Skip to main content

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Serves 6, or 4 with some leftovers

This was the #1 downloaded recipe from the first 180 episodes of season one of Rachael Ray, Rachael’s syndicated daytime show. It really is too-good-to-be-good-for-you!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 ribs celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
  • 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce
  • 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces)
  • 1 can stewed, fire-roasted or crushed tomatoes (15 ounces)
  • 1 sack whole grain tortilla chips, lightly crushed
  • 3/4 pound Maytag Blue cheese, crumbled
  • A handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

  1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the ground chicken and break it up, lightly browning it for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, paprika and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7-8 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

  3. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and the stewed, fire-roasted or crushed tomatoes to the chili and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes more to let the flavors come together.

  4. While the chili is simmering, pre-heat the broiler.

  5. Spread the chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

  6. Top each serving of Buffalo Chicken Chili with a few blue cheese chips.