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Buffalo Chicken Chowder

5 from 10 votes

Buffalo Chicken Chowder - thick, rich, creamy & hearty this chowder is easy to make and delicious finished with crumbled blue cheese and chopped bacon.

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A bowl of Buffalo Chicken Chowder with potatoes, bacon and crumbled blue cheese

 

You’re going to love this creamy, hearty, flavorful and delicious Buffalo Chicken Chowder!

We often talk about comfort food here on SRFD, and this chowder is a great example. It’s homey, filling, rich, flavorful and super comforting, making it a perfect choice on cold winter days. Comfort food might also be a dish or dessert that reminds us of home, like classic Apple Pie here in the United States. Buffalo Chicken Chowder may be a ‘newer’ concept, but chowder is not. Always rich and hearty and filled with potatoes, chowder has been around for more than 250 years. Chowders are often seasoned with fish or seafood and typically include cream or milk. Potatoes help thicken the soup, but a roux is sometimes used too. We’ve added a little cornstarch to our chowder but if you prefer a thinner soup, please omit.

 

A pot of Buffalo Chicken Chowder with potatoes, hot sauce and crumble bacon

The base of this soup is the same as you would find when making a New England style Clam Chowder or our Salmon Chowder.

We use chicken broth in place of clam juice, and chicken instead of fish or seafood. We’ve also added a hefty 1/4 cup of hot sauce giving this soup plenty of zing and personality! Feel free to adjust the amount of buffalo sauce to fit your heat tolerance. You can always add more to this rich Buffalo Chicken Chowder!

 

A bowl of Buffalo Chicken Chowder with bacon and potatoes

To carry on the Buffalo Chicken theme, we added plenty of extras!

We’ve garnished the chowder with crumbled blue cheese which melts into the soup adding tang and creaminess. We also like to add a little bacon on top, a little extra drizzle of hot sauce and finish with plenty of fresh ground black pepper. It’s all good!

 

A bowl of Buffalo Chicken Chowder with bacon, blue cheese and parsley

If you’re a fan of Buffalo Chicken, you’ll love the flavor of this easy chowder.

We toss the cooked chicken in the hot sauce before adding to the soup ensuring each bite of chicken has plenty of buffalo flavor. Adjust the heat by adding more or less hot sauce according to your preference. We find that 1/4 cup is just about right for us but I recommend starting with 2 tablespoons and work your way up. However, if you’ve eaten buffalo chicken wings and love the flavor, 1/4 cup won’t bother you at all!

 

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An overview view of a bowl of Buffalo chicken chowder garnished with bacon and hot sauce

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Buffalo Chicken Chowder

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6
Course: Dinner
Author: Tricia
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5 from 10 votes
thick, rich, creamy, hearty, and flavorful, this chowder is easy to make and delicious finished with crumbled blue cheese and chopped bacon. 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked chicken breasts diced or shredded
  • ¼ cup Buffalo sauce (I use Frank’s)
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 4 small potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups half-and-half divided

Optional toppings:

  • blue cheese crumbled
  • cooked bacon chopped
  • parsley leaves chopped
  • Ranch dressing
  • Hot sauce

Instructions

  • In a large bowl toss the chicken together with the Buffalo sauce. Set aside.
  • In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove to a paper towel to drain.  Set aside.  Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. Sauté the celery and onion in the bacon drippings until tender.  Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two or until fragrant.  Add the potatoes, chicken broth and pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
  • In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch into 1 cup of the half-and-half until blended.  Gradually stir the mixture into the soup.  Bring it to a boil again and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
  • Stir in the chicken, any remaining hot sauce and the last one cup of half-and-half.  Heat the chowder until steaming but not boiling. Check the seasoning and add salt, pepper and more hot sauce if desired.
  • Crumble each bowl with reserved chopped bacon and blue cheese. Ranch dressing is a great substitute for the blue cheese if preferred.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 1099mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 401IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 2mg

We adore the flavor of Buffalo Chicken Wings and have incorporated this obsession into some great recipes. Check out our popular Buffalo Chicken Roll Up Appetizers, and these super juicy Grilled Buffalo Chicken Burgers topped with blue cheese. For a twist on Buffalo Chicken and chowder, check out our football friendly Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins with Blue Cheese Dip. Hearty and easy to make ahead just in time for the big game.

Thanks so much for stopping by and Happy New Year!  Tricia

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36 Comments

  1. Rizchick

    I just ran across this recipe and will definitely give it a try. We have a local restaurant that is known for its Buffalo Wing Soup and I have been looking for a similar one. Some of them just seem so thin and unappealing. I cannot wait to try this one. With the Superbowl coming up, it seems like the right time to give it a go. My family of 7 loves when I try new soup recipes and I think this one will be a winner. Buffalo chicken dip is always a go-to here, so I have a feeling that once I make this chowder, it will become a staple on the regular rotation. I hope it turns out as good as it looks.

    Reply

  2. Briana Morrison

    5 stars
    Made this last week thinking we would have enough leftovers for a second meal – nope! After a dinner and couple of lunches it was completely gone – really delicious. Family has already asked that I make it again, a little spicier this time. I started with the two tablespoons of Frank’s – guess I’ll move up to the full 1/4 cup next time! Thanks for this fantastic hearty soup for winter!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Thanks so much for trying our recipe Bri! I just LOVE your family 🙂 It’s a lot of soup so the hot sauce isn’t too much, even at 1/4 cup. Thanks for taking the time to let us know how it turned out for you XOXOX

      Reply

    • Sharon Johnson

      5 stars
      So so good. I mixed my hot sauce with softened cream cheese…mix until smooth and did not need corn starch thickener. Makes it even richer. More of the hot sauce also. Spoon delicious.

      Reply

      • Tricia Buice

        I love this Sharon! Did you remove from the heat before adding the cream cheese? And of course more hot sauce is always a great idea. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for trying the recipe.

  3. mimi rippee

    This is really lovely! I love the flavors of buffalo wings, but I don’t eat them really. And I never knew you could buy buffalo sauce. who knew? I thought it was just hot sauce like Tabasco. In any case, I cannot wait to make this soup – really love the blue cheese as well!

    Reply

  5. Abbe@This is How I Cook

    I am loving this recipe. Buffalo sauce is one of my faves and I think this chowder could be dinner tonight. This photo is so fabulous how could I not give it a try? Have a very happy year Tricia and thanks for being my friend!

    Reply

  10. Liz

    Though I grew up with clam chowder (or oyster stew) around the holidays, neither would fly with Bill. Your Buffalo chicken chowder would be a hit with both of us. Perfect for dinner while watching the bowl games. Wishing you and your lovely family a very Happy New Year!!! xoxo

    Reply