After an unusually warm and spring-like weekend, this week’s cold temperatures and bitter winds seem especially bone-chilling. And there’s no better way to warm up a cold, winter night than a piping hot bowl of chili. Chili is my go-to dinner in the winter months. It’s simple, flavorful and makes the most of items that are likely already in your pantry—beans, canned tomatoes, spices. It’s also extremely versatile. You can add whatever diced veggies you have on hand and it’s delicious with or without meat. This recipe calls for diced chicken, but you can also use ground chicken or turkey.
For an even faster version, use leftover chicken or turkey or pull the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Add the cooked chicken just you simmer the chili. The longer this chili simmers, the more flavorful it becomes. It’s even better the next day once the flavors had time to develop. This recipe makes a big batch. I like to freeze half of it so I have a ready-made on hand to enjoy later.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 roma tomatoes, chopped or 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (omit tomato paste if using canned tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen corn kernels or 3 cups fresh kernels
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Season the with salt and pepper and add it to the hot pan.
- Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it’s cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and return it to medium heat. Add the onion red bell pepper and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for about a then add the chickpeas, black beans and chicken stock.
- Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the chili for 15 – 20 minutes. Stir in the corn and simmer the chili for an additional 15 – 20 minutes. Season the chili with salt and to taste.
- Serve with sour cream, diced avocado and shredded cheddar cheese.
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