Easy Red Chicken Chili
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Delicious, easy Red Chicken Chili is made with everyday ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep. With diced tomatoes, red beans, bell pepper, and corn, it’s a true one-pot meal that is so flavorful, simple, and always a crowd favorite.
Easy, flavorful ground chicken chili.
If I were cooking for myself alone, I would make this chili every single week, that’s how much I love it. For such a simple meal, it has truly outstanding flavor, which I credit to the blend of chili powder, oregano, and cumin. What’s more, it’s extremely quick to prep, includes a nice mix of quality fresh and convenient canned ingredients, and is very satisfying thanks to plenty of lean ground chicken and fiber-rich red kidney beans.
It’s true that we already have black bean, beef, pumpkin, and white chicken chili recipes that we love, but can you ever have enough ways to make these cozy bowls? I say an emphatic no, and I hope you agree!
Ingredient & Substitution Notes
- Ground chicken. Lean, healthy, and rich in protein, ground chicken is the base of this delicious chili. Ground turkey makes a good substitute with no other changes.
- Fresh veggies: yellow onion, red bell pepper, fresh garlic. Freely substitute a red or white onion and any other color of bell pepper that you like.
- Canned and frozen: diced tomatoes, red kidney beans, and frozen corn kernels. This, too, is flexible. I prefer petite diced tomatoes in this but definitely would not make a special trip for them vs. regular size. You can also use a can of corn or kernels cut from cooked cobs.
- Spices and staples: chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, kosher salt, low-sodium chicken broth, and cooking oil of any kind.
That’s all you need to make this tasty chicken chili, but don’t forget the toppings!
What to Serve with Easy Chicken Chili
This recipe is bursting with that classic chili flavor and is well-suited to all your favorite classic chili toppings! Some of our favorites include:
- Sliced or diced avocado (an essential for me)
- Corn chips (an essential for my husband) or tortilla strips
- Shredded cheddar cheese or a Mexican blend
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Cornbread or corn muffins
- Lime wedges or a squeeze of lime juice
- Thinly-sliced jalapeno pepper
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Don’t let the garlic scorch. Have the chicken ready to stir in quickly after adding the garlic, because garlic can burn quickly, and the aroma and flavor of burned garlic is difficult to repair.
- Adjust consistency to your liking. If you like your chili super thick, don’t hesitate to crank the heat up to medium-high and let it simmer a little longer and more aggressively so that more of the liquid bubbles off. Conversely, a gentler simmer will keep it more loose. And if it thickens up more than you intended, just stir in water or more chicken broth, a Tablespoon or so at a time.
- Stretch the meal with an extra pepper or beans. If you want to make more food with little more effort or expense, add in an extra bell pepper of any color or an additional can of beans. Kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans are all good.
- Meal prep. This chili makes a terrific meal prep, as it keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store toppings separately and reheat as desired in the microwave, loosely covered to minimize splatter, or over medium-low heat on the stovetop.
- Spice it up. Add more chili powder, ancho chili powder, or cayenne pepper for additional heat.
Pro Tip
Have just a bit of leftover chili? Don’t toss it! Stuff it into a baked potato or sweet potato to stretch it into a new meal.
Related Recipes
Try our favorite “blue ribbon” beef chili or this deliciously simple white bean chicken chili next.
Craving a meat-free chili that satisfies? This sweet potato black bean combination and slow cooker pumpkin chili channel all the cozy and never disappoint.
Looking for more ways to use ground chicken? Pesto or Greek chicken meatballs are favorites here, as is this dish of tender chicken meatballs with orzo and peppers in tomato sauce.
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Red Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1-2 teaspoons olive, avocado, or vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels no need to defrost
- for toppings: shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, corn chips, etc.
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.1-2 teaspoons olive, avocado, or vegetable oil, 1 small yellow onion, 1 medium red bell pepper
- Stir in garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Quickly add the ground chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes, until it is fully browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.1 pound ground chicken
- Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt, stirring well to coat the veggies and meat in the seasonings.1 and 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, and corn. Increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and let the chili bubble gently for 30-45 minutes, until it has thickened to your liking. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom.1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- Sample and season with more salt or chili powder to taste.
- Serve generous bowlfuls topped as you like. Enjoy!for toppings: shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, corn chips, etc.
Notes
- Storage: Chili keeps well in the refrigerator, tightly-covered, for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave, loosely covered to minimize splatter, or over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Stir in an extra Tablespoon of water or broth if needed to thin out the warmed chili. Store toppings separately.
- Nutrition: Nutritional data is an estimate based on the chili alone and does not include toppings, as those will vary.
- Recipe: Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.
