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This simple one-pot Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili is perfect for game day, family dinners, and any night in between. Made with a blend of herbs, buffalo sauce, poblano peppers, and shredded chicken. It’s spicy, creamy and so delicious. Top each bowl of chili with plenty of cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and avocado. Great on its own, but even better with a side of homemade soft pretzels!
Some recipes have the ability to turn out so, so, good. Better than I had pictured in my head. When this happens, I’m always overly excited to share. It’s not every day that a recipe ends up working perfectly and tasting even more delicious.
Backing up a little here. I’m sure many of you are familiar with my White Chicken Chili. It hasn’t even been a year since I made the recipe and it’s already the second most popular recipe I’ve ever shared. It’s crazy how many of you have made it and enjoyed it!
It is so fun to see!
Over the weekend, I really wanted to make chili. The white chili sounded perfect and I had everything I needed. But I also wondered how I could switch it up and reinvent everyone’s favorite fall/winter dish.
I mentioned a buffalo-style chili to my mom and immediately she responded back, “oh that is what you should make, make that!”. She’s not always that enthusiastic about food, so I took her advice.
I’m sure glad I listened because I think we like this white chili even more than the original. It’s similar, but then it’s also so different. The flavors are worlds apart, but both are so good in their own ways.
We just LOVE anything with some buffalo sauce around here and it’s certainly fun for game day!
The details
Start by cooking up the onion and vegetables until they smell fragrant. For the seasonings, I wanted to add a ranch element to the chili, so I used a mix of parsley, chives, and dill with a touch of paprika. These are the herbs and spices I use in my homemade ranch, so it really gives off that yummy flavor.
Pour in the broth and simply let the chicken simmer until it’s cooked through and shreds easily.
Once the chicken is cooked, pull it out, and shred it.
Next, stir the cream cheese into the chili and finish it up with that shredded chicken and some white beans.
Now comes the buffalo sauce. I used my homemade sauce, which I shared in the notes. But you can use store-bought sauce or even just your favorite hot sauce. I love Franks Red Hot.
So stir in the buffalo sauce, your favorite salsa verde, and then a bit of cheddar cheese.
The toppings
As with any other chili, the toppings are key. For this chili, I like to do a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, then cheddar cheese, cilantro, avocado, and green onions. If you enjoy blue cheese, which we do, that would be great as well!
Homemade soft pretzels or beer bread on the side are extra delicious if you have time.
A dinner the whole family really will enjoy!
Looking for other fall dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas:
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Lastly, if you make this Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 552 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 can white beans, drained
- 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- avocado, cheddar cheese, and Greek yogurt, for serving
Instructions
Stove
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and poblano peppers cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsley, chives, dill, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, until very fragrant. Add the chicken, then stir in 4 cups broth. Season with salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.2. Pull the chicken out and shred using 2 forks. 3. Stir in the cream cheese until smooth, slowly letting it melt into the broth. Add the shredded chicken, white beans, salsa verde, buffalo sauce, and cheddar cheese. Cook 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. If needed, thin with additional broth.4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top, as desired, with Greek yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Eat and enjoy!
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the onion, poblano peppers, garlic, parsley, chives, dill, and paprika. Add the chicken, then stir in 4 cups broth and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper.2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.3. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the white beans, salsa verde, buffalo sauce, cheddar, and cilantro.4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top, as desired, with Greek yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Buffalo Sauce: Mix 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/2 cup olive oil or melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and a 1/2 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a glass jar or measuring cup. Mix together.
This looks awesome, do you think it would be ok to use fresh chives? I can’t find dried chives for some reason. Thanks so much!
Hey Nicole,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if I can help in any other way, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Super easy to make and tastes wonderful!!! Took just about 30 minutes all together. Will definitely make again!!
Hey Abby,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Wondering which cooking method turns out better? Thanks!
Hey Kayla,
Both methods work great:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Made this recipe on top of the stove. Super easy. I didn’t change a thing! Absolutely amazing! Definitely adding this to our list of favorites.
Hey Kayla,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit!⛄️ xT
Would you need to modify anything if you made it in the instapot instead of crackpot?
Thank you!
Hi Jennie,
That should be just fine for you to do in the instant pot:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
How long in the instant pot? 🙂
Hi Mel,
I haven’t tested this, but I would try 15 minutes on high pressure! I hope this helps:) xx
Made this for friends last night with no modifications – so delicious. It was a huge hit. Will definitely make it again. The stovetop version is quick to come together too.
Hi Faith,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! 🎊🎈
Do you think this would work in the crockpot with frozen chicken breast?
Hi Amanda,
I would recommend to thaw the chicken first:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Thank you! I defrosted the breasts and made it dairy free (dairy free cream cheese and cheese). It was great! My husband loved it and told me to add this to the rotation.
Hey Amanda,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! 🎊🎈
Is there a non-dairy option I can replace the cream cheese with? Thanks!
Hey Erika,
You could skip the cream cheese or use a dairy free cream cheese option. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Omg this recipe is incredible! So flavorful and easy
Hey Ashleigh,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear this was enjoyed! xT
Second time making this recipe for a crowd and everyone LOVES it! My brother-in-law said it’s the best chili he’s ever had. Delicious!
Hey Stephanie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
Didn’t know you could improve the white chicken chili recipe, but here we are. Really liked this one!
Hey Carolyn,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
I love Buffalo chicken so I was really excited to make this recipe. I shared it with a friend at work and we both love it! I often preach the Half Baked Harvest gospel to the folks at work!
Thanks so much for making this recipe Kirsten! I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xT
This is the best soup I’ve ever had! Spicy, savory and super tasty! I’ve made it 4 times in the last month!
Hey Shannon,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
My husband is not a soup person, yet he asks for this soup! It is THE dish everyone asks me to bring to family dinner!
Hey Megan,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
Okay. This is the absolute best! I cannot even tell you how many people I have shared this recipe with. Delicious. Even my 91 year old Mom makes it, freezes it and enjoys it regularly. =). Getting ready to make a double batch for my family coming in for Christmas. Keep these amazing recipes coming. You are fun to watch and crazy talented. Happy Holidays!
Hey Nancy,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Maybe this is an odd question, but would using ground chicken instead of the breast be ok? I prefer the ground texture and saw you used it in your taco meat for the Buffalo chicken tacos but wanted to ask if you thinks that a good idea.
Thank you love your recipes so much
Hey Jillian,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx