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If you’re a fan of Buffalo wings, you’ve got to try this Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe. It’s inspired by one of America’s all-time favorite football foods but in a hearty chili that makes your personal favorite Buffalo sauce a star player in the big game.
I’ve long loved the vinegary spice of Buffalo sauce, and several years ago a friend and I were in her hometown of Buffalo, New York, to watch the Bills play. The game was certainly an experience! I won’t go into detail, but you can read about it. Another memory is having wings at Anchor Bar, the (much debated) “original” home of Buffalo wings. Here’s a quick read about the history of Buffalo wings and how they became synonymous with American football.
Why We Love This Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe
There’s a lot to love about this Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe. Here are some of the things that keep this recipe on regular rotation during football season.
It’s versatile.
You can use a different Buffalo sauce every time you make this recipe depending on the flavor profile you’re craving. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of Buffalo sauce of your choice. If you like a super spicy Buffalo sauce, start with 1/4 cup and taste it before adding more. We’re pretty loyal to Frank’s RedHot Buffalo sauce for this particular recipe because it has a buttery taste to it that makes it perfect for chili, but there are so many tasty options out there. Use this recipe as the foundation for creating your own delicious Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe featuring your favorite Buffalo sauce.
It’s crunchy.
It may sound strange, but having a bit of crunch to the diced celery and carrots in the chili creates an element to this recipe that I wouldn’t want in a typical chili recipe. When I eat Buffalo wings, I enjoy munching on carrots and celery with blue cheese or ranch dressing. The slight crunch in this recipe brings that element to the chili in an unexpected way. It’s all about sticking to the cook time so your veggies don’t get soft and mushy.
It’s buttery.
The unsalted butter in this recipe creates a creaminess that we adore in comfort food. The blue cheese crumbles take that dreamy creamy factor up another notch. Quick note to use unsalted butter. Wing sauce is exceptionally high in sodium, so added salt is a no-go for this recipe. Add a dash of salt at the end if you taste it and feel the recipe needs a little extra.
Give this Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe a try and let us know what you think. It’s easy to make and can be prepared several hours in advance of the big game, just keep it on warm in a slow cooker. While there’s no alternative to crispy, well-sauced Buffalo wings, we hope this one will be among your family’s favorite game day foods as it is for ours.
Looking for more game day recipes?
Check out some of our favorite recipes:
Buffalo Chicken Chili
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cubed
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup carrots diced (4 medium carrots)
- 1 cup celery diced (3 celery stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 8- ounce cans no salt added tomato sauce
- 2 14.5- ounce cans Great Northern beans drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5- ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- ½ cup Buffalo wing sauce
- 1 pound shredded or diced cooked chicken such as leftover or rotisserie chicken
- Freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Garnish with blue cheese crumbles and leftover diced celery
Instructions
- Heat a soup pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Saute the onion, celery and carrots until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the next five ingredients, through wing sauce, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and simmer for 10 minutes more. Garnish, serve and enjoy!
