Easy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili (Award Winning!)
This easy Buffalo chicken chili is spicy, hearty, creamy and has helped my readers win chili cook-off awards! Wildly simple to make, it's protein-packed, made without cream, and can be made on the stovetop or in the slow cooker without pre-browning.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven optional
- Slow Cooker optional
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
Optional Topping Suggestions
- Hot sauce, sour cream, blue cheese crumbles, sliced green onions
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. Note: blending for just a few seconds will add a creaminess to the chili, while leaving the texture of most of the beans.
- 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 2-3.
Notes
See blog post, above, for adjusting spice level, substitution suggestions, storage, and more.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 (of 6) | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 535mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 389IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
