This easy chicken and black bean chili is a perfect cold-weather meal. It’s cozy, comforting, and so quick to throw together.
This easy, comforting chicken chili comes together in a flash.
Nothing hits the spot on a cold night like a hearty, spicy bowl of chili. It’s flavorful and warming, and the toppings always take it to the next level.
It’s been so cold here in Baltimore, and this chicken chili delivered big, bold flavors that tasted so good! In addition to ground chicken, I use hot salsa paired with black beans and sweet potatoes for a spicy chili that has just the right amount of sweetness and heartiness.
How to make this chicken and black bean chili
This recipe is great because you don’t need many ingredients. Like most chili recipes, you can modify this endlessly depending on your preferences.
What you need
- Ground chicken: You can use any ground meat for this chili. Try it with ground turkey, pork, beef, or even lamb.
- Spices: I season the chili with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne powder. You can also use crushed red pepper to add additional heat.
- Veggies: I use minced scallions, diced red onion, red bell pepper, and cubed sweet potatoes. You could add frozen corn or use cubed butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes.
- Hot salsa: You can use your favorite salsa in this chili. I used Mateo’s hot salsa, but use your preferred spice level!
- Black beans: Any bean would work here, though I think it’s best with a dark bean like black beans or kidney beans. You could make this with white beans or chickpeas as well.
- Toppings: The toppings are the best part! I served it with sour cream, grated pepperjack cheese, and minced cilantro. It would be delicious with diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, or minced red onion.
How to make it
- Step 1: Brown the chicken. After the chicken is cooked, add the spices and toss to coat the chicken.
- Step 2: Add the scallion whites, red onion, and red bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, and then add the diced sweet potato.
- Step 3: Add the salsa, black beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. I recommend mashing a few sweet potatoes to thicken the chili further!
- Step 4: From there, you’re ready to serve it up! Spoon the chili into bowls, and then garnish to your heart’s content!
Chicken and Black Bean Chili
This easy chicken and black bean chili is a perfect cold-weather meal. It's cozy, comforting, and so quick to throw together.
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Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder (or crushed red pepper, optional)
- 5 scallions (trimmed and minced; white and green parts kept separate)
- 3 ounces red onion (minced)
- 1 red bell pepper (trimmed, seeded, and diced)
- 8 ounces sweet potato (peeled and diced)
- 1 cup hot salsa
- 15- ounce can black beans (drained)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper
For serving, optional:
- Cilantro (minced)
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips (crushed)
- Avocado (peeled and diced)
Instructions
Brown the chicken:
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until completely cooked.
Add the spices:
- Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon cayenne or crushed red pepper. If you like it spicier, add more cayenne or crushed red pepper.
- Toss to coat the chicken in the spices and cook until fragrant.
Add the aromatics and vegetables:
- Add the minced white parts of the scallions, red onion, and red bell pepper. Toss to coat and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes and toss to combine.
Simmer the chili:
- Add the hot salsa, black beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Taste the broth and season lightly. It will get saltier as it reduces. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
- Lightly mash a few sweet potatoes with a spoon to create a thicker chili.
To serve:
- Spoon the chili into bowls and garnish with the remaining minced scallion greens. Serve with your favorite toppings, such as grated cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, or minced cilantro. Enjoy!
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It was delicious! I used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes.
Thank you! So happy to hear this!