Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili
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 is the best chili recipe to share with friends and family. Everyone loves it!!
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 an Ina Garten 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 snake 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 best chili recipe with chicken disappeared quickly.
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.
- 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 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 cue to 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.
You May Also Like:
- Easy Black Bean Chili
- White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- More of the Best Soup Recipes
Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili
This unusual, pepper filled chicken chili is ALWAYS a hit!
Ingredients
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 bell peppers, chopped (I used 2 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled plum tomatoes with juice, I use San Marzano
- 1/4 cup basil, minced
- 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped OR 3-4 bone-in, skin on chicken breasts, roasted
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook the onions in the olive oil till translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add peppers and seasonings (except for fresh basil)and cook for about a minute. Add tomatoes with juice, and use spatula to cut into bite sized pieces. Cook 20 minutes. Add chicken and basil and simmer about 20-60 more minutes. I used to cook this the shorter amount of time, but find 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 to much.
- Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.
Notes
Adapted from Ina Garten.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 281Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 660mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 4gSugar: 12gProtein: 32g
56 Comments on “Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili”
This is really comforting! Everyone at my house loved it!
I never thought of adding bell peppers to my chili, but I don’t think I will ever stop adding them it was so good!
Fabulous! Great alternative to “regular” chili. I made a half recipe and it would still serve at least 4. Yummy. A keeper!
Love the big chunks of veggies here 🙂
Chicken and Bell Pepper Chili from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Hi Liz,
Sounds really delicious. I think I have voted. Should there be something to acknowledge the vote once you click on the little star?
Fingers x’d for your lovely dish.
Hi Liz,
Sounds really delicious. I think I have voted. Should there be something to acknowledge the vote once you click on the little star?
Fingers x’d for your lovely dish.
Love chili especially during this time of year. This looks incredible with all the bell peppers – a hot bowl sounds perfect to warm up with 🙂
Looks and sounds wonderfully delicious! A perfect comfort food for a cold winters day!
I love this version of chicken chili…it’s nice to have a healthier version as an option…especially for a chili lover like me!
This sounds so lovely, Liz. I chuckled at the stone age reference 🙂
Oh, and I am glad to hear that my husband is not the only one with a tender palate 😉
I love this colorful chili, the peppers add such appeal!
What a lovely chili! I know I can always trust an Ina recipe, especially one with such stellar reviews!
Voted for your yummy chicken chili à la Ina! Looking forward to seeing you at the F & Wine Conference, Liz =)
So many good chilis listed. But this looks like a winner in my book!
Lizzy,
Your chili got my vote. Hope you win.
Annamaria