Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe
This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili is a hearty and flavorful dish perfect for cozy evenings. Combining ground chicken with spicy buffalo sauce, creamy cheese, and a blend of savory vegetables and spices, this chili slow cooks to perfection for an easy, hands-off meal. It’s a delicious twist on traditional chili with a buffalo chicken kick, topped with sour cream, blue cheese, and fresh cilantro for added richness and freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Chicken
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 Ribs Celery, chopped
- 2 Green Onions, chopped
- 1/2 Cup Frozen Corn
- 1 (14 Ounce) Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, drained
- 1 (14 Ounce) Can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 Cup Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce
- 3 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 (8 Ounce) Block Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
Toppings
- Crumbled Blue Cheese
- Fresh Cilantro
Instructions
- Brown the Chicken: Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook the ground chicken until fully browned. This ensures the meat is cooked through before it goes into the slow cooker.
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Transfer the browned chicken into the slow cooker. Add the chopped celery, green onions, frozen corn, drained fire roasted tomatoes, drained and rinsed cannellini beans, buffalo hot wings sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Add Broth: Pour in the chicken broth over the combined ingredients in the slow cooker to provide a flavorful liquid base.
- Slow Cook the Chili: Stir everything together well. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or alternatively on high for 4 to 6 hours, allowing flavors to meld and the chili to thicken.
- Add Cream Cheese: One hour before cooking ends, add the softened cream cheese cut into cubes to the chili in the slow cooker.
- Continue Cooking: Stir the cream cheese gently into the chili, cover again, and continue cooking for the final hour to let the cheese melt completely and create a creamy texture.
- Mix and Finalize: Using a whisk, stir the chili well to fully incorporate the melted cream cheese throughout the chili, creating a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Add Sour Cream and Serve: Stir the sour cream into the hot chili just before serving. Garnish with crumbled blue cheese and fresh cilantro as desired for extra flavor and creaminess.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of buffalo sauce to make the chili more or less spicy according to your preference.
- If you prefer a thicker chili, cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes to reduce liquid further.
- Use low-fat cream cheese and sour cream to reduce fat content if desired.
- This chili also freezes well for up to 3 months—thaw and reheat gently on the stovetop.
- Serve with cornbread or over rice for a complete meal.
