If you’re craving a cozy comforting meal that’s packed with flavor and healthy ingredients, you’re going to love this easy ground chicken chili recipe. It’s delicious, hearty, and made a little lighter than traditional chili because it’s made with lean ground chicken.

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Why you’ll love this

There’s nothing like a good chili recipe warming up your kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, am I right?

If you’re looking for a healthy chili recipe, I’ve got you covered with this one. It’s high protein and high fiber with 23g of protein and 11g of fiber per serving!

Plus, it’s made with nutritious ingredients like lean ground chicken, beans, veggies, and tomatoes.

Another reason to love this chili? It’s both meal prep and freezer friendly, which I love as a dietitian because life is busy!

Make this ground chicken chili on the weekend and enjoy it a few times for an easy healthy dinner or lunch all week long. Or, freeze it and your future self will definitely thank you (I LOVE these freezer cubes).

It’s also made in one pot and the first few steps only take about 15 minutes. The rest of the cook time is just some simmering to blend the flavors together. That means it’s perfect for busy weeknights and easy clean up!

Lastly, this chicken chili is super customizable to fit whatever your taste preferences and dietary needs are. You can adjust the spice level, switch up the protein, change the veggies, and add whatever toppings you love! 

Let’s get into the ingredients you need to make this cozy comforting chili recipe!

Ingredients

My favorite part about chili is that it’s really not fancy or complicated even though it’s so flavorful. It’s full of nutritious, simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.

• Ground chicken – Using ground chicken here instead of ground beef cuts down the fat without sacrificing the flavor. Any ground meat will work, I love using ground turkey for this recipe too.
• Olive oil – You’ll need a bit of olive oil for sautéing the veggies and ground chicken. I also love using avocado oil.
• Yellow onion – I prefer the classic yellow onion flavor but you can use white onion or red onion too. Make your life a little easier by using this this vegetable chopper for your onions and veggies!
• Bell peppers – I usually like to add a mix of peppers, like one green bell pepper and one red bell pepper to vary the flavor. You can use any that you enjoy, and even add different fresh vegetables here too, like zucchini or squash.
• Fresh garlic cloves – Fresh garlic is a must! This garlic grater makes life in the kitchen super easy. 
• Beans – If you ask me, yes, beans belong in chili! I like to use a combination of black beans and kidney beans for fiber and protein. You can also use cannellini beans, white kidney beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans, white beans or any canned beans that you enjoy!
• Diced tomatoes – You can opt for fire-roasted tomatoes or regular canned diced tomatoes.  
• Tomato paste – Tomato paste helps to add a deeper tomato flavor.
• Spices – You’ll need salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika – If you like a spicer chili, you can add red pepper flakes here. 
• Chicken broth – You can also use vegetable broth or beef broth but it will change up the flavor a bit.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat in a large pot or large dutch oven. Add diced onions, peppers and garlic to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions begin to soften.

2. Add ground chicken and continue cooking on medium heat with the veggies until completely browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste to the pan and cook with veggies and ground chicken for about 30-60 seconds, stirring.

4. Add remaining ingredients- diced tomatoes, broth, beans, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally. Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

5. Top with cheese, sour cream, corn chips,  jalapeños or any other chili toppings you love. Enjoy!

Chicken chili topping ideas

Don’t forget your favorite toppings! Here are some of my favorites

• Sliced fresh jalapeños or pickled jalapeños
• Shredded cheese
• Corn chips (like Fritos!) or tortilla chips
• A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Fresh cilantro & lime juice 
• Sliced green onions
• Crumbled corn bread (or serve on the side)

Recipe FAQ

How to store

• Fridge: Store leftover chili in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. It’s great for meal prep because it’s truly even better the next day!
• Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. These silicone freezer cubes are absolutely amazing. You can use them to freeze a portion at a time and then just pop one out when it’s time to reheat!

Can I make this in the crockpot?

To make it in the crockpot, follow the first 3 steps as written and then transfer everything to the crockpot with the remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. If your crockpot has a sauté function you can follow the first 3 steps right in the crockpot.

Variations

• Switch up the protein. Use ground turkey, ground beef, or even meatless crumbles to make it vegetarian.  
• Add different veggies like sweet corn, diced zucchini, eggplant, butternut squash, or carrots. You could even add diced potatoes!
• Switch up the beans. Add any beans you enjoy, like lentils, white northern beans or cannellini beans in place of the kidney beans.
• Add heat by sauteéing jalapeños with the peppers, adding cayenne pepper, or topping your chili with crushed red pepper flakes. You can also add a can or two of diced green chiles.
• If you prefer a bit of sweetness in your chili, add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or brown sugar.
• Add 6-8 ounces of cream cheese for a creamy chicken chili!

Shop this recipe

• Garlic Grater 
• Ground Meat Chopper 
• Vegetable Chopper 
• Freezer Cubes

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