Buffalo Chicken & White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed of any excess fat)
- 1/2 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce, plus more to taste and for serving *(see Note)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 1 rib celery, small diced
- 1 large carrot, small diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano, crushed with your fingers
- 1 small bunch cilantro, stems and leaves reserved separately and finely chopped
- 1 pound navy beans, picked over and rinsed
- 8 to 10 cups chicken stock or packaged low-sodium chicken broth, as needed
- One 4-ounce can diced green chiles, with juices
Optional garnishes:
- Sour Cream
- Chopped cilantro
- Shaved green onion tops
- Minced red onion
- Finely minced jalapeños or pickled jalapeños
- Grated Monterey Jack or Monterey Jack–Cheddar cheese blend
- Crumbled blue cheese
- Corn chips
- Grilled Green Onion Cornbread Sticks, for serving (optional)
Directions
Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the wing sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and half of the minced garlic. Stir to make sure that the chicken is evenly coated and set aside while you begin cooking the beans.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the onions, celery, and carrot, until softened and lightly golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, bay leaves, cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, and cilantro stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the beans, 8 cups of the chicken stock, and canned chiles. Increase the heat to high and bring to a steady boil for 10 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the chicken and return to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook until the beans and the chicken are both tender, usually 45 minutes to 1 hour longer. Stir in additional chicken stock if the chili has become too thick, along with the remaining wing sauce. Remove the chicken and shred it using 2 forks. Return the chicken to the pot; taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set the chili aside for at least 10 minutes before serving. The chicken will continue to soak up the broth. (Chili may be made up to several days in advance and flavor will improve as it sits.)
Serve the chili in bowls, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, a drizzle of extra wing sauce, and any of the optional toppings. Serve with Grilled Green Onion Cornbread Sticks if desired.
*Note: For testing purposes, we used Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce (regular)
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