My easy Ground Chicken Chili recipe is a comforting, hearty dish that’s also a healthy dinner choice for busy families. It’s a simple recipe that combines juicy ground chicken with a rich combination of spices, fresh vegetables, and beans, simmered together to create a delicious, thick chili recipe.
Why You’ll Love My Ground Chicken Chili
I’m such a fan of chili, and thiseasy ground chicken chili recipeis one of my favorites. It’s packed withbold flavors, thanks to the Ro-Tel,chili powder, cumin, and asecret ingredient—cinnamon! This recipe has all the charm oftraditional chili, but really has a nice depth of flavor thanks to its unique combination of ingredients.
It’s also super versatile, leaving you room to add additionalfresh vegetables(you may need to add a bit more chicken broth if you’re adding more veggies). You can also jazz it up with yourfavorite chili toppingslikecheddar cheese, sour cream,green onions, ortortilla chips.
Key Ingredients
Making easy Ground Chicken Chili is doesn’t take long at all. Here’s a list of the key ingredients that make thiscomforting chili recipespecial. Reminder, you can always find a full, printable ingredient list with detailed instructions in therecipe cardtoward the bottom of this post.
- Ground Chicken:This is a wonderful, lean alternative toground beef. Ground chicken is packed with flavor and protein.
- Chili Powder:The core of most chili recipes,chili powderadds the signature smoky depth-of-flavor and warmth. It’s a blend of ground chili peppers and other spices, which can vary by brand, contributing to thebold flavorsin my yummy Ground Chicken Chili.
- Cumin and Cinnamon:These spices add that something special to the recipe. Cumin brings a nutty, earthy element, and cinnamon in chili brings depth and subtle sweetness, creating a unique flavor profile that sets thishealthy chiliapart.
- Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes withGreen Chilis:I am a HUGE fan or Ro-tel. Diced tomatoes andgreen chilisoffer a spicy kick and acidity that brightens the overall taste of the chili.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes:These tomatoes are charred over a flame before being diced and canned, adding a rich, smoky flavor that enhances the chili’s depth.
- Beans (Red Kidney andBlack Beans):What’s chili without beans?Red kidney beans (dark or light are fine)are a classic, whileblack beansadd a different texture and flavor, making the dish more interesting and filling.
- Brown Sugar:Just a touch of brown sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes and the heat of the spices, rounding out the flavor. Adding brown sugar to chili is a game changer.
- Chicken Broth:Used to deglaze the pot and add moisture, chicken broth also brings savory flavor that further enhances this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One:Heatyour tablespoon of olive oilovermedium-high heatin alarge potorlarge Dutch oven. Add theground meat,diced onions, minced garlic, and diced green bell pepper. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink, breaking up any large pieces with awooden spoon.
Step Two:Stir in the dried oregano,chili powder, ground cumin, and ground cinnamon. Cook for about one minute, just enough to let the spices become fragrant.
Step Three:Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Then, add the salt,black pepper, your bay leaves, the dicedfire-roasted tomatoes, Ro-tel, andtomato sauce. Stir well to combine all the yummy ingredients.
Step Four:Bring the ground chicken chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Five:Add thered kidney beans(with their liquid), drained and rinsedblack beans, and brown sugar. Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Step Six:Serve the chili hot in bowls, topped with your choice of shreddedcheddar cheese, adollop of sour cream, diced avocado, and/or fresh cilantro.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is super flexible. Here are some of the substitutions and variations you might enjoy!
- Meat:While ground chicken is the star here, you can easily substitute it withground turkeyorground beef. You could even use shreddedchicken breast!
- Beans:Feel free to experiment with different types of beans such aspinto beans,cannellini beans, orgreat northern beans.White beanswould be tasty!
- Vegetables:Add morefresh vegetableslikered bell pepper, corn, or carrots for extra nutrition and color. Since this is a thick chili recipe, you may need to add additional chicken broth to accommodate additional vegetables.
- Spices:Adjust the spices to your liking. Add morechili powderorred pepper flakesfor a spicier dish or include a pinch of brown sugar for a subtle sweetness.
Recipe Tips
- Simmer Slowly:Allow your chili to simmer gently. This slow cooking process helps blend the flavors together.
- Adjust Thickness:If your chili is looking too thick, you can always add a bit more chicken broth or water. If it’s too thin, let it simmer longer to reduce and thicken.
- Taste as You Go:Don’t be afraid to taste your chili as it cooks and adjust the seasonings according to your preference. We’re all different. Don’t be afraid to season to taste.
- Rest the Chili:Chili always tastes better thenext dayafter the flavors have had more time to meld. If you can, make it ahead of time.
How to Store
Ground Chicken Chili tastes even better on day two! This easy chili recipe stores well in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. It’s also a great freezer chili.
Ground Chicken Chili Freezer Instructions
You can also freeze my cooled, Ground Chicken Chili, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To serve from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove over medium heat until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ground chicken chili recipe in aslow cooker?
Yes, you can make Ground Chicken Chili in aslow cooker. Brown the chicken and vegetables as directed, then transfer them to theslow cookerwith theremaining ingredients. Slow cook in your Crock Pot on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
How can I make this chili spicier?
To make a spicy Ground Chicken Chili, you can add morechili powder, red pepper flakes, a diced jalapeño, or a even pinch of cayenne pepper. Another easy way to make your chili spicy or mild, is to use a different Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes and green chilis) product. I use the Original Ro-Tel in this recipe, but, if you prefer a milder chili, use Mild Ro-tel. Like is spicy? Go for the Hot Ro-Tel, which includes habaneros.
Can I usechicken breastinstead of ground chicken?
Yes, you can use dicedchicken breast, or shredded chicken breast,as a substitute for ground chicken. Cook it the same way as the ground chicken, making sure it’s fully cooked before proceeding with the recipe.
Ground Chicken Chili is such a versatile, healthy, and easy dish! Whether you’re looking for a comforting meal on a cold day or an easy chili that can feed a crowd, my Ground Chicken Chili will be a hit. If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave a review and let me know what you think in the comments below. You’re gonna love it!
More Easy Recipes
- Clean Eating Turkey Chili
- Ground Pork Chili
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Hearty and flavorful ground chicken chili is a healthy and hearty family dinner recipe that has a deep, delicous flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes with green chilis
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, with liquid
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pot. Add the ground chicken, onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and thoroughly cooked. Break up any large lumps with a wooden spoon or spatula. You may have some liquid in the pan, which will be some water from the chicken and vegetables. I usually leave this in the pot, but you can drain it if you wish.
- Add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon to the meat mixture. Sauté for just about one minute.
- Add the chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping up any bits that may have gotten stuck. Add the salt and pepper, bay leaves, diced fire roasted tomatoes, Ro-tel, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine the ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Add the can of red kidney beans with liquid and the black beans (drained and rinsed). Add the brown sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve hot, in bowls, with your favorite optional toppings. I used shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 343Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 927mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 33g
