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This healthy, delicious Chicken Black Bean Chili, made with rotisserie chicken and lots of fresh veggies, is a perfect way to warm up a chilly day.
The first time I made this Chicken Black Bean Chili it disappeared in the blink of an eye, so now, I always make a double batch!
Stay healthy with lots of veggies
With all the sickness going around at this time of year, I like to sneak lots of healthy veggies into my meals whenever possible, to help fortify our immune systems. I found onions, garlic, jalapeno, carrots, celery and red bell pepper in the fridge and they all went into this Chicken Black Bean Chili. The plethora of vegetables, not only significantly bump up the nutritional value of this chili, but also adds lots of flavor as the veggies cook and meld into the delicious broth.
A kitchen magic trick!
I chop the vegetables pretty fine for my chilies and like them to be a fairly uniform size for a pretty presentation. My Vidalia Chop Wizard makes a job like this super easy! I was curious to see how long it would take me to chop all these veggies with my little kitchen workhorse so I had Scott set a timer and... Are you ready? It took me 2 minutes and 30 seconds to go from this:
to this:
How cool is that? By the way, this is not a sponsored post, I just love this handy little gadget, as it saves me so much time in the kitchen.
A few tips regarding the Vidalia Chop Wizard...
It's important to do your chopping in three simple steps. I had Scott take a few pictures to illustrate what I mean.
- First of all, prep your veggies to fit within the cutting grate. This takes just minutes and may mean slicing an onion or cutting up a carrot or bell pepper to fit the grate.
- Next, bring the lid down until you feel the chopper engage slightly with the vegetable. This gets the cutting started and prevents any damage to the chopper.
- Finally, (this is the fun part!), give it a good whack with the heel of your hand. Scott laughs when he hears "whack", "whack", "whack" as he knows (most likely) something delicious is in the making.
I use this chopper to dice the hardest, most dense veggies like carrots, potatoes, even winter squash! Have you heard the old saying; "Many hands make light work."? I say; "This chopper makes my work much lighter."!
Rotisserie chicken or leftovers
You don't need a rotisserie chicken to make this Chicken Black Bean Chili. Any leftover chicken, even turkey will work great. Or you could roast a few breasts using this Roasted Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary recipe or saute some skinless, boneless breasts using this Juicy, Tender Baked Chicken Breasts recipe. It's up to you. I really like how having a rotisserie chicken on hand makes meals like this so easy.
I love Costco rotisserie chickens because they're large, have great flavor and the meat is super tender. We don't have a Costco near us so when we go, I often buy a couple of chickens and pop one or more in the freezer (wrapped tightly to prevent freezer burn). I thaw it in the refrigerator and use it just like IÂ would a regular rotisserie chicken.
So, whether there's snow in the forecast or not, whether you live north, south or on the Mason Dixon line, don't let this cozy season slip by without making a pot of this flavorful Chicken Black Bean Chili. You very well might be like me and find yourself making a double batch the next time around!
Café Tips for making this Chicken Black Bean Chili
- This chili is delicious on its own, but it's fun to offer optional toppings; like tortilla chips, fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese, diced white onion, cilantro, sour cream, or Greek yogurt (our favorite), diced avocado, salsa and/or fresh lime wedges. For a fun casual meal, I just leave the chili right in the pot, surrounded by bowls of the toppings and let guests serve themselves.
- If you're using diced onions as a topping, try to find a white onion. White onions are crