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.
***************
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:
Best Buffalo Chicken Chili!
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!
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: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1031mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 40g
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!
If you google PLU number lookup you will see the IFPS site. IFPS is the International Federation for Produce Standards. On this site you can look up the 4 digit code on the produce label and see that this is a Guava.
This was way too spicy for me. I think it also had to do with the roasted tomatoes that were added, but definitely cut back on hot sauce down to the tablespoon and work your way up. I’m disappointed to have wasted these ingredients bc it’s hard to eat.. I halved it into a separate container and started to re-add beans, tomatoes, sauce, etc and it’s still tough to get through
I am so sorry it was too spicy for you.
Hi Biz! If I want to make this in the crockpot, would you recommend this? Do you know how much time to put it in for? Thank you!
Hey Jess! I would cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 4.
This looks SO good! Any suggestions for bean substitution? I can still use the sauce from the beans but two family members refuse to eat beans. If I leave the beans out, your thoughts on adding more chicken? Thank you in advance!
Hi Rebecca! So sorry I just saw this – your comment was in a spam folder. Yes, just add 1/2 pound more chicken in place of the beans.
I wld like to double the recipe, so do you recommend doubling every ingredient on the list even the garlic? What is the 2x amount layout look like?
Yep! Perfect to double each ingredient.
Absolutely loved this chilli! So easy to put together and delicious. Thank you Bizz ❤️
Thank you! So happy you like it!
I made this today for the first time for a work pot luck. It was delicious! Everyone loved it and no one even knew it was chicken or had veggies in it. And it’s only 2 WW points on the current plan! I will be making this again!
Amazing! So happy you enjoyed it – and yes, super low WW points!
I wld like to double the recipe, so do you recommend doubling every ingredient on the list even the garlic??
Yep! I would just double each ingredient.
Excellent chili recipe! I made it using ground beef, which also turns out delicious! Thanks for sharing Biz!
Yeah! Thanks for taking the time to let me know Lisa. Hugs! Biz
QUESTION – do you have the macros available for this recipe? I don’t even like chili and I am OBSESSED, just trying to meet my protein goal! Thank you!
Hey Megan! Sorry the calorie count wasn’t on the recipe card! I’ve updated it now. But 1.5 cups is 315 calories, 8 fat, 23 carbs, 7 fiber and 40 grams of protein – hope that helps!
this is delicious! love the subtle heat and flavors! might be our new go to! how big is a serving size?
Hi Angie! 1.5 cups is a serving. Glad you liked it!
This chili recipe will be my go to chili recipe from now on…it’s a flavor bomb!!! So delicious! It’s very easy to make. I love all the fresh veggies in the sauce, the ground chicken breast and the addition of the Frank’s hot sauce. In my opinion the recipe has the perfect amount of heat and seasoning. Thank you for the great recipe!
Thank you so much Tami for letting me know!
Easy chili to put together. Surprised there was no broth included in the recipe and I think it could use some because after 45 min on the stove, it was thick & gloppy. My husband liked this chili but even cutting the spices WAY back (1/8 cup Franks & 2 teaspoons of chili pepper) it was just too spicy for me and had very little depth of flavor. Glad so many have liked this but my hunt for the best chili continues.
Okay – thanks for letting me know! Hope you are successful in your search. ❤️
I don’t think you can comment on a lack of depth of flavor when you omitted over 4tbsp of seasoning…
I made this tonight – so delicious! I used the ground chicken option and was pleasantly surprised at the flavor. I added Fage 0% greek yogurt on top in place of sour cream.
So happy you liked it!
Made this over here in frosty England in January, I was a bit worried I would have to substitute franks hot sauce but I found it here in my local supermarket. It’s a hit with a fussy teenager and husband. Thank you
That’s awesome Sara! Thanks for letting me know!
One of your tips says you can reduce the amount of buffalo sauce for the chili but I don’t even see buffalo sauce on the original recipe, am I missing something ?
Hi! Frank’s original redhot sauce that I used in this recipe is buffalo sauce, but they have many different flavors that weren’t available when I originally wrote the recipe in 2010. Hope that makes sense?
I made your Buffalo Chicken Chili tonight!! It came out so good!!! I made it with the 3lbs of raw tomatoes instead of canned and added one extra can of rinsed red beans…bc I love beans lol and it came out great! Super hardy but light not greasy at all 😋 Delicious! Thx Biz
Yeah! That sounds delish with fresh tomatoes! I’ll have to try that next time.
Delish! Made this tonight. But omitted the cumin because I am not a fan of it. The amount of cumin jn the chili spice blend was perfect for me. Thanks so much for the recipe. It was sooooo good!
Yeah! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🥰
Biz, I made your Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe and it is Delicious!! It’s comforting, hearty, and filling. It was super easy and quick to make using the food processor. Perfect for the cold temperatures we’ve been having! Thank you for sharing another fabulous recipe!!
So glad you liked it Amanda! Keep warm!
This was AMAZING! Thank you!
Yeah! So happy!
This was delicious!! And, so awesome that it has veggies hidden in it! I loved your tip for ground chicken. Will be making this often! 🙂
Yeah! So happy you loved it Julie!
Made it! Absolutely delish! I substituted canned sliced carrots and roasted red peppers from a jar.
2 tbsp chili powder and 1/4 c Frank’s. I could just drink it!! Thank you again Biz for another wonderful cooking creation.
That’s awesome Mindy! Thanks for letting me know. 😁 ❤️
This chili was delicious. So flavorful and just the right amount of spicy-ness! Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Tanya! So glad you liked it!
This was delicious! I added red skin potatoes, quartered. For more ideas, check out my blog http://www.BetterOffHealthy.com!
This chili was awesome!
Great – glad you liked it!!
I’ve made this chili twice now and it’s been a winner both times in my office chili cookoff. Thanks!
Woot! Jenn told me – so exciting! 😀
And just a little side note the label on your fruit says “guayaba” pronounced “gai yah bah” (Spanish for guava)
This looks delicious! How many servings does it make?
Easily 10 – 12 cups: Nutrition Per Cup: 239 calories, 3.4 fat, 29 carbs, 7.5 fiber and 23.5 protein.
It’s so good! I am having it for dinner tonight too! 😀
oh. my. gosh.
That chili is GENIUS! bookmarked!
Oh my goodness!!!! I made your Buffalo Chicken Chili this weekend (in the crockpot) and it is AMAZING. I used pre-ground chicken (1.2 pound pkg.), I added a few extra carrots and extra celery and even threw in a small zucchini. I added about a 1/2 a cup of water since I did not buy quite enough tomato sauce (I used two 8 oz. cans instead of the larger cans you had listed… duh!). I loved how easy this was to throw together because I chopped up all the veggies in the food processor as suggested. We also added a bit of granulated sugar to cut some of the acidity. My husband normally looks at my healthy recipes with chicken and veggies and says, “Glad that is for YOU and not for ME! I won’t be eating THAT!”, but I tell you… he’s been gobbling up this chili. If he would have know all those veggies were in there, he would have never tried it. The leftovers are fantastic too. Thanks for this great recipe. I look forward to trying more recipes on your blog!
That’s great! So glad you liked it! My husband is the same way – I once tried to hide veggies in his meatloaf – um, let’s just say it didn’t go over very well! 😀
I made your Buffalo Chicken Chili the other night! I loved it, shared it with a neighbor and she raved about it, too! Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you! 😀
Oh my god, this DOES look good! A second bowl is totally justified! 🙂
Chili looks delicious! Love how you prepped the chicken, great idea. Thanks for sharing. Great idea for breakfast too with the apple and cheese.
I made your buffalo chili tonight and it was good!! I didn’t buy enough chicken, so I just halved the recipe. we both ate two bowls. thank you for the recipe!
Glad it turned out for you!! 😀
Your buffalo chicken chili sounds outstanding, can’t wait to try this – my hubby will be sure to love it!
Oh that chili!!!!!!!!!
Yay for all the compliments – your chili does sound amazing!
Super Bowl party at Biz’s house…on my way!!!!!
I love chili! I’ve made it with leaving out the ground beef but honestly, never thought to add ground chicken instead. I’m going to make a big pot this week and have it for lunch all week. Although chili is perfect chilly weather food, I can eat it all year ’round.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thank you for this recipe! My husband says thank you, too!
Hi Biz!
There’s a website where you can look up produce based on its PLU number:
http://supermarketpage.com/prucodes.php
According to this site, it’s a guava.
That chili looks *good*!!!
And thanks for the birthday greeting! Sure do appreciate it!
I have no reason to question any food advice you give, so I will have to make a point to try the apple and cheese. I still cannot imagine it being good, but I am moving forward in faith. 🙂
I’m really curious as to how this apple & cheese melted goodness tastes. I’ve only had the two together in a salad. I’m not a big fan of apples, you think pears might do?
Absolutely! It’s the combo of sweet and savory that works great together!
Where can I find this apple cheese sourdough recipe?
Hi! Not sure which recipe you are looking for – your comment is in my buffalo chicken chili post 😀
I think a chili party is a great idea for a work pot-luck. That cumin butter sounds to die for.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks Biz!
Oooo….I’m loving the Buffalo Chicken Chili! Must try this out on my family soon! 🙂
Wow – that chili really does look amazing! And cheese and apples? I love both, so I’m game. 🙂
Love the chili!! And great job on the Grill Tony!
The chili looks so delicious. Great idea – perfect for a winter day.
Yum, another Crocker recipe to try that may not fail me! Sounds great!
That chili sounds so perfect for this cold weather!! Yummy!!
I love how Tony brings you fun little foodies surprises. Andrew does that too and it always makes me wanna give him a big smackaroo b/c I think “You really do GET me!!” 🙂
Yum, that looks delicious!
There’s a website on the little sticker, but I can’t make it out. I think Spiceaholic might be right — google “green apple guava” and it looks very similar to yours!
Here’s an interesting site! I like the idea about adding it to salsa! http://www.ehow.com/how_2197190_eat-guava.html
Thanks Christina!!
That chili looks so good, right up my alley!
Is that a guava? If so, then you can eat the seeds.
that chili looks downright amazing!!! have a great weekend biz!
The fruit is a Guayaba. It is a Y, not a T. Yes, you can eat the entire thing, seeds and all. I grew up in South America and we had a tree in our front yard that my brother and I would climb and gorge ourselves on the fruit. They are tastiest when they are a light green/yellow, not bright yellow. 🙂