Description
Hearty buffalo chicken chili delivers spicy comfort with tender meat and zesty hot sauce. Midwest home cooks savor this quick, protein-packed meal you’ll crave during cold winter evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground chicken
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 (15 oz) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened and cubed
- ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce
- ½ cup bleu cheese crumbles
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Sautéing Protein: In a large saucepan heated to medium temperature (375°F/190°C), crumble ground chicken into uniform pieces, cooking thoroughly until no pink remains.
- Liquid and Base Integration: Pour chicken stock into the pan, blending Navy beans, corn kernels, ranch seasoning mix, and Buffalo wing sauce to create a harmonious foundation, stirring comprehensively.
- Seasoning Layering: Distribute onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper throughout the mixture, ensuring a nuanced and balanced flavor profile.
- Creamy Transformation: Incorporate cream cheese cubes, continuously stirring to melt seamlessly and develop a velvety texture that envelops the protein and vegetables.
- Final Flavor Enhancement: Fold in fire-roasted tomatoes and chopped cilantro, allowing ingredients to meld and create a robust, multidimensional taste experience.
- Finishing and Serving: Simmer the chili for 10-12 minutes, stirring intermittently, then ladle into serving bowls and crown with additional cilantro and crumbled Bleu cheese for textural contrast and elevated flavor complexity.
Notes
- Crumble Chicken Carefully: Break ground chicken into small, uniform pieces to ensure even cooking and prevent large, tough chunks.
- Balance Spice Levels: Adjust Buffalo wing sauce quantity based on personal heat tolerance, starting with less and adding gradually.
- Cream Cheese Melting Technique: Cut cream cheese into small cubes and stir continuously to help it melt smoothly without creating lumps.
- Simmer for Flavor Depth: Allow chili to simmer gently, which helps ingredients meld together and develops a richer, more complex taste profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg