Spicy Buffalo Chili: A Twist on a Classic

By
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich is a food writer, recipe video producer, and culinary school instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry.
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Updated on 01/4/22
A pot of chili

Amy Claxton / Flickr

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
471 Calories
21g Fat
36g Carbs
38g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 471
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 26%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 789mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 12g 43%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 31mg 157%
Calcium 108mg 8%
Iron 8mg 47%
Potassium 1333mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This spicy chili recipe uses buffalo, or bison meat, instead of the usual ground beef. Buffalo chili is lower in fat and calories than chili made with beef since the buffalo is a leaner animal. 

A famous legend has it that the all-American chili so commonly found on dinner menus, so regularly served for dinner across the country and so much a part of Super Bowl Sunday traces its roots to Indigenous peoples and then to the Old West of the 19th century, where cowboy cooks doctored up trail meats, like buffalo, beef, venison, rabbit or even rattlesnake, with spicy peppers to make them more palatable. Another legend tells of immigrants from Spain's Canary Islands to San Antonio in the early 18th century who brought the recipe to America. And so chili as we know it was born—one way or the other.

Purists say that beans don't belong in authentic chili (since they were not used by the Cowboys), but they have become more common than not these days. Chili is made in so many variations that it's impossible to say there is just one way to make it, although beef is virtually always the go-to meat. Rabbit, venison and certainly rattlesnake are pretty much off the list, but Buffalo is making a reappearance because of its health benefits. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 1/2 pounds ground buffalo meat

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

  • 1/2 cup chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

  • 2 cups beef broth, or water

  • 2 (15-ounce cans) pinto beans, drained

Steps to Make It

  1. Cook the ground buffalo in the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned and broken into small pieces.

  2. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

  3. Add all remaining ingredients except the beans and bring to a boil.

  4. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

  5. Add the beans and cook for 15 minutes more. Water can be added during the cooking to adjust for thinner or thicker chili.

Accompaniments

Serve up buffalo chili the same way you would classic beef chili—with warmed flour tortillas or crackers for carbs. Or layer it over spaghetti. If you like loaded chili, top with shredded cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese. If you really think its lower-fat buffalo meat gives you license, add a dollop of sour cream.