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Chili topped with white beans and green onion in black bowl.
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4.54 from 13 votes

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Chili

This Healthy Buffalo Chicken Chili (with creamy white beans!) is easy and healthy - and a fun twist on traditional chili. It's comfort food that's quick enough for a weeknight dinner, and it's freezer-friendly too!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 180kcal
Author: Myra

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil (or whatever oil you like to use)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 cups chicken broth (I really love Better Than Bouillon)
  • 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 cans white kidney beans (cannellini beans) (or you can use navy beans)
  • 1/2 cup ranch dressing*
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce (extra)

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Chop onion and add it to the pot.  Saute for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
  • While onion is cooking, chop celery and mince garlic.  Add to onion and cook for a few more minutes.  Add chili powder.
  • Slowly start to add chicken broth (a few tablespoons at a time) and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.  Once you've scraped off all the browned bits, add the rest of the broth, the salt, the 1/2 cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and nestle the chicken breasts into the liquid.  Cover, increase heat and bring to a boil.  When it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes the chicken should be cooked (confirm with a meat thermometer - it should read 165 degrees F in the thickest part).  Put chicken on a large plate and use two forks to shred it.  Return to pot.
  • Drain and rinse one can of beans and add to the pot.  Drain and rinse the other can of beans and spread them out on the plate you just shredded the chicken on.  Use a fork to mash the beans into a paste.  Add to pot.
  • Add ranch dressing and final tablespoon of Frank's.
  • Serve hot, with a generous squeeze of lime juice in each bowl.  You can also top with traditional chili toppings if you want to (cilantro, green onions, tortilla chips, cheese, etc).
  • Enjoy! :)

Notes

*Try our homemade ranch dressing mix to make your ranch if you want an option that's a bit healthier.

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1882mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 20.5mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg