Black Bean Chicken Chili (No Cream Cheese!)
This speedy red chili made with ground chicken is made in just 30 minutes using only one pot. It's perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Chicken or substitute ground turkey, ground beef, ground pork, minced mushrooms or meatless chunks like Impossible.
- 1 Yellow Onion medium dice
- 2 Bell Peppers any color, medium dice
- 1-2 Jalapeños optional, small dice
- 6-8 cloves Garlic chopped fine
- 3 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Dried Mexican Oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne optional
- 1 can RoTel drained
- 2 cans Black Beans and their liquid, or drained and rinsed with about 1-2 cups of water or broth
- 3 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- Shredded Cheese
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sliced Green Onions
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
Instructions
- Set a heavy bottomed dutch iron over medium high heat. Add 1 lb Ground Chicken and a five finger pinch of kosher salt and brown it all the way through, cutting the meat up into small bits with your spatula.
- Add the following chopped veggies: 1 Yellow Onion, 2 Bell Peppers and 1-2 Jalapeños (if using) with another pinch of salt. Stir to coat and cook until the veggies are beginning to soften and become translucent.
- Add the 6-8 cloves Garlic and spices (3 tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 tablespoon Dried Mexican Oregano, 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin, 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander, 1 teaspoon Cayenne) and cook until fragrant, about another 45 seconds.
- Add 1 can RoTel, 2 cans Black Beans, and 3 tablespoon Tomato Paste, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until everything is warmed through. Season with Kosher Salt and Pepper as needed.
- Feel free to keep the pot warming on the stovetop all day long. The seasonings will continue to mesh and meld. Otherwise, scoop it into bowls, over baked potatoes, french fries, burgers or hot dogs and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition facts do not include optional toppings
Optional Variations
- Make it Milder - Dial it back by either: using less jalapeño and cayenne pepper, removing the seeds and membranes from inside the jalapeños before using them, or omitting either/both.
- Make it Spicier - Feel free to either add more jalapeño or cayenne, or swap in spicier alternatives like serranos or habaneros for the jalapeño and ground ghost pepper for the cayenne. 🌶️
- Vegetarian/Vegan Black Bean Chili - Use minced mushrooms instead, sautéing them in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in step 1. You can also use the meatless crumbles of your choice!
- Lower-Sodium - MSG gets a bad rap, but it’s actually a great salt substitute for people watching their sodium intake. It’s also delicious — it tastes like seasoned meat.
- Optional Add-Ins - Chili recipes are great for helping clear out all the unused bits and bobs in your fridge or freezer. Feel free to toss in any extra chopped veggies that need using (e.g. carrots, celery, parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc). You can also add sweetness with a drained can of corn or frozen corn kernels.
- Cut back on prep time by using frozen chopped onions and peppers.
- Feel free to keep the pot warming on the stovetop all day long over the lowest heat setting. Keep it covered so not too much liquid evaporates, and give it a stir every so often to prevent scorching. You’re also welcome to put it in a slow cooker on low if you won’t be around to keep an eye on it or your burners run hot.
- Season at every step. Want to know why restaurant food always tastes good? One of the big reasons is that the good ones add salt to each component. Rather than waiting to add all of your salt at the end, add some to the pot with each addition of unsalted ingredients.
- Add it to a burger or hot dog for a grill out.
- Scoop it over a baked potato, air-fried french fries or sweet potato fries, or oven-baked potato wedges for a super cheap, super filling rent week meal.
- Add it to a quesadilla, use it as the basis for a platter of nachos, or spoon it into a bell pepper and bake it.
- Eat it straight from the pot.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 17gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 140mgPotassium: 853mgFiber: 9gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2115IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 4mg
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