When I hear buffalo chicken, I immediately think of buffalo wings and Frank’s Red Hot sauce. Then celery and carrots come to mind. So, imagine all of that cooked in a slow cooker and making the yummiest Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Chili. I think, we all have to thank Rachel Ray for inventing this crockpot chicken chili. It’s all over the net. But I made my own version – clean and simple. As I always do, when trying to recreate the recipe. I just look at the ingredients list but never the amounts or directions. I just get an idea and make my own.
If you love all things Buffalo, try my Buffalo chicken tacos; and for other slow cooker healthy chili recipes I can’t recommend enough crockpot chicken chili con queso style served over brown rice or quinoa, and easy quinoa chili for a vegan option.
MY LATEST RECIPESHow to Turn Buffalo Chicken Chili Into a Freezer Meal
Follow the recipe up to final cooking step and freeze uncooked. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 9 hours or on High for 5 hours.
Please note since it’s a large meal freeze in 2 containers to fit frozen in your cooking vessel.
Check out my full list of healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!
PrintBuffalo Chicken Chili
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe made in slow cooker or Instant Pot with chicken breast, Frank’s Red Hot sauce and blue cheese. Taste the wings without the fat. Also you can make it into a freezer meal.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 38 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 medium onions (2 cups), chopped
- 3-4 large carrots (3 cups), chopped
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 2 x 15 oz cans any low sodium beans, drained & rinsed
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes, low sodium
- 1/4 cup original Frank’s red hot sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
- Cooking spray (I use Misto)
Instructions
- Slow Cooker: Preheat large skillet on medium and spray with cooking spray. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery and saute for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large slow cooker along with beans, diced tomatoes, Frank’s red hot sauce, maple syrup, cumin, salt and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.
- Add chicken breasts and push on them to sink in. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
- Instant Pot: In Instant Pot, add ingredients in the following order: garlic, onion, carrots, celery, beans, Frank’s red hot sauce, maple syrup, cumin, salt, smoked paprika, chicken and diced tomatoes. Do not stir!
- Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cooking on High for 30 minutes. After do Quick Release by turning pressure valve to Venting position until float valve drops down. Now it’s safe to open the lid.
- Remove chicken breasts, shred with 2 forks and return to the slow cooker/Instant Pot.
- Serve hot, garnished with crumbled low fat feta or blue cheese and chopped cilantro/green onion.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer Meal: Follow the recipe up to final cooking step and freeze uncooked. Please note since it’s a large meal freeze in 2 containers to fit frozen in your cooking vessel. If using slow cooker, thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook on Low for 9 hours or on High for 5 hours. In Instant Pot, same cooking time from frozen (do not thaw).
Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Nice! Wings without the wings’ guilt. This was delicious!
★★★★★
It’s cold, gray and raining here. I’ve been going through your all your recipies and this one felt like the perfect meal for a cold day. You never disappoint!
Oh, enjoy and thank you! Do you have an Instant Pot lol? It’s the same depressing here, pouring like cats and dogs in Vancouver for weeks now. This is the time when a good book, comfort food, board games and TV are your best friends.
Would black beans work??
Sure.
Last night, we made the tex-mex sweet potato skillet. This is in the crockpot right now. Can’t wait to try it. You are the only healthy cooking blog that has recipes my boyfriend will actually eat – thank you 🙂
Haha, he must be Ukrainian then.:)
Hello, is it necessary to sauté the veggies before adding them to the crock pot? Will they not be cooked or soft if I throw them in with the other ingredients?
Sautéing the vegetables adds more flavour to the dish. Some people like a shortcut and some don’t mind a bit of extra work for a bit more flavour. Up to you.:)
I really enjoyed this recipe! Made it without beans, used Frank’s Buffalo Sauce and added mushrooms and green peppers…nobody here likes beans in their chili! Not spicy at all and a nice change drom regular chili. I will try it with ground beef or ground turkey next!
Thank you for a great recipe!
You are welcome, Smitty! No one likes beans?! OMG, I feel for ya…You can add cooked beans to your bowl. 😉
Hi Olena – between the two of us we couldn’t eat all of this in one go so we froze what we couldn’t eat! We actually made the filling into quesedilla’s & they were delicious all over again! We used greek yogurt instead of sour cream, added some tomatoes, chives & a sprinkle of low fax tex mex shredded cheese! Yum!
Glad you liked it. I always cook for 4 plus leftovers. Tx goodness for a freezer. Lol
Olena – This was amazing!! Thank you! This is the second recipe of yours I’ve made (Cabbage Roll Casserole was the first) and they are very easy to follow & always turn out great! Thank you again! My boyfriend & I both loved the chili!
That’s awesome, Shannon! Surprisingly even kids like this chili. I thought buffalo sauce would be a problem but not. Always love to hear your feedback.:)
Okay, I have a question for you. I am at work now and I have all the ingredients ready to go at home. I am planning on putting them in the crock pot at lunch. The only thing is my chicken is already cut up instead of the whole chicken breasts. Do you think I should still cook on high for 4 hours? I’m worried the chicken will overcook that way.
I personally don’t think chicken will be overcooked after 4 hours even cut up. What you could do is dice carrots smaller and cook for 3 hours. After 3 hours bigger chunks of carrots won’t be cooked for sure.
It turned out so good! My 6 year old even asked for seconds, and she rarely does that. Thank you for this recipe, Olena.
Yay! So welcome. You know, my 7 year old asked for seconds too. I really was surprised thinking it would be too spicy or cayenne pepper-y for him. Nope.
Awesome. In the crockpot now! Looking fwd to dinner!
No liquid is needed??
No. A can of diced tomatoes is enough. Just dump it all.
Piping hot bowl of chili??? YES, please!!!!!
Olena, this looks really good. I need to try this and I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Thank you and please do.:)
Haha…it must be the weather or something that’s causing us to crave and make chili 🙂
Definitely the weather and the fact how easy it is.:)