Buffalo Chicken and White Bean Chili

An easy and tasty chicken chili with all of the flavours of spicy buffalo chicken!

Buffalo wings (link) are one of my favourite foods and this recipe takes all of their flavours and uses them in a tasty chicken and bean chili! The wings are coated in a spicy buffalo sauce and they are often served with carrot and celery sticks along with a ranch dressing (link) or blue cheese dressing (link) for dipping and this dish has them all! Everything starts out with bacon, followed by cooking onions, carrots, and celery before starting the seasoning with garlic, smoked paprika and cumin. Chicken broth (link) is the base of the chili along with diced tomatoes, white beans, buffalo hot sauce, and ranch seasoning (link). The chicken is poached/simmered in the same pot until done before removing it, shredding it and returning it to the pot. When the chicken is cooked cream cheese and cheddar cheese is melted into the broth before serving garnished with your favourite toppings!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes Servings: 6

An easy and tasty chicken chili with all of the flavours of spicy buffalo chicken!

ingredients

4 ounces bacon, sliced (optional)
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon (smoked) paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth (link)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Franks) (or to taste) *
1 1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning (link) **
4 ounces cream cheese (warmed)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

directions

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, before setting aside, reserving the bacon grease in the pan.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, paprika, and cumin, mix and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, chicken, hot sauce, ranch seasoning, and bacon, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.
Turn off the heat, remove the chicken and shred, before returning to the soup.
Add the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, mix and let them melt into the broth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix in the cilantro and green onions and enjoy!

Slow cooker: Optionally implement steps 1-3, place everything up util, and including, the ranch seasoning, into the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 1-3 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours, before shredding the chicken, adding the remaining ingredients, mixing until the cheese has melted, and enjoying!
Note: * All of the spicy heat in this recipe comes from the hot sauce. Hot sauces have different levels of heat, use an amount of your favourite hot sauce to get the chili to the desired level of spicy heat!
Note: ** Use store bought or homemade ranch seasoning! (1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon dried chives, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
Option: Omit the bacon and cook the veggies in 1 tablespoon oil instead of bacon grease.
Option: Brown the chicken in the bacon grease, on both sides to add more flavour! (Also simmer it as directed later in the recipe.)
Option: Use already cooked chicken, such as leftover rotisserie chicken and cut the simmer time down to 10 minutes!
Option: Add 1 cup red bell pepper, diced, along with the onions, carrots and celery!
Option: Deglaze the pan, by adding 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the pan after step 3, and scraping up any brown bits off of the bottom of the pan as it sizzles, before continuing on with step 4.
Option: Puree 1 can of the beans for a more creamy broth!
Option: Add 2 pounds potatoes, peeled, and diced, along with the chicken; they will be tender by the time that the chicken is done!
Option: Skim off any fat/scum as the chicken simmers if desired!
Option: Replace the cream cheese with 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream, or sour cream, or greek yogurt, or pureed cottage cheese, or ranch dressing (link), or blue cheese dressing (link).
Option: Add 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled, along with the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, letting it melt into the broth.
Option: Add 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen), at the end.
Option: Serve topped with 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled.
Option: Serve topped with a drizzle of hot sauce!
Option: Serve topped with a drizzle of ranch dressing (link), or blue cheese dressing (link).
Option: Serve topped with your favourite chili toppings such are tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled feta, etc.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 476, Fat 24g (Saturated 10g, Trans 0.2g), Cholesterol 110mg, Sodium 1614mg, Carbs 48g (Fiber 10g, Sugars 8g), Protein 41g

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Buffalo Chicken and White Bean Chili

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