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Recipe for homemade buffalo chili that is a simple and delicious twist on an old fave that your family will love. Ready in only 15 minutes using traditionally prepared beans.
I am always thrilled when my husband arrives home from our local meat pickup with some ground bison meat.
Ground buffalo is a great alternative to grassfed ground beef with prices often significantly less per pound…at least where I live.
When this happens, the menu plan shifts from keto chili or white bean chili to our favorite buffalo version!
Ground buffalo is nothing short of sensational in chili. It gives it a slightly different taste from regular chili made with ground beef, pastured ground pork, or a blend of the two.
I make a lot of chili in our home as it is something that the entire family enjoys and which is suitable for quick meals in the convection or toaster oven (no microwaves please!).
The key to really good chili, besides quality meat, is full flavor, digestible beans.
You must soak beans overnight before cooking to ensure that they won’t cause any gas or discomfort. It also enhances the flavor…at least to my taste buds.
If this traditional cooking concept is new to you, learning how to soak legumes is an important step for improving digestibility and maximize nutrition.
As a bonus, the enhanced bioavailability of the nutrients makes you feel full with smaller portions too.
I keep large containers full of presoaked and precooked beans in the freezer so that a pot of amazing chili is only minutes away.
Alternatively, you can buy these glass jars of beans that have been traditionally prepared for convenient use right out of the pantry.
I prefer half white kidney beans (cannellini beans) and the rest red kidney beans for chili. The color variation adds visual appeal to the dish in my opinion.
Eating is not just about nutrition, after all. It is also about enjoyment, community, and family time well spent together at the dinner table.
*Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston A. Price Foundation really enjoyed this exact buffalo chili recipe when she came to dinner at my home.
Preparation Tips
The chili recipe below only takes about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. This assumes you have wisely soaked dried beans ahead of time for fast meals.
Do not use the water from the cooked beans as part of the chili or for any other dish as it contains potent anti-nutrients.
We like lots of beans in our chili, so feel free to reduce the amount in the recipe below if you prefer less.
If you are on a low carb or keto diet, use navy beans instead of kidney beans. This unusual legume is very low starch and even permitted on the GAPS diet protocol.
If you have any leftovers, this fast and easy chili and cheese dip with only 4 ingredients is a delicious one to try.
Love chili? Try this other variation on an old fave: fermented Sloppy Joe.
15 Minute Buffalo Chili
Recipe for homemade buffalo chili that is a simple and delicious twist on an old fave that your family will love. Made in only 15 minutes using traditionally prepared beans.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground buffalo meat
- 6 cups strained tomatoes preferably organic
- 2 cups soaked/cooked white kidney beans
- 2 cups soaked/cooked red kidney beans
- 1-3 Tbsp chili powder preferably organic
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- sea salt to taste
- shredded cheese optional
- sour cream optional
Instructions
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Brown the buffalo meat in a large pot.
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When just browned, add strained tomatoes and soaked/cooked beans.
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Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes to evenly heat the dish and blend the flavors.
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Slowly stir in 1-3 tablespoons of chili powder, tasting as you go to ensure you achieve the right level of spiciness for your taste. For extra zing, add 2 teaspoons smoked paprika.
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Serve buffalo chili immediately with shredded cheese of choice and a dollop of sour cream on top if desired. Remember to always shred cheese yourself to avoid aluminum additives in commercial versions.
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Refrigerate leftovers in a glass bowl with a tight-fitting lid for up to 4 days.
Hi Sarah,
This looks great, thank you for all the wonderful work you do! It sounds like you are saying that you are able to freeze beans that have been soaked for 24 hours? Is that true for all kinds of beans? Also, what is the difference between soaking and sprouting in terms of nutrients? Can you freeze sprouted legumes, such as lentils? We are trying to eat more beans to save money, but I am new to this and am trying to figure out how to save time while still preparing each kind of legume properly.
Thanks!
Thanks for the idea of freezing beans after soaking…that is going to be a life changer!
I read here and in Nourishing Traditions not to reheat vegetables that have been cooked and stored. Are tomatoes an exception? We’re on GAPS and it’s been a struggle figuring out how much veggies to cook at each meal. We can’t afford to throw away food but I also don’t want the kiddos to go hungry. (And raw veggies are really hard on my youngest yet.) Anyway, something I’m trying to adjust to with veggies! What do you think?
I would probably add some cayenne pepper because my hubby is from Texas and prefers chili on the spicy side… great recipe!
What? No onions?!
My kids don’t like onion in their chili.
Where did you get the buffalo meat? I live in FL (Jacksonville) and haven’t seen buffalo meat anywhere else other than Whole Foods. Pleaseeee let me know…..
Sarah,
Do you think you could freeze this chili after you make it even though the beans were previously frozen. I also make my beans in bulk and freeze.
Yes, I do this all the time. I’ll freeze the chili in quart containers. The ultimate in fast food!
Sarah, would you go through the same process with beans that haven’t been dried? We are able to get fresh beans at our Farmer’s Market during the summer months. I have been putting them directly into the freezer but wonder if I should go through the soaking step first. Am concerned they might turn to mush.
Yes, they need to be soaked before you eat them regardless to eliminate the antinutrients that cause indigestibility and gas. Even if you’ve not noticed any issues digesting unsoaked beans, try soaking them anyway before cooking as you will probably find that they fill you up much more and stay with you longer when you soak them due to much improved absorption.
Yes, buffalo meat is a definite score! We love buffalo chili, especially with kidney beans–YUM!
Such an excellent flavor combination .. I highly agree!
This looks really yummy! I have a question about split peas and lentils. I soaked yellow split peas in ACV for about 9 hrs then used them in a soup but they were still crunchy? Do you know why this would be? I cooked the same split peas without soaking and they were nice and soft. Do lentils need soaking as well?
Split peas should be soaked with a pinch of baking soda, not apple cider vinegar. This should work better for you. See my video (link in post) to know when to soak with what.