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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Slow cooker buffalo chicken chili pairs traditional chili & Buffalo chicken inspired ingredients. Buffalo sauce, celery, and carrots cook with tomatoes, beans, and chili spices. This hearty & flavorful chili can also be made in the Instant Pot. 

overhead shot of Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili in a white bowl garnished with blue cheese and green onion

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Ingredients For Buffalo Chicken Chili

  • Ground Chicken
  • Buffalo Sauce
  • Chicken Broth
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Bell Pepper
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • White Beans
  • Chili Seasoning
  • Oil

collage of ingredients for buffalo chicken chili

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Chili 

Chili was made for the slow cooker! This recipe comes together easily whether you use a slow cooker or Instant Pot. 

Slow Cooker

  1. Heat oil large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground chicken, onion, and bell pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes or until the ground chicken is no longer pink. Add the garlic & cook an additional minute. Remove from the heat, and drain the grease. Add the mixture to the slow cooker.
  2. Add all the other ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
  3. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select sauté. Add the oil. Once hot, add the ground chicken, onion, bell pepper, carrots, and celery. Cook 7-10 minutes or until the ground chicken is no longer pink and veggies are soft. Drain grease if needed.
  2. Turn off the pressure cooker. Add the broth and & deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon.
  3. Stir in all the remaining ingredients.
  4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. When done cooking, quick release pressure. Stir & serve.
overhead shot of raw buffalo chicken chili in a black slow cooker

before

Buffalo Chicken Flavors

This Buffalo chicken chili is inspired by the flavors of buffalo chicken wings. Buffalo chicken wings are wings that are fried then coated in buffalo sauce (a sauce consisting of hot sauce & melted butter), and served with a side of carrots and celery. I took the flavors of buffalo chicken wings, paired them with traditional chili flavors and voilà – here you have buffalo chicken chili. 

overhead side shot of cooked buffalo chicken chili in a black slow cooker

after

What Type Of White Beans To Use

This Buffalo chicken chili recipe uses canned white beans. The specific type of white beans to use it up to you. I used great northern beans. Navy beans & cannellini beans work well with this chili recipe too. Before adding your canned beans to the recipe, rinse and drain them first. 

overhead shot of cooked buffalo chicken chili in a black slow cooker

after

Homemade Chili Seasoning

You know I’m all about homemade seasonings. This recipe uses my go-to homemade chili seasoning blend. I pretty much use it or a version of it in all of my chili recipes. It includes the usual chili ingredients: chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika. There’s a small kick in the seasonings. Paired with the Buffalo sauce, this chili is on the spicy side! 

close up side view shot of Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Serving & Storing Chili

My preferred toppings for for buffalo chicken chili are blue cheese, green onions. That is what’s in the pics. Other  suggestions include sour cream and chopped herbs. Let the chili cool before packing it away. Store the leftover chili in the frig for up to 4 days or the freezer for 4months.

FAQs & Tips

  • Use a homemade Buffalo sauce (with ghee in place of butter) & omit the white beans to make this chili Whole30 compatible. 
  • I used a  6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

Buffalo Chicken Chili in a white bowl garnished with blue cheese and green onion

Chili Recipes 

Pumpkin Chili

Indian Spiced Chili

Chunky Beef Chili

Turkey Chili

Old Fashioned Chili

Print
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overhead shot of Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili in a white bowl garnished with blue cheese and green onion

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

Slow cooker buffalo chicken chili pairs traditional chili & Buffalo chicken inspired ingredients. Buffalo sauce, celery, and carrots cook with tomatoes, beans, and chili spices. This hearty & flavorful chili can also be made in the Instant Pot.

  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 3/4 cup Buffalo sauce
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 2 15ounce cans large white beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 medium-size carrots, peeled & diced or sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  1. Heat oil large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground chicken, onion, and bell pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes or until the ground chicken is no longer pink. Add the garlic & cook an additional minute. Remove from the heat, and drain the grease. Add the mixture to the slow cooker.
  2. Add all the other ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
  3. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select sauté. Add the oil. Once hot, add the ground chicken, onion, bell pepper, carrots, and celery. Cook 7-10 minutes or until the ground chicken is no longer pink and veggies are soft. Drain grease if needed.
  2. Turn off the pressure cooker. Add the broth and & deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon.
  3. Stir in all the remaining ingredients.
  4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. When done cooking, quick release pressure. Stir & serve.
  • Author: Shannon Epstein
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 289
  • Sugar: 7.3 g
  • Fat: 5.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.4 g
  • Fiber: 4.7 g
  • Protein: 38.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 83.1 mg

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Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Easy Crockpot Dinner Recipes with Ground Chicken

Monday 27th of February 2023

[…] Buffalo Chicken Chili | Fit Slow Cooker Queen […]

Lorenzo

Tuesday 27th of September 2022

This looks incredible! Creative, healthy & tasty! Thank you

Heather

Thursday 8th of August 2019

Buffalo is Bomb! I can't wait to try this recipe.

Helen Costello

Friday 3rd of March 2017

This looks like an incredible slow cooker dish - I love that it has so few ingredients. I wish buffalo sauce was easier to come across in the uK.

Cait Weingartner

Wednesday 22nd of February 2017

There is nothing better after a long day at work, than coming home to a fully cooked dinner! I'm always looking to expand my slow cooker options, and this recipe looks amazing! Thanks for sharing, I can't wait to give it a try!