Fall

Buffalo-Style Quinoa Chili

by:
August 25, 2013
4.6
5 Ratings
Buffalo-Style Quinoa Chili
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 2 to 4
Author Notes

A vegetarian (and easily vegan) buffalo chili that has everything you want in a chicken wing, thrown together in a chili bowl! —Stacy McCann

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Stacy is a writer and a slow food enthusiast from St. Louis.
WHAT: A 30-minute chili with a serious kick. (Can we capitalize both serious and kick?)
HOW: This will be one of the simplest soups you'll ever make. Just simmer, people.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Sometimes we just want a lot of heat, and for those times, this is the dish we want to make. As a handy bonus, you can whip this up in about the time it takes to crack a beer. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • one 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup cooked black beans
  • one 14-ounce can hominy
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup Frank's red hot sauce, or to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Blue cheese, for topping
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil over medium in a saucepan and, once hot, add the diced onion and celery to the pan. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer cook for 15 minutes. Add in black beans, hominy, quinoa, Frank’s, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook 15 more minutes, until the flavors have melded.
  3. To serve, ladle chili into broiler-safe bowls. Top with blue cheese and place under broiler until cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes.
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41 Reviews

Taylor S.
Taylor S. October 13, 2023
I’ve made this so many times and it’s always delicious! Last night the only change I made was barley in place of quinoa because it’s what I had on hand, and I think that’s my new favorite way of making this dish.
 
Pumpkiness
Pumpkiness March 1, 2021
Made this pretty much to recipe and my husband and I both loved it!!! One thing I'll change next time is substituting another can of black or kidney beans for the hominy. We love hominy, but in this case it just didn't seem to add anything.
 
Kaya
Kaya April 9, 2019
Quinoa is one of my favorite things to make! on your website there are so many options to choose from! its great :)
 
Taylor S.
Taylor S. October 14, 2018
SO GOOD! Very different from anything I've made before. I substituted frozen corn for the hominy and pinto beans for the black beans while only using 1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot instead of the called-for 1/2. Definitely will be making this again :)
 
Cheryl
Cheryl December 26, 2017
Really enjoyed this dis. I used a lot of onion and more celery. After those sauteed, I added 2 cloves garlic and the dried spices (added chili powder too). I couldn't find black beans in my cupboard, so used canned red kidney beans, THEN I found the black beans, so added them too. There didn't seem to be enough tomato now so I found a can of petite diced tomatoes and added them. Instead of hominy, I used 1/2 bag fire roasted frozen corn. As suggested, I used 1/4 c. Franks + a little more since I added more beans and tomatoes. I am going to try the masa harina next time, instead of quinoa, serving the chili over quinoa in the bowl.
 
Kerry G.
Kerry G. August 4, 2017
This one is a keeper. Definitely a perfect template that stands up on its own, but shines with additions as well. I bulked it up with extra quinoa, two cans beans, some ground chicken, one large can of whole tomatoes, garlic and some ground chills . I love hominy, but didn't have any on hand... I stole a Rick bayless trick and added a couple heaping tablespoons masa harina flour
 
Samantha
Samantha March 20, 2017
I thought this was a winner. I don't like having small amounts of leftover ingredients, so I used the whole can of beans (just added a little more broth to compensate), and subbed canned corn for the hominy. I don't think I could have eaten this chili without reducing the Frank's by half. It was definitely spicy, but the blue cheese was the greatest foil. I'm definitely going to make this one again!
 
houlaNOLA
houlaNOLA January 12, 2017
This is a delicious vegetarian chili option! I eat a lot of veggie chili and it's nice to have some variety. I did make a few tweaks - I cooked dried black beans first (not a fan of the texture of canned/boxed/bagged cooked beans) and used about 3 cups instead of 1, I added my entire 24oz can of hominy, used fire roasted diced tomatoes and used only 1/4c of Frank's. It's pretty mild, but I can always add more hot sauce to each serving. The bleu cheese is a nice twist too.
 
Gal
Gal May 18, 2016
Really fantastic recipe! Healthy, easy, hearty meal.
I didn't have a can of hominy on hand when I made this last night so I used a can of corn.
A small rice side dish matched and complemented this fantastic chili, but it can be served alone as a full main meal. Wonderful!
 
Zinsu
Zinsu May 2, 2016
So good. Great for vegetarians who miss wings. I used corn instead of hominy and didn't broil anything (who has broiler-proof bowls?). Otherwise, made as directed. It was pretty spicy but I love Frank's so all was well.
 
Jes A.
Jes A. January 31, 2016
I made this last week for a group of people and it was a hit!
I used tapatio hot sauce because I could not find Franks (I'm in Los Angeles). I doubled the recipe and used an 8oz jar... too much, so just 4 oz works for a doubled recipe. I substituted out the hominy for a half can of black beans.
I made this recipe again last week and I have just made it for the third time now. I always double it because my husband loves it and so do I! I don't like bleu cheese, so we just a dab of greek yogurt.
 
Keith
Keith December 28, 2015
I made this for a friend who can’t eat corn, so I substituted black eye peas, which was pretty darn good. I also made it with more traditional chile spices rather than with Frank’s, so I guess I really didn’t make this dish. It was very good, and a bit of blue cheese on top was excellent. Rave reviews all around.
 
db7
db7 December 21, 2015
Such a great, simple chill recipe! I am more of a Valentina's hot sauce fan so I added that instead. I used about a 1/3 of the amount, so I could add ancho, chill and a little cocoa powder. Chili is so forgiving to play with that way; it was still very spicy but the heat was rich and complex. Thank you!
 
hkrf1017
hkrf1017 January 31, 2015
Made this exactly as written and it is excellent. Did not add blue cheese. I feel like if you need ranch with your buffalo wings then add the cheese. I did not think it was "too acidic" or "too spicy" - it is still milder than hit buffalo wings. My husband, who is a heat lover, says with 1/2 cup Franks it definitely tastes like buffalo wings but is not too hot and you could definitely add more.

Highly recommend. Thanks for sharing this.
 
tota
tota December 16, 2014
Not familiar with Franks' Hot Sauce, is this easily found in San Francisco area? Or can I substitute something else? We certainly have plenty of hot sauces out here!
 
The P.
The P. October 6, 2014
Winner! Keeper!
 
bistrobistro
bistrobistro May 8, 2014
So delicious and super easy. I really cheated and used my slow cooker and just added extra spices (I did sautee the celery and onion).
 
Araceli
Araceli April 21, 2014
Wow, definitely going to be making this sometime this week! I usually do a similar chili without quinoa and I happen to have an unused bag of quinoa already.
 
oldkitcheninflatbush
oldkitcheninflatbush March 22, 2014
I made this tonight. I love the concept. I did add chipotle in adobo instead of the paprika. I also roasted some poblano peppers and threw them in. I used the pozole (hominy) and I had some frozen corn so I roasted it in a pan and threw that in too. I used cheddar instead of blue cheese (didn't have and didn't fell like running to the store). Served with corn tortillas and a dollop of sour cream. Thanks so much for the base and the idea! Brilliant.
 
Marsha G.
Marsha G. March 16, 2014
This was okay. Definitely spicy, even though I used 1/4 c. hot sauce. Don't leave off the blue cheese. You need the tang and the creaminess to cut through all the heat.
 
Swiss M.
Swiss M. March 13, 2014
I added the entire 1/2 cup of Franks as well and it was not too spicy or vinegary for me. I actually used 1/2 cup dry quinoa and an extra 1 cup of water, added all of that in with the tomatoes and broth. That turned out perfectly, with just the right consistency. I subbed a can of corn for the hominy. This recipe will definitely go into the rotation! Quick, easy, healthy weeknight dinner or lunch. About 1 TBSP crumbled blue cheese per bowl is plenty.
 
Mamazz
Mamazz March 10, 2014
guess it shows how different everyone's taste is- I added the full 1/2 cup of franks and it wasn't quite hot enough. Also my husband is on a low carb kick so I subbed finely chopped cauliflower and tofu for the quinoa and hominy- all in all this is a great recipe, just a little bit different from you average chili, and we loved the addition of blue cheese
 
elfleming
elfleming March 5, 2014
This was fantastic, but I'd make some modifications next time. This could easily be a one pot meal (it doesn't count for me since you have to cook the quinoa beforehand) by adding 1 cup of dried quinoa and some additional broth. It will result in a lot more quinoa in the dish, but I ended up adding more than 2 cups of cooked quinoa and still really liked it. Thank you!
 
Boston2Berkeley
Boston2Berkeley March 5, 2014
I loved this and have made it several times. I do leave out the hominiy, but otherwise this is nearly a pantry meal for me. I think the amount of Frank's is perfect, but I cover everything with Frank's. I'd definitely recommend adding slowly and tasting as you go if you aren't a particular fan of spice.
 
jen
jen February 16, 2014
Two issues: 1) would not use blue cheese...it has such a strong flavor it completely overpowers the food, and 2) even without the blue cheese, would use less Frank's. I love buffalo flavor and spice/heat, but this was way too over the top - to the point that it almost ruined the dish. It's so hot it's ridiculous...added some brown sugar to attempt to cut the heat. But it's frustrating to buy all of the ingredients for a recipe, count on having leftovers, and having it feel like an inedible waste. Would slowly add Frank's to make sure you want that much heat.
 
Laura
Laura February 3, 2014
I substituted polenta, lightly fried, for the hominy. Might be a little on the smokey side for me. I will add less of the paprika next time. Nice change from our usual chili though!
 
JenOzmun2010
JenOzmun2010 January 25, 2014
Smells absolutely amazing while cooking!!
 
Tracey W.
Tracey W. December 31, 2013
disappointed. Way too acidic. Tried to cut it with a little cream and sugar, but - no change.
 
Carol W.
Carol W. November 21, 2013
I used a frozen package of corn and crushed tomatoes instead of diced. All of us loved it!
 
Sabine G.
Sabine G. October 17, 2013
Made this tonight with the addition of kidney beans, garlic, touch of chili powder, and chicken stock instead of veggie because that is what I had. It was so easy and super flavorful! YUM. Love quinoa in chili!
 
Connie M.
Connie M. September 24, 2013
I made this last week, and it was a major hit! I'm making it again this week, and will sub-out the hominy with sweet corn....perfect Fall meal!
 
evelyn
evelyn September 15, 2013
Thanks, that's a great idea! I'm not crazy about Frank's because of the vinegar, even though it was highly recommended in the Cook's Illustrated survey, but it's acceptable if it's diluted enough.
 
MJ
MJ September 15, 2013
I made it today, the only change I made was that I used Garbanzo beans instead of hominy, that's what I had. It's really good! I am going to simmer it longer to soften the beans and cook down the Frank's. It's a little vinegar-y, but it does taste like chili.
 
db7
db7 December 21, 2015
Frank's is a very vinegary hot sauce in my opinion too. I used Valentina's (about half the amount) and then added other peppers; chill, ancho, etc.
 
evelyn
evelyn September 15, 2013
Any good substitute for canned hominy? I don't like all that salt.
 
NancyfromVictoria
NancyfromVictoria September 13, 2013
Hi. I am in Canada. We don't have hominy (I do know what it is though). What could I use instead?
 
cookinginvictoria
cookinginvictoria September 13, 2013
Hi Nancy, are you close to the Market on Yates near downtown? They regularly stock canned hominy in their Mexican food section.
 
NancyfromVictoria
NancyfromVictoria September 13, 2013
Not too far. Thank you so much. I am going down there after I pick up the kids :-)
 
Linda
Linda March 6, 2014
You could use canned or frozen corn instead. I saw another reader substituted fried polenta for the hominy.
 
Dina M.
Dina M. September 13, 2013
I kinda love how this sounds! Quinoa is an odd grain to me. I am not a huge fan, but it looks like it will make the texture of this chili perfect! With the weather change in NY today, this is the perfect weekend dish to try! Thanks!
 
Stacy M.
Stacy M. September 13, 2013
Thanks Dina! It's perfect for a crisp fall day. I might even make it this weekend!