Easy Chili Chicken

An overhead image of a bowl of chicken chili.

This easy chili chicken is cozy, flavorful, and super simple to make. Just toss it all in the Instant Pot or crock pot, and you’re good to go. Packed with flavor, veggies, and protein, it's a delicious and satisfying meal.

Course Main, Main Course, Main dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Diet Low Lactose

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 10

Servings servings

Calories 261kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil (optional- only use if you're sautéing the veggies first)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced (you can also include the seeds if you want a spicier chili)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beer (or chicken stock if you don't cook with alcohol)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
28 ounces diced tomatoes canned
2 large raw boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 3 small)
14 ounces black beans, canned- drained and rinsed
14 ounces kidney beans canned- drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1-3 Tablespoons tomato paste

Instructions

Crockpot instructions

(Optional first step) Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat and saute onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic for 5 minutes or until softened. Deglaze the pan with beer and add mixture to crockpot.
Combine all ingredients except for the beans, corn and tomato paste into the crockpot.
Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours.
Stir in both beans, corn and tomato paste for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Instant Pot instructions

(Optional first step) Switch Instant Pot to the Saute setting and heat oil. Saute onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic for 5 minutes or until softened. Deglaze the pan with beer.
Combine all ingredients except for the beans, corn and tomato paste into the Instant Pot.
Cover and make change the valve to Sealing. Change the setting to Manual High Pressure for 15 minutes.
When the time is up, do a natural release for 10 minutes and then do a quick release.
Remove the cover and change the settings to saute.
Stir in both beans, corn and tomato paste and simmer for 5-10 minutes to heat beans and corn and thicken the chili.
Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Video

Notes

Sautéing the veggies first (especially in the Instant Pot) gives the chili a richer, deeper flavor. Totally optional and only if you’ve got the time, but worth it.

Don’t skip the tomato paste if you want a thick, hearty texture.

Adjust the spices to match your heat vibe. As written, it’s got just a little kick, but nothing too spicy.

Stir in the beans and corn at the end to keep them from getting mushy — either during the last 30 minutes in the crockpot, or once you’ve released the pressure and switched the Instant Pot to sauté.

Ingredients to prep ahead- Chop all the veggies and measure out the spices.

Leftovers and storage- Instantpot chicken chili keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days and freezes like a dream. Use within 3 months if frozen, and thaw before reheating.

Nutrition