Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chili
Table of contents
Intro
This Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chili is a spicy twist on my traditional white chicken chili. It is made with tender rotisserie chicken, cannellini beans, vegetables, buffalo sauce, jalapeño ranch seasoning, cream cheese, and plenty of sharp cheddar.
A simple roux gives the broth a thick and creamy consistency while still leaving it slightly brothy. The buffalo sauce and jalapeño ingredients give it plenty of heat, so this is definitely one for the spice lovers.
I topped mine with extra sharp cheddar, crispy tortilla strips, fresh jalapeños, and another drizzle of buffalo sauce. My husband added blue cheese crumbles because apparently that is how he chose to ruin an otherwise perfect bowl of chili. Just kidding—if you enjoy blue cheese with buffalo chicken, he highly recommends it.
Check out these other great recipes while you are here!
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Soup
White Chicken Chili in the Crockpot
Marry Me Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rotisserie chicken keeps the preparation quick and easy.
- A roux creates a creamy broth without making the chili overly thick.
- Cannellini beans make it hearty and give it that white chicken chili feel.
- The jalapeño ranch seasoning adds flavor throughout the entire pot.
- It is wonderfully spicy, cheesy, and filling.
Ingredients
- Butter – Used to sauté the vegetables and create the roux.
- Yellow onion – Adds flavor and a little natural sweetness.
- Carrot – Helps balance the heat from the buffalo sauce and jalapeños.
- Celery – A classic flavor to pair with buffalo chicken.
- Salt and black pepper – Used to season the vegetables as they cook.
- Adobo all-purpose seasoning – Adds savory flavor throughout the chili.
- Ground cumin – Gives the chili a warm, earthy flavor.
- Chili powder – Adds another layer of chili flavor and mild heat.
- Garlic – Six cloves give the soup plenty of garlic flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Combines with the butter to make the roux.
- Chicken broth – Forms the base of the chili.
- Heavy cream – Makes the broth rich and creamy.
- Hidden Valley Creamy Jalapeño Ranch Seasoning Mix – Adds ranch flavor with an extra jalapeño kick.
- Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce – Gives the chili its buffalo flavor and plenty of heat. Use any brand of Buffalo sauce that you like!
- Cannellini beans – Mild, creamy beans that work especially well in white chicken chili.
- Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies – Adds tomatoes, green chilies, and more flavor.
- Philadelphia Spicy Jalapeño Cream Cheese – Helps make the broth creamy while adding more jalapeño flavor. Be sure to use it at room temperature or it will get clumpy in the soup!
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Freshly grated cheese melts smoothly into the soup.
- Rotisserie chicken – A convenient shortcut that makes this chili quick enough for a weeknight dinner.
How to Make Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chili
Start by melting 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion, carrot, and celery. Season with the salt, black pepper, adobo all-purpose seasoning, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat the vegetables. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, to cook out the raw flour taste.
Slowly stir in the chicken broth, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot and work out any lumps. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk the creamy jalapeño ranch seasoning mix into the heavy cream, then stir that mixture into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth begins to thicken.
Stir in the buffalo sauce, rinsed and drained cannellini beans, and drained Ro-Tel. Reduce the heat to low and add the softened spicy jalapeño cream cheese. Stir until incorporated, then add the freshly grated sharp cheddar. Continue stirring over low heat until the cheeses are completely melted and the broth is smooth. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and stir everything together. Let it warm through, then taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Ours did not need anything else added.
Ladle the chili into bowls and top with extra sharp cheddar, crispy tortilla strips, sliced jalapeños, and another drizzle of buffalo sauce. Blue cheese crumbles are also an option—just ask my husband.
Topping Ideas
- Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- Crispy tortilla strips
- Sliced fresh jalapeños
- Extra buffalo sauce
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions
- Blue cheese crumbles, if you are into that sort of thing
Tips for the Best Buffalo Chicken Chili
Cook the flour for about three minutes before adding the broth. This removes the raw flour taste while keeping the roux light in color.
Add the chicken broth gradually while stirring so the roux blends smoothly into the liquid without forming lumps.
Mix the ranch seasoning into the heavy cream before adding it to the pot. This helps distribute the seasoning evenly throughout the chili.
Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before adding it in or it will get clumpy when mixing it in.
Turn the heat to low before adding the cream cheese and shredded cheddar. High heat can cause dairy products to separate or become grainy.
Freshly grate the cheddar from a block. Pre-shredded cheese contains a coating that can keep it from melting as smoothly.
Wait until the chili is finished before adding any additional salt. The adobo seasoning, ranch mix, chicken broth, buffalo sauce, cream cheese, cheddar, and rotisserie chicken all contain salt. Ours did not need anything else added.
Is This Buffalo Chicken Chili Spicy?
Yes, this chili has a noticeable amount of heat. It contains one cup of buffalo sauce, creamy jalapeño ranch seasoning, spicy jalapeño cream cheese, Ro-Tel, and chili powder.
We love spicy food, so the heat level was perfect for us. For a milder version, use regular cream cheese and replace part of the buffalo sauce with additional chicken broth. You could begin with ½ cup of buffalo sauce, taste the finished chili, and add more as desired.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover Buffalo Chicken Chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheat it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Our leftovers remained creamy and did not need any additional broth or cream when reheated. If yours thickens more during storage, you can stir in a small splash of chicken broth.
Because this recipe contains heavy cream, cream cheese, and shredded cheese, freezing may change its consistency. It will still be safe to freeze, but the dairy-based broth could separate slightly after thawing.
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating! I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons adobo all-purpose seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 packet 1 ounce Hidden Valley Creamy Jalapeño Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 1 cup Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
- 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 10 oz can Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
- 4 ounces Philadelphia Spicy Jalapeño Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3-4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
Optional Toppings
- Freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Crispy tortilla strips
- Sliced jalapeños
- Additional buffalo sauce
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions
- Blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Season with the salt, black pepper, adobo seasoning, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir well and cook for approximately 3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring continuously. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until the broth begins to thicken.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream and creamy jalapeño ranch seasoning mix. Pour it into the pot and stir until combined.
- Stir in the buffalo sauce, cannellini beans, and drained Ro-Tel.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the softened cream cheese and stir until it has completely melted into the broth.
- Add the freshly grated cheddar cheese. Continue stirring over low heat until the cheese is melted and the broth is smooth.
- Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and stir well. Cook just until the chicken is heated through.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve with shredded cheddar, tortilla strips, fresh jalapeños, extra buffalo sauce, or your favorite toppings.
Notes
Notes
- This is a spicy chili intended for people who enjoy some heat.
- For a milder version, use regular cream cheese and begin with ½ cup of buffalo sauce.
- Keep the heat low when adding the cream cheese and cheddar to help the dairy melt smoothly.
- The finished chili should be thick and creamy while still having a slightly brothy consistency.
- Leftovers reheat well without needing additional broth or cream.
