Slowly Savoring This Easy Slow Cooker Chili

This chili recipe isn’t what you’d traditionally think of as “buffalo chicken,” but the flavors are a welcomed change from your standard beef chili dishes. It’s spicy from the hot sauce and a little sweet from the potatoes, whilst still retaining all the typical chili flavors and spices. It simmered all day as I prepped my nursing work, and I had Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Buffalo Chicken Chili in a blink of an eye. I loved the addition of fresh cilantro to brighten the dish. You can gobble down a bowl and avoid feeling sluggish because its fresh ingredients come together so seamlessly. I had leftover frozen slow cooker buffalo chicken from my bowl recipe that I tossed in for literally the easiest chili ever. (In the market for a new slow cooker? Check out Reviews.com for The Best Slow Cooker.)

Ingredients (serves 4; makes 7ish c).

• 1½ c water
• 4 c slow cooker buffalo chicken *
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1/3 c red pepper, finely diced
• 1 c pumpkin purée
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 T cumin
• 1/2 T chili powder
• 1/2 T paprika
• 1/4 c hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Fresh cilantro, torn

Directions.

For the Chili:

1. Combine water through paprika in a slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hrs or on low for 4-6 hrs.
2. Stir in hot sauce and reduce slow cooker to warm for 30 min.
3. Dish up 1½ c (heaping) and top with 1/4 of the avocado slices and fresh cilantro (both optional, but highly recommended).
4. Enjoy!

* For the Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken:

• Combine ingredients for the buffalo chicken in a slow cooker and follow steps 1 & 2; add remaining ingredients for this chili and follow the directions above.
• If prepping ahead of time, freeze the buffalo chicken for up to 3-4 months or store prepped buffalo chicken in the fridge for up to 1 week before using.

Adapted from my Buffalo Chicken White Bean Chili.

Nutrition for 1½ c with 1/4 avocado and cilantro.

380 calories  •  9.2 g fat (21%)  •  42.3 g carbs (43%)  •  34.5 g protein (35%)  •  11.5 g fiber  •  5.5 g sugar

* These are estimates based off specific products I used and how I entered ingredients in a fitness tracker. This is completely subjective and used to give a rough nutritional estimate.