Make this bowl your signature chili!
Chili, while taking many of its spices and flavoring from Mexican cuisine, is an American dish that originated in Texas. Originally a staple among families who couldn’t afford more expensive cuts of meat, chili started out using inexpensive cuts of meat and beans, traditionally cheap and easy to come by, and relied on chili peppers for its flavor. Today, chili has evolved into a dish with many variations. At chili cookoffs, Superbowl parties, and in kitchens across the country, chilis are made with red meat, chicken, or no meat at all, and combine everything from black beans to red beans to tomatoes and corn and carrots.
At Skinny Ms., we enjoy cooking up a warm pot of healthy, satisfying chili, and we’ve got loads of recipes to satisfy your particular taste in this warming, spicy dish. This Chicken and Black Bean Chili recipe abounds with flavor, and uses low-fat and low-calorie ingredients that make it a healthy choice. Chicken is a low-fat, low-calorie staple that is inexpensive and easy to find. Both chicken and black beans provide a ton of lean protein, and black beans add dietary fiber to this nutritious meal.
We’ve cooked this up with a variety of flavors that mingle together to produce one tasty dish. Tangy tomatoes, sweet carrots, earthy cumin, and spicy chili powder provide a whopping amount of flavor. And you can enhance that flavor with the delicious spice of a stemmed and seeded chili pepper, as well as bell peppers for extra sweetness. This chili will have friends and family clamoring for seconds and asking for the recipe!
Chicken and Black Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts chopped into bite sized cubes
- 15 ounces black beans can, drained and rinsed
- 1 jalapeno or chili pepper of choice, stemmed, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup bell pepper red, green, yellow, or mix, chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots chopped
- 1/2 cup celery sliced
- 15 ounce diced fire-roasted tomatoes with juice can
- 2 cups chicken broth low-sodium preferred
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili powder ancho chili powder is especially good here
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/4 cup cilantro coarsely chopped, for garnish (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
Instructions
- Sauté chicken in one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minute. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and onions, bell peppers, carrots and celery over medium heat until the onion is softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute until golden and fragrant.
- Add the broth, tomatoes in liquid, black beans, spices and, chicken, stir well. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until carrots are tender.
- Serve with any of the following toppings, if desired: thinly sliced/diced hot chili peppers, plain low-fat Greek yogurt, low-fat cheddar cheese, sliced scallions, or crumbled baked tortilla chips.
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
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Made this for myself and my girlfriend. We are tryimg to lose weight and sick of bland healthy food. Super easy and delicious
Hi Louise, Cutting calories and fat certainly doesn’t have to mean cutting flavor. I’m glad you both enjoyed it!
I made this in my instant pot. Put all the ingredients in with frozen chicken and it was delicious! Definitely a keeper recipe.
Awesome, Michelle! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us know!