Cozy Bowl of Buffalo Chicken
This buffalo chicken white chili with ranch Cheez-it’s is a soup recipe I’ve been dreaming of for years. It’s a cozy bowl of buffalo-spiced chicken with white beans topped with ranch seasoned cheese crackers. This recipe is perfect for a cold winter night, for serving up on Game Day, or for any delicious weeknight dinner. Anyone who loves buffalo chicken is sure to love this recipe and go back for seconds.
The Supplies
Ingredients
To make this buffalo chicken white chili with ranch Cheez-its, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeno
- Garlic cloves
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Chicken thighs
- Kosher Salt
- Chicken broth or water
- Frank’s Hot Sauce
- Salsa verde
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
- Canned white beans, drained and rinsed well
- Ranch dressing, store bought or homemade
- Chives
- Cheez-it crackers
- Unsalted butter
- Ranch seasoning packet
- Dried dill
For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Equipment
In order to make this buffalo chicken white chili, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:
- Cutting board. These are my favorite cutting boards and they last forever.
- Sharp knife. My favorite knife for chopping onions is a hollow edged knife, like this one.
- Measuring spoons. My go-to set of measuring spoons.
- Measuring cups. I adore this set from Magnolia!
- Large dutch oven or stock pot. Nothing compares to the Le Creuset dutch oven when making chili.
- Mixing bowl. For making the ranch Cheez-it’s.
- Large baking sheet. This is my go-to baking sheet for everything.
- Tongs. To easily remove the chicken thighs from the chili.
- Sieve. For easily draining the beans.
Frequent Recipe Questions
Can I make this recipe in advance?
- A: Absolutely! Prepare the chili and then cool it down before storing it in the refrigerator. For the Cheez-its, bake them and store them at room temperature.
Is this buffalo chicken chili spicy?
- A: It is a bit spicy! To make this recipe for people who are sensitive to spice, you can make the following changes: remove the cayenne pepper, reduce the salsa verde to ¼ cup, reduce the buffalo sauce to ⅔ cup, and add an additional ½-1 cup water.
Recipe Details
Start the Chicken Chili
To get this buffalo chicken chili started, you’ll first get out your equipment and ingredients. Turn the oven on, get out a dutch oven, a large baking sheet, and prep all of your ingredients. Having everything out and ready will help you move more efficiently in the kitchen.
To start the chicken chili, you’ll first sweat the soup base of onions, jalapeno, garlic, and some spices. This will give your chicken chili a nice, spicy base. Next, add the chicken thighs to the pot and generously season them with salt.
The last step to build out the base of the chili is to pour in the liquids. To the pot, add chicken broth, hot sauce, and salsa verde. Let the soup simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the soup has developed a deep chili flavor. This can take as few as 20 minutes, but feel free to let the chili simmer for an entire afternoon.
Bake the Cheezits
While the chicken chili is simmering, you’ll bake the ranch Cheez-it croutons. To make these crackers, add the Cheez-it’s to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle some melted butter over the Cheez-it’s and toss to coat the crackers.
Sprinkle in the ranch dressing seasoning packet and the dried dill to the bowl. Stir the crackers until they’re all coated in the butter and seasoning. Transfer them to a large baking sheet and place them in the oven. Bake the crackers for about 20 minutes, until they’re crisp. Set the crackers aside until you’re ready to eat.
Finish the Chili and Serve
To finish the buffalo chicken chili, carefully shred the chicken thighs and return them back to the chili. Add a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and a can of rinsed white beans to the pot. Continue to simmer the chili until the cheese is melted and the beans are warmed through.
Serve a big bowl of buffalo chicken white chili with a drizzle of ranch dressing, more shredded cheddar cheese, chopped chives, and the ranch Cheez-it’s. Enjoy this comfy bowl!
Love buffalo chicken? Check out these other meal recipes:
If you make this buffalo chicken white chili with ranch Cheez-it’s, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating – I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Buffalo White Chicken Chili with Ranch Cheez-its
Description
Spicy buffalo chicken white chili with ranchy cheese crackers made with pulled chicken thighs and white beans. A cozy bowl for a cold night.
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Ranch Cheez-it's
Instructions
Start the Chili
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Preheat the oven to 250°F. Set out a large baking sheet and large dutch oven or stock pot.
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Place the dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat. Drizzle in the olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to turn translucent, about 6-8 minutes.While the onion is cooking, measure the chili powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper and add them to a bowl. Set the bowl aside until you need it.
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To the dutch oven, add the minced jalapeno and garlic. Stir to combine them with the onions and cook until they become very fragrant. About 1 minute.
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Sprinkle the chili powder mixture into the pot over the onions and aromatics. Stir to coat the onion in the spices and cook for about 30 seconds until it becomes very fragrant.
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Nestle the chicken thighs into the pot among the onions. Season the chicken and onion mixture with the salt.
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Pour the chicken broth, hot sauce, and salsa verde into the dutch oven and stir to combine. Bring the broth to simmer at medium high heat and then reduce the heat to medium to maintain the simmer.
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Simmer the chili until the chicken thighs are cooked through, at least 20 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Bake the Cheezits
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While the chili simmers, add the Cheez-it’s to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over the Cheez-it’s and toss to coat.
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Sprinkle the ranch dressing seasoning packet and the dried dill over the top. Toss to coat the crackers in the seasoning and then transfer them to the baking sheet.
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Bake the crackers for 20 minutes, stirring half way through. Cool the Cheez-it’s on the pan and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
Finish the Chili and Serve
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To finish the chili, use a pair of tongs to carefully remove chicken thighs from pot. Let the thighs cool slightly so they’re easily handled. Shred the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and return to the pot.
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Add the shredded cheddar cheese and rinsed beans to the pot of chili. Stir and let the chili continue to simmer until the cheese is melted and the beans are warmed through.
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Serve the buffalo chicken chili with a drizzle of ranch dressing, more shredded cheddar cheese, chopped chives, and the ranch Cheez-it’s. Enjoy!
