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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili

    Published: Apr 12, 2019 · Modified: Aug 6, 2021 by Jennifer · This post may contain affiliate links

    Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili

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    By popular request, my award winning chili has now been converted so that you can make it in the pressure cooker! Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili is creamy, spicy and the best chili in town!

    buffalo chicken in a red bowl with a black spoon

    I can't tell you how how thankful I am to see the notes pouring in even to this day for a chili I first made several years ago on a whim. It was one of those days where I took a look at what was in my cabinet and came up with a "kitchen sink" kind of meal, that has turned out to be the best kind of meal at all. It's had a few slight adjustments over the years to take into account all of the feedback from all of you who have made it. And today it's getting another kind of adjustment, by popular request, a way to make it in the electric pressure cooker. So today, finally, I share Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili!

    ladle full of buffalo chicken chili from instant pot

    How to make chili in the Instant Pot:

    • use the sauté function to cook any ground meats, like the ground chicken in this chili
    • Add broths, seasonings, water, tomatoes, etc.
    • Leave out any dairy or thickeners for later, like the the cream cheese in this recipe
    • Seal and cook under pressure for about 8-12 minutes to allow flavors to meld like they've been cooking all day

    red bowl with instant pot chili topped with cilantro

    Is making chili in the Instant Pot really faster than cooking on the stove?

    I know many of you will have this question, and it's a comment I get on a lot of recipes. Allow me to explain.

    Yes, if you want to make this on the stovetop, then go for it! It's totally possible. However, I like the Instant Pot for a few reasons. Think about the fact that once you toss everything in, you can walk away and go do something else for awhile. That 10 minutes of time under pressure? That's like 45 minutes on the stove, where you'd need to at least keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't boil over, the flame doesn't go out (if using gas) or that something doesn't go wrong. And yes, you do have to wait around 15 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, but again, that's walk away time where you don't need to be hands on, and I'm all about reducing hands on time for recipes because we all have a lot of other stuff to do.

    instant pot filled with buffalo chicken chili

    Some notes about this buffalo chicken chili:

    • Yes, you can use chicken breasts if you prefer. Cooking time should be increased to 12 minutes on high pressure and then chicken can be shredded.
    • Use less buffalo sauce for less spicy, more for more spicy. Obvious, but you'd be surprised how many comments I get about this being either too spicy or too bland.
    • Cream cheese gets added at the end and melted into the chili. Make sure it's room temperature and then just keep stirring. I get this question a lot about the lumps or specks of cream cheese, and you just need to keep stirring. Using a whisk helps.
    • Most of all, enjoy and make it your own!! Just be sure to come back and let me know if you win your local chili cook-off!

    Equipment needed to make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili:

    • an Instant Pot - 6 quart or larger
    • a meat chopper to cook the ground chicken
    • a whisk to get the cream cheese smooth
    • optional: a separate silicone ring for your Instant Pot in case you also use it for sweet treats (don't want those to taste like buffalo sauce!)
    buffalo chicken in a red bowl with a black spoon

    Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili

    Jennifer Draper
    By popular request, my award winning chili has now been converted so that you can make it in the pressure cooker! Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili is creamy, spicy and the best chili in town!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 233 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound ground chicken
    • 15 oz canned white navy beans drained and rinsed
    • 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce add more later if needed
    • 1 package ranch dressing mix
    • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon celery salt
    • ½ teaspoon dried cilantro
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 4 oz cream cheese room temp and cut into small pieces

    Instructions
     

    • Heat Instant Pot on sauté and add ground chicken
    • Cook while breaking apart with spatula until browned and fully cooked (a teaspoon of oil can be added if needed)
    • Turn off Instant Pot and add beans, tomatoes, broth, sauce and seasonings
    • Cover, set to seal and high pressure for 10 minutes
    • Allow 5 minute natural pressure release when done and then quick release remaining 
    • Add cream cheese and stir or whisk until smooth

    Nutrition

    Calories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 17gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 841mgPotassium: 590mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 410IUVitamin C: 8.4mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
    Important nutritional disclaimer
    « Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
    Slow Cooker Beer Braised Chipotle Chicken Tacos »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adam says

      October 17, 2021 at 10:14 am

      Do we not drain the chicken?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 24, 2021 at 5:06 pm

        Nope, it shouldn't have that much fat.

        Reply
    2. Joyce says

      April 03, 2021 at 4:07 pm

      This was absolutely delicious! I used chicken breasts, which I shredded. I also omitted the garlic and onion powder and sauteed garlic and diced onion instead. For tonight's leftovers, I am going to thicken with masa harina to give it a bit more body, and serve it over rice. This will be a regular at our house, thank you!

      Reply
    3. Janaya says

      November 15, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      Love the original recipe and have been making it for awhile! In your original recipe it calls for 8oz of cream cheese why is this one 4oz?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 16, 2020 at 5:39 pm

        Thanks!! I got a lot of feedback that people like it with less cream cheese, but you can totally use 8oz if you prefer!

        Reply
    4. Kelsey says

      October 06, 2020 at 4:36 pm

      Just wondering when to add the frozen corn for the instant pot. I made it in the slow cooker and added it right away but was worried about them breaking down too much under the pressure. Love this recipe!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 08, 2020 at 3:43 pm

        You could probably add it at the end of cooking and just let it sit and heat through for 10 mins or so before serving.

        Reply
    5. Nat says

      February 09, 2020 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      This was fabulous! My DH loved it (he doesn’t know that there is cream cheese in it). Wink wink. I did make a few minor changes to bulk up the chili and to get more veggies in. I had about 1 cup of mixed frozen peas and carrots on top of the corn that I tossed in as well as 1 large 28oz can of crushed tomatoes. I used 3 Tablespoons from the large container of the McCormick’s dry ranch 3 in 1 seasoning, which is the equivalent to 1 pouch. All in all this was so delicious and this will become a staple in my household! Thank you for sharing!!!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 09, 2020 at 2:53 pm

        That's awesome! And I always love added veggies 🙂

        Reply
    6. Alena says

      November 20, 2019 at 7:05 pm

      Can you say which setting to use on the instant pot

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 21, 2019 at 12:07 pm

        Hi Alena! You will need to use manual high pressure.

        Reply
    7. Amanda says

      October 23, 2019 at 5:41 pm

      This was really great! I have a family of 7 and it was perfectly proportioned so everyone could eat and get full. I added chicken breasts and shredded it and some shredded cheese as well. I also added just a little bit more buffalo sauce( we like things really spicy!) All in all it was perfect! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 24, 2019 at 7:38 am

        I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this chili! It's one of our favorites as well!

        Reply
    8. Candice says

      October 13, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      What is the serving size on the nutrition label?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 15, 2019 at 2:50 pm

        I'm so sorry, I don't have the exact measurements noted.

        Reply
      • Kristin says

        December 05, 2019 at 3:49 pm

        Hi ! Do you think it's possible to double the recipe? Would the instant pot have enough room? I believe I have an 8 quart. Thank you!

        Reply
        • Jennifer says

          December 06, 2019 at 7:49 am

          Yes, in the 8 quart you should be fine to double the recipe!

          Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jennifer! I love creating fresh recipes that are quick and simple to make so that I can help you get dinner on the table without the fuss!

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    Hi, I'm Jennifer! I love creating fresh recipes that are quick and simple to make so that I can help you get dinner on the table without the fuss!

    More about me →

    Most Popular Recipes

    • The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
    • Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
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    As seen on...

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