Buffalo Chicken Chili (High-Protein)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Jan 29, 2024 (last updated May 6, 2026) 
Creamy, spicy, and packed with protein, this Buffalo chicken chili comes together in the slow cooker or on the stovetop with chicken, white beans, and just the right amount of heat. A hearty, family-friendly dinner that’s even helped readers win chili cook-offs!
5 star review
“I won a neighborhood chili contest with this recipe! Couldn’t have been easier, too. Will definitely be making this again!”
– Marissa
This Blue-Ribbon Buffalo White Chicken Chili is So Good!
This easy Buffalo chicken chili is one of my favorites for feeding a crowd, game nights, parties, or family dinners, and has even helped some of my readers win chili cook-off contests. Slightly spicy thanks to hot sauce, hearty and protein-packed thanks to both chicken and white beans, it’s a filling meal that feels decadent but is actually quite wholesome. It also happens to be my go-to recipe when I want something different and a little more exciting than traditional chili.
I created it as a take on my wildly popular slow cooker white chicken chili, using the same simple method of prep, but with the addition of a kick of heat from the Buffalo hot sauce. And because I’m all about saving time in the kitchen, I have two cooking options based on what you need: Want dinner in a hurry? Try the stove-top, Dutch-oven version for a 30-minute dinner, or try the crockpot version, perfect for feeding a crowd or making dinner ahead of time since you can keep it on warm until it’s time to eat.
And since this chili recipe freezes so well, make a double batch and freeze half for a future meal, future you will thank yourself! And for more buffalo flavor in your weeknight rotation, my slow cooker buffalo chicken shreds easily for sliders or salads, and my slow cooker chicken taco chili uses the same dump-and-go method with a Tex-Mex spin.
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Buffalo Chicken Chili
Testing Tips for Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Hold back 1-2 tablespoons of hot sauce and stir it in after cooking, not before. Long cook times mellow the heat significantly, so adding the final hit at the end is what gives the chili that bright buffalo bite instead of a faded version!
- Stick with Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, not buffalo wing sauce. Wing sauce already has butter and seasonings mixed in, which throws off the cream cheese ratio.
- Pulse the bean mixture with an immersion blender for just 5-10 seconds before adding the chicken back. Longer than that turns it into a puree, while a quick pulse breaks down enough beans to thicken the chili while keeping plenty of texture.
- Swap chicken breasts for boneless thighs if your slow cooker tends to run hot or you’ll be away longer than 5 hours. Thighs stay tender even at the high end of the cook time, while breasts can dry out and turn stringy past their window.
Buffalo Chicken Chili (High-Protein)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 3 (15-oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed, such as Great Northern or cannellini
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 2-4 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, plus more to taste
To Add at the End
- 3 oz cream cheese, about 6 tablespoons
Equipment
- Dutch Oven optional
- Slow Cooker optional
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add the chicken, white beans, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, chicken stock and cayenne pepper sauce to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
- Uncover, remove the chicken, and shred with two forks or dice into chunks. Using an immersion blender, blend the bean mixture for about 5-10 seconds. Alternatively, carefully, remove ½ to 1 cup of the bean mixture to a blender. Cover, blend on high, then add back to the chili, stirring to combine.
- Ladle a few tablespoons of the bean mixture into a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese and stir until smooth. Add the shredded or diced chicken back to the slow cooker, along with the cream cheese-bean mixture, stirring to combine.
- Taste and add additional salt or hot sauce if desired. If it's not spicy enough, this is your chance! Add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce at a time until your desired spice level is reached. Serve with any toppings you like.
Stovetop Instructions
- Add the chicken, white beans, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, chicken stock and cayenne pepper sauce to a large Dutch oven.
- Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook on medium-low heat at a high simmer, covered, for 40-60 minutes, until the chicken is tender and easily shreds with a fork, stirring occasionally.
- Follow remaining slow cooker steps 3-5.
Notes
- Optional Serving Suggestions: Hot sauce, sour cream, blue cheese crumbles, sliced green onions.
- Spice Level: After cooking, my family felt like this came in at a medium to medium-spicy spice level. For a spicier option, add additional hot sauce at the end of cooking time (up to ¼ cup additional hot sauce or more). For a milder version, you can also reduce the amount of hot sauce to 2 tablespoons, but it won’t have as much of that classic “Buffalo” flavor.
Another amazing recipe. I used shredded jackfruit instead of chicken to make it vegetarian friendly. (you could easily make it vegan by using vegan cream cheese). It was easy to make and was delicious. I added the max amount of Franks hot sauce and I found I wanted a bit more spice before serving. I didn’t have the blue cheese, but added the green onions and they added a fantastic crunch. This is a fantastic family friendly recipe where you can add more zing at the end. Thank you Robyn!
