Carla says
Yes that is correct. I cook on a small scale level since I cook for one. I actually did cook this with 1 pound the first time, and it made 6-8 servings. Using 1/2 pound makes around 4 servings or so.
Jessica says
I am really excited to try the buffalo chicken chili – just one question – can you define “tomato sauce?” Is it tomato paste, tomato juice, or something else? I realize there isnt much of it and I could eliminate it, but I wanted to ask! Thank you :)
Carla says
The can actually says tomato sauce on it: https://www.google.com/search?q=canned+tomato+sauce&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwis19G_z5rKAhVMNT4KHRn6DE4Q_AUICCgC&biw=1366&bih=609 You should be able to find it next to the tomato paste, but it’s different than tomato paste. I highly recommend not eliminating it from the recipe because it’s part of the chili base. It won’t be the same without it.
Jessica says
Thank you for clarifying about the tomato sauce – I havent been to the store yet but will definitely get some tomato sauce! (being Italian, like you, I have a different meaning of “sauce”) Happy Friday!
Christina says
I made this for our school chili cook-off this week. Since I work at a middle school and our students love spicy food, this chili was a hit! I quadrupled the recipe and ran out 30 minutes into the event.
Carla says
That is awesome! Thank you for sharing and glad everyone enjoyed it :)
Wilma Manasse says
I wondered if I can substitute something for the Hummus in your recipe’s.
Carla says
I’m assuming you’re referring to my Buffalo Chicken Taco Cups? https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2016/01/18/buffalo-chicken-hummus-taco-cups/ You can use refried beans or even guacamole as a sub.
Rose says
Hi! i decided to try this and we loved it, wish i had realized i needed to double the recipe for extra serving, was definately enough for 3 big bowls -3 of us but would of loved to have some for next day lunch-lol thats how delicious this was. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Carla says
Thank you for the feedback! Glad everyone enjoyed it.
Bettina says
So, in regards to the Buffalo chili – when you say hot sauce…..do you mean lsomething like Texas Pete? Or Buffalo Sauce?
Carla says
Yes, hot sauce as in Texas Pete. You can use buffalo wing sauce, but it’s a little more intense so you’ll want to taste while you add.
Linda says
I’ definitely a chili with beans girl and this sounds heavenly for dinner on a cold, dreary day. Love that it’s quick and has a little kick to it to brighten up my taste buds. It sounds so yummy I can’t wait to try it.
Carla says
Let me know what you think after making it!