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Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili

posted by Liz Berg on February 22, 2023

When the weather turns cool, I frequently cook up my favorite classic chili recipe. Often, I shake things up by adding this out-of-the-ordinary, scrumptious Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili to our dinner menu!

Without any exotic ingredients, this Chili Without Beans is perfect to share with friends and family. Everyone loves it!!

Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili in a white bowl.

Table of Contents hide

5 Frequently Asked Questions

6 You May Also Like:

7 Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili

Why You Must Make

Though a bit more sophisticated than your usual chicken chili, it’s still simple to throw together.
It’s based on Ina Garten’s Chicken Chili recipe, so you know it’s delicious!
It’s perfect for game day, to share with friends in need, and for family dinners! I always get asked for the recipe!

When our beloved Packers finally made it to the big game, this seemed like the perfect Super Bowl Sunday dinner. Our Packer lights were positioned around the doors, our not-so-attractive Packer gnome was facing the TV, and our dog, Lambeau, (named after Curly Lambeau…a very famous Green Bay Packer player and coach) was around for good luck.

The family was a bunch of nervous wrecks, and I had to sneak off to the kitchen to escape the shouting, groaning, and armchair refereeing! We had to wait until the game was over to dine, but once again, this No Bean Chili with chicken disappeared quickly.

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Olive Oil, Chili Powder, Kosher Salt
Onions – Yellow, but White work well, too.
Garlic Cloves
Bell Peppers – Red, Orange, and Yellow are sweeter than Green
Cumin – Ground. Great to add to taco meat, too.
Cayenne Pepper – Adds heat.
Cans of Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes with juice – I look for San Marzano tomatoes.
Fresh Basil – Minced
Chicken Breasts – I used boneless, skinless chicken for ease of preparation. Poach in chicken broth, then cube or shred. You may also roast bone-in chicken breasts halves. Cooking with the bone adds more flavor to the meat.

Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili in a small white bowl garnished with basil.

How to Make

Cook the onions, then the garlic, and finally the peppers and seasonings in oil.
Add the tomatoes and their juice and using your spatula or kitchen scissors, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Cook for about 20 minutes.
Add the chicken and basil and cook for up to 60 minutes for the best flavor development.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add peppers and seasonings (except for the fresh basil) and cook for about a minute.
Add the tomatoes with juice, and use a spatula to cut them into bite-sized pieces. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add chicken and basil and simmer for about 20-60 more minutes. The flavor develops even more if you have time to cook for at least an hour. Just add back in some water if it reduces too much.
Serve hot with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Recipe Tips

There’s a bit of chopping involved, but this is not a complicated recipe. Here are some tips for making a fabulous chicken chili.

Start with roasting a few bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Drizzle them with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of seasoning salt. Roast at 375º for about 45 minutes.
Bone-in chicken breasts have more flavor and will not dry out as quickly as boneless.
PRO-Tip: Cooking the spices in the oil before adding the liquids helps extract even more flavor.
Ina’s basic recipe can easily be tweaked depending on your tolerance for heat. The recipe, as written, has crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. If you are nervous about adding these ingredients, start with half the amounts, then taste and adjust after it simmers for a while.
Serving with sour cream was enough to tone down the spice for the hubby’s tender palate, but my boys didn’t mind it simply topped their bowlfuls with cheese and tortilla chips.
Add some frozen corn and/or black beans if you’d like. I used a few colors of bell peppers, but all red will work perfectly, too. I find green peppers are not as sweet, so rarely use them in my cooking.
PRO-Tip: Since fresh basil is added to the recipe, reserve a few sprigs to garnish. Using an ingredient used in the recipe gives a clue about the flavors in the dish. Besides sour cream, you can provide grated cheddar cheese, corn chips, diced onions, and diced jalapenos for additional garnishes. I love to serve this chicken and bell pepper chili with Buttermilk Corn Muffins.
PRO-Tip: Chili is one of those dishes that can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator until it’s time to reheat it. That overnight rest helps with flavor development.
PRO-Tip: On game day, keep it in a slow cooker so it stays warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Secrets to Making Good Chili?

Taste as you go along. Bloom the spices by cooking them in oil before you add any liquid ingredients as this will extract more flavor. Use chicken breasts, not ground chicken in this recipe. The latter can get rubbery.

What Goes with Chicken Chili?

Make sure to have a variety of toppings like tortilla chips, sour cream, diced onions, shredded cheddar, minced cilantro, or basil. For side dishes, garlic bread or corn muffins pair well with chili. Or serve with nachos, guacamole, a green or guacamole salad.

Can Chili be Made in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, though it’s best to saute the onions, garlic, and peppers in olive oil before adding them to the slow cooker. That will help soften them and concentrate their flavor. Adding the spices, too, will allow them to bloom before adding them to the crockpot.

What Does It Mean to Bloom Spices?

Blooming spices in oil helps to bring out the most flavor and aroma from them. It’s easily done at the beginning of your cooking process when onions or other ingredients are cooking in oil. Most spices are fat soluble and their essential oils are released during the process of heating them in the the oil in your recipe or the fat released from browning meat.