Description
This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili is a flavorful and hearty dish combining tender shredded chicken, white beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a spicy buffalo sauce base. Cream cheese adds a creamy texture, while fresh cilantro enhances the taste. Perfect for a comforting meal, it offers easy preparation in a slow cooker with options for Instant Pot and stovetop methods.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup buffalo or hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 8 ounces cream cheese or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Toppings (Optional)
- Blue cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Baked tortilla chips
- Green onions
- Cornbread
- Additional cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Add chicken breasts, white beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken stock or broth, buffalo sauce, dried chives, garlic powder, dried dill, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt, and chili powder into the slow cooker. Stir to combine evenly.
- Cook the Chili: Close the slow cooker lid and cook on low for 8 hours to allow flavors to meld and chicken to become tender.
- Shred the Chicken: Carefully remove the cooked chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place them on a clean cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken into small pieces, then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir well.
- Add Cream Cheese and Cilantro: Mix in the cream cheese and chopped cilantro until the cream cheese melts completely and incorporates smoothly into the chili.
- Serve: Serve the chili hot, optionally topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, or other preferred chili toppings.
Notes
- You can substitute 2 lbs ground chicken browned in a skillet for the chicken breasts for a different texture.
- White beans such as Great Northern, cannellini, or navy beans work well in this recipe.
- Suggested toppings include blue cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, baked tortilla chips, green onions, cornbread, or extra cilantro.
- For Instant Pot: Add all ingredients and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes; quick release steam, shred chicken, return to pot, then sauté with cream cheese and cilantro until melted.
- For stovetop: Combine ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven, bring to boil, simmer on low for 20 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F, shred chicken, then add cream cheese and cilantro.
- Dairy-free alternative: Use dairy-free cream cheese like Kite Hill or canned coconut cream and top with dairy-free toppings such as green onions and tortilla chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