Barbara, wonderful to hear this was a hit, and thanks for the tip on making this chili vegetarian with jackfruit. So helpful! Thanks so much for leaving a review. 🙂
I won a neighborhood chili contest with this recipe! Couldn’t have been easier, too. Will definitely be making this again!
Marissa, that’s amazing! So happy it was a winner for you. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Okay so if you’re reading these comments for tips I’m here to help. I followed the instructions for this recipe exactly with the exception of not blending (I prefer a chunky texture) and using Frank’s buffalo instead of original.
If you love the bland flavor of boiled beans, don’t change a thing. If you enjoy flavourful food, here’s how I fixed it:
Added 1 extra cup of chicken stock
Added 3oz more cream cheese
Quadruple the spices (seriously otherwise you can’t even taste them)
I used 2/3 of an entire bottle of buffalo sauce
Definitely add the green onions and blue cheese as topping, it was great.
I know some people genuinely enjoy bland food but I hope this helps you other flavor junkies! Good base recipe.
Hi Shannon, Robyn here, thanks for your notes and tip! Spice level is such a personal preference, and 2/3 of a bottle of hot sauce is likely way too much for most people (I also keep an eye on sodium levels, and again, 2/3 of a bottle of Franks will send this one into super high levels of sodium), however I’m sure those who love strong flavors and lots of spice will appreciate your suggestions. Of course adding more chicken stock is going to further the dilution of the spices, so I personally wouldn’t recommend that change to others. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Do I need to cook the ground turkey before placing it in the crock pot if I want to try the “no bean” version?
Hi Melissa, yes, if you plan on using ground chicken or ground turkey in place of chicken breast you’ll want to brown it first. Otherwise the texture can get pretty unappetizing. I hope you enjoy!
Could this be made in the instant pot?
Yes, I believe it can. I haven’t tested it, but I would try adding the ingredients as you would to the slow cooker to the Instant Pot, cover and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to “sealing.” Set to high pressure for 10 minutes for chicken breasts. Once the timer beeps indicating the time is up let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then move the valve to “venting” to release the rest of the pressure. Then follow the instructions to shred the chicken and add the remaining ingredients as you would with the slow cooker version. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
So easy & so delicious! Used a mix of great northern & navy beans. Added a small can of diced green chilies. Didn’t purée the beans. Added the cream cheese directly into the finished chili. It melted right in. Love the vibrant drizzle of hot sauce paired with crisp green onions on top! Many thanks for a great recipe where you eagerly look forward to leftovers!
What great tips and notes, Sherry! Thanks so much for sharing and for leaving a reivew.
This is the perfect low-effort weekend meal. Definitely a keeper!
Kelly, yay, I love a low-effort weekend meal! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
I just made this as-is with the other toppings like the diced green onions and I got to thinking: With a bit of tweaking, this could be a “Loaded Wings” chili with Mexican blend cheese, bacon, and maybe ranch dip instead of plain cream cheese. Might try it next time and see how it turns out, but if you try this idea before me, tell me how it turns out!
Casey, I haven’t tried your version but I imagine it would be delightful! If you give it a try, please report back on how it goes!
It has been done! By using Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo sauce, Philadelphia Chive and Onion cream cheese, and Ortega Diced Green Chilis (as well as the other aforementioned ingredients), I’ve made an awesome Loaded Wings chili. I felt that a buffalo sauce/chicken stock ratio of 1:1 worked better for me, but that’s just me. Thank you for this recipe’s inspiration! It’s going to be a permanent addition to my crockpot recipes. Hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Casey, wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your notes and for leaving a review, so helpful!
Could you add celery, carrots and onions?
Yes, I think those extra veggies would be a great addition! Just add with the chicken and the beans and you should be good to go!
What is the serving size? Appreciate the nutritional information but need a bit of clarification what 1 of 6 servings means. Sincerely, a person who is counting their calories.
Hi Kathryn, divide the chili into 6 servings.
I made this for a recent chili cookoff for a local charity and it was a huge hit- very delicious. The only negative comment- and I kind of agree with it- is that the color isn’t super appealing. Anyone have any suggestions to help with that?
Shannon, so happy to hear this one as a hit at the chili cook-off! Some of the color is going to depend on how much hot sauce you add – more red hot sauce is going to make it a more appealing color, but also make it spicer, so that’s something to consider. If I’m serving it “family style” right out of the slow cooker, I do like to add the toppings to add color and contrast: a drizzle of hot sauce, some blue cheese crumbles, and a shower of sliced green onions will definitely improve the visual appeal. I hope that helps!
This has become a staple in our rotation. It’s so good! I always make 2 and stick one in the freezer to cook later.
Christine, great idea to double the recipe and freeze one for later. So smart!