Smoky Red Chicken Chili with Beans
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Use ground chicken to make this red chicken chili in about 30 minutes. It’s layered with the flavor of smoky pantry spices, chipotle pepper, and tomato paste to make a hearty chili with canned navy or pinto beans.
What Readers Say:
“OK, so I just made this tonight and my son declared it the best chili he has ever eaten! The complex flavors are fantastic; no further hot sauce required.“
Tania
Ingredients in red chicken chili
Chopped onion, bell peppers, fresh jalapeno and garlic set the flavor base. Smoky chipotle puree and ground spices add lots of flavor.
- Ground chicken: This is the leanest option, but you can use any ground meat you like — turkey, beef, or try raw chorizo sausage without the casings to double down on the smoky flavors.
- Spices: Ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and cayenne add smoky warmth to the chili.
- Canned chipotle in adobo sauce: These smoked jalapeno peppers give the chili a tasty kick and a little heat. They come packed in a tangy sauce made with tomato, garlic, vinegar and spices. If your chilies are packed whole, chop them up before adding to the chili.
- Onion, garlic, red bell pepper and jalapeno: These ingredients form the base of classic sofrito, which is the key to making a tasty chili.
- Beans: The creamy texture of white beans or pinto beans gives the chili a satisfying texture. You can use a mixture of navy beans (Great Northern beans) and pink pintos or all the same kind.
- Cheese: You can use mild cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. I buy a chunk of cheese and grate it coarsely, but pre-shredded cheese works great too.
Smoky Red Chicken Chili with Beans
Use ground chicken to make this red chicken chili in about 30 minutes. It's layered with the flavor of smoky pantry spices, chipotle pepper, and tomato paste to make a hearty chili with canned beans.
Ingredients
Spice Blend
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Chili
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- 1 pound (450 g) ground chicken, spicy chicken sausage, removed from the casing
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chili in adobo sauce
- 3 15-ounce cans white navy beans or pinto beans, drained
- 1 ½ cups (375 ml) chicken broth, or water
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cups (225 g) grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Garnish ideas
- Sliced avocado
- Tortilla chips
- Sliced jalapeno
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Chili spice blend
- Stir together the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Tip: Double or triple the amount and store in jar for another dinner.
Make the chili
- Heat the oil in a wide pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook 3-5 minutes over medium heat, until the onion is softened.
- Add the crumbled chicken or sausage to the pot. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, stirring frequently to break the meat into pieces.
- Stir in the ground spices. Let the spices cook in the oil for about a minute to bloom their flavor.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chipotle pepper, beans, water and salt. Bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover the pot and cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and 1 cup of the cheese.
- Serve the chili in bowls, topped with additional cheese and all the garnishes you enjoy.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- To store the chili, put it in a sealed container and refrigerate up to 1 week. Reheat on the stovetop with additional water or stock if it has thickened too much. Remember to check the seasoning if you do add more liquid, as it will dilute the flavor a bit.
- To freeze the chili, cool completely and pack into a freezer container. Freeze up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or using the defrost function on a microwave before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1632mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1952IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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😛
OK, so I just made this tonight and my son declared it the best chili he has ever eaten! The complex flavors are fantastic; no further hot sauce required. I did need to add twice as much water as was called for but otherwise it was perfect.
Taina, that’s amazing! I know when my kids say they love a dish it’s a keeper.
And thank you for pointing out that you needed to add more water – there was a typo in the recipe and I’ve corrected it – should have been 1 1/2 cups, not 3/4 cup water.
this looks amaaaaazing! fabulous photography, too.