Best Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe

This is the best buffalo chicken chili recipe you’ll ever need.  And Weight Watchers friendly too!

The fall after I originally posted this recipe, I started getting emails from people who said they made this chili and it won their office chili cook-off, block party cook-off – as the months and years went by, I was thrilled that this recipe helped win so many contests!

Well, at the suggestion of my friend Heather, I entered this recipe and it won $5,000 – I won $5,000 and I got to give $5,000 to charity.

You can read about  my winning here.  Basically it was named the best slow cooker recipe in America! (ha!)

I’ve made this chili dozens of times since then.  I hope you give it a try!  Let me know if you do. 

I’ve left the bottom part of this post as it originally posted.  Sadly, my husband passed away in 2014 – I miss him!

How do you make the best buffalo chicken chili?

If you have a food processor, I suggest grinding your own chicken breasts.  Simply cut into chunks and pulse until it’s coarse like ground chicken.  It’s a fraction of the cost of buying store bought ground chicken, and it’s really hard to find ground chicken breast meat where I live.

Is buffalo chicken chili spicy?

I like to call this chili “company” chili because it has a kick to it.  My daughter Hannah doesn’t like spicy food and she can eat this.  But start with 1/2 the chili powder and 1/2 the buffalo sauce and add more to taste.

How many calories are in buffalo chicken chili?

My Weight Watchers friendly chili comes in at 278 calories, 9 fat, 18 carbs, 6 fiber and 31 grams of protein per 1.5 cups.  This makes a lot!

Can you use fresh tomatoes in buffalo chicken chili?

Yep!  I used three pounds of heirloom tomatoes for all the tomatoes in this recipe – simply puree the fresh tomatoes with the carrots, celery, garlic and red peppers.

UPDATE:  As of December 2024, when the WW plan changed, 90/10 lean ground beef is now zero points.  So if you don’t like ground chicken, substitute two pounds of lean beef and it will still be 1 WW point per 1.5 cups.

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This Buffalo Chicken Chili!!  Tony says that I have to stop patting myself on the back on this one, but EVERYONE said that my chili was the best chili they ever ate!  The best part is that this is only ONE Weight Watchers POINT per serving.  I made this recipe serve 12 people – or about 1.5 cups per serving.  For each additional 1.5 cups, it’s one more point.  

But first I had another repeat breakfast – my sourdough/apple/cheese melt with Chobani and granola.  Steve, you have to try the cheese/apple combo – you won’t look back!

I suggested a chili party at my office since its Superbowl weekend.  Everyone was on the bandwagon!   One co-worker brought in corn muffins with jalapeno cumin butter! It was so good!  Another person brought in bread, blue cheese and cheddar cheese, and someone else brought in sour cream.

Of course, Tabasco was on the table!

I decided to make three batches of chili and it was almost all gone!  I brought home about 2 cups!  Two batches filled the crockpot up to the top:

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Best Buffalo Chicken Chili!

Yield: 12 servings

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Hands down the best buffalo chicken chili you'll ever make.  I first posted this in February of 2010 and since then dozens and dozens of people have won chili contests with it - including me!  

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 large red pepper
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 5 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) black beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz) chili beans in sauce (do not drain)
• salt and pepper to taste
•  

Instructions

Put chicken breasts in food processor to grind up – if you can find ground chicken breast, you can use that too.  Heat oil and add ground chicken and cook about 10 minutes on medium heat until no longer pink.  Rinse out processor and add carrots, celery, garlic and red pepper and puree.  Add to chicken mixture and cook about 5 minutes until veggies start to soften.

Next add the rest of the ingredients, put stove on simmer and cook for 1 hour.

Notes

On my WW plan, each 1.5 cup is 2 WW points.  Click this link to see what the points would be on your WW plan.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1031mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 40g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

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Buffalo Chicken Chili in the Instant Pot

Yield: 12 - 1 cup servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This is my OG buffalo chicken chili recipe, except with instructions to make this in an Instant Pot.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 large red pepper
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 5 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) black beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz) chili beans in sauce (do not drain)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare Ingredients: Gather all the ingredients listed in the original recipe and prepare as instructed (e.g., chop vegetables, measure seasonings, etc.).

Sauté (Optional): Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting. If you'd like to soften the onions, celery, and carrots, add a bit of olive oil or cooking spray to the pot and sauté for 3–5 minutes until slightly softened. Turn off the Sauté function.

Add Ingredients: Add all remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot, including the chicken breasts (if using uncooked chicken), beans, tomatoes, broth, and spices. Do not overfill; ensure the pot is no more than two-thirds full. I prefer to grind my chicken breast to make it coarse like ground beef, but feel free to leave the chicken breasts whole.

Seal the Instant Pot: Secure the lid and set the valve to the Sealing position.

Pressure Cook: Select the Manual or Pressure Cook setting and set the time to 20 minutes on High Pressure.

Natural Release: Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully perform a Quick Release by turning the valve to the Venting position to release any remaining pressure.

Shred Chicken (if applicable): Open the lid, remove the chicken breasts, and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine.

Adjust Seasoning: Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning as needed. Stir in the buffalo sauce (if you haven't already added it) and any additional hot sauce for extra spice.

Serve: Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings, such as blue cheese crumbles, diced green onions, or a drizzle of ranch dressing.

Notes

As of the date of this publication, each 1.5 cups serving is 1 Weight Watchers point.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

 If you are on the WW program, click here to add this recipe to your WW Tracker.

Good points:  low in saturated fat, high in fiber,  niacin, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin C!

This recipe is a keeper!