Looking for a delicious and comforting chili recipe? Try this Easy Chicken Chili Recipe and you will come back and thank me for this recipe. Full of flavor and loaded with protein from the chicken and beans. It makes for the perfect comforting meal for that cold winter night!
The cold weather here in Michigan is finally rolling in and this easy-to-make Chicken Chili Recipe has been my go-to recipe recently. It is so comforting and filling and even my kids love it too. It is bursting with flavor seriously one of the best chili recipes I’ve ever had.
We use fresh vegetables like onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn to make this chili extra hearty and packed with flavor. And with the chicken (or turkey if you’d prefer!) and black beans, it’s sure to fill you up and warm your belly at the same time.
Chili is a great way to get both protein and veggies into your diet with one dish! Not to mention it warms you right to the soul on those cold nights. Also, if you’re looking for more chili recipes, why not also try my delicious Homemade Beef Chili or my Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili!
why this easy chicken chili recipe is the best
- Rich and delicious. Made with succulent shredded chicken, savory chicken broth, and a host of other good-for-you goodies, this easy Chicken Chili has deep flavors that are bound to satisfy. It’s exactly what you need to warm you up after a long day of work or play.
- An easy chili recipe. No need for a long cook or to take out the crock pot. This foolproof chili is a one-pot meal that goes from pantry to table in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights because there are minimal dishes and it’s ready in a flash!
- A healthier chili. Protein-packed chicken, black beans and veggies, it’s a chili that’s loaded with goodness. We opt to use chicken (or even turkey) to make it healthier to a traditional chili that uses ground beef. The ingredients are clean and simple and the flavors blend together perfectly.
ingredients for quick chicken chili
- Shredded chicken: While most traditional chili recipes use some sort of ground beef, we opt to use leaner and healthier chicken. If you’re partial to turkey or that’s what you have on hand, feel free to sub that in instead. It’s a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
- Olive oil: A great vegetable oil that can be used at high temperatures, high quality olive oil has natural aromatic flavors that are robust and so delicious. Of course, any neutral vegetable oil will work here.
- Sweet onion: I love the flavor a nice sweet onion provides to a chili like this one. And not only does it provide flavor, but the crunch of an onion adds to the texture profile as well.
- Red bell pepper: Bell peppers also add a nice crunch and perfect flavor to this east Chicken Chili recipe. You can sub out any color that you’d like, including yellow, green or orange.
- Garlic cloves: Can you ever have too much garlic? Minced garlic adds so much to the flavor profile of this chili, but feel free to add more if you’re a total garlic lover.
- Diced tomatoes: I love the flavor profile that a can of diced tomatoes adds to this chili. They have just enough acidity to balance out all of the other flavors nicely.
- Chicken broth: The savory broth provides a nice base for this chicken chili. You could substitute vegetable or turkey broth if that’s what you have on hand.
- Black beans: A can of black beans is a great way to add some extra protein to your chili recipe. You can absolutely use a different type of bean like pinto or white beans if you prefer.
- Sweet corn: Feel free to use either fresh, canned or frozen corn to your chili. If using frozen, just make sure it is thawed before adding to your chili.
- Seasoning: A blend of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, chili flakes, sea salt, and pepper really take the flavor of this chili to the next level. all of the flavors complement each other and really send the whole chili over the top.
how to make the best chicken chili recipe
- Sauté the veggies – First, heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers, garlic, and sauté until tender. This process will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Cook the chili – Next, stir in beans, corn, tomatoes, broth, chicken or turkey, and spices. Lower the heat and simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until the chili thickens and flavors blend.
- Garnish – Finally, garnish, serve, and enjoy! This chili really is that easy with only three simple steps to follow!
Frequently asked questions
We all have our favorite toppings for chili, here’s some of the most popular:
-Shredded cheese – jack or jalapeno cheddar works great.
-Cubed avocado
-Tortilla chips or strips
-Cilantro
-Green onions
-Sour cream
-Greek yogurt
-Sliced jalapenos (remove the seeds and ribs if you don’t want a lot of heat)
-Salsa verde
This Easy Chicken Chili recipe is great on its own, in a big bowl, but if you want it even heartier you can – of course – serve it with some brown rice, or if you want to keep the carbs down you can go for Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.
Also, cornbread would also be great to mop up all that lovely sauce!
Place leftovers in a container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
This chili freezes very well. Just make sure to chill your chili completely in the refrigerator first, before transferring to the freezer for longer-term storage. Also, you can freeze the leftovers in portions so they can be reheated one by one whenever you need them.
tips and substitutions for best recipe for chicken chili
- To save time, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand.
- You can, of course, roast or pan fry the chicken and shred that, if you wish.
- Feel free to use different proteins if you’d like. You can sub chicken for ground turkey, or ground beef.
- Olive or avocado oil are always good alternatives to olive oil.
- Don’t feel like you have to stick with chicken broth. You can use any broth you have handy.
- If you are watching your salt intake, opt for low sodium chicken broth and low sodium canned beans.
- Skip the cheese and other dairy toppings for a lactose-free option. The recipe is dairy-free as written.
- For a vegan option, use vegetable broth and skip the chicken. You can add in extra veggies or beans for more protein.
- If topping with shredded cheese, ideally shred your own. Also, pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt that well.
- Increase or decrease the chili flakes, depending on the spice level you’d like. You can always make things a little spicier if you’d like.
Other easy dinner ideas
Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken
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Easy Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Shredded Chicken or Turkey
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Sweet Onion diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (15 oz )
- 2 Cups Chicken or Turkey Broth
- 1 (15oz) Can Black Beans rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 Cup Frozen Sweet Corn ( or 15 oz can ) rinsed and drained
- 1 Tsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Tsp Chili Flakes
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- Shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, cilantro, sour cream, greek yogurt, sliced jalapeno etc.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers, garlic and sauté until tender, 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in beans, corn, tomatoes, broth, chicken or turkey, and spices. Lower the heat and simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until the chili thickens and flavors blend.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Add favorite toppings and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To save time, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand.
- You can, of course, roast or pan fry the chicken and shred that, if you wish.
- You can sub chicken for ground turkey, or ground beef.
- Olive or avocado oil is good.
- You can use any broth you have handy.
- If you are watching your salt intake, opt for low sodium chicken broth and low sodium canned beans.
- Skip the cheese and other dairy toppings for a lactose-free option
- For a vegan option, use vegetable broth and skip the chicken.
- If topping with shredded cheese, ideally shred your own. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt that well.
- Increase or decrease the chili flakes, depending on the spice level you’d like.
DSnow says
We loved this recipe! We used a rotisserie chicken and added a little extra rojo chili powder. Quick and Delish!
Nisha Franks says
Excellent. Staple recipe here in our house.
Rena Awada says
We love this one too! Thanks for the feedback and glad you loved it
Lauren Hampel says
Do you think this would be good to make in a crock pot? Sounds so good!
Rena Awada says
Yes. You sure can
Kathleen Arnold says
Just made it for supper. Really a great addition to the chili canon! Thank you!
Mandy says
Very hearty and delicious. Definitely worth making. A new family favorite.
Rena says
Thank you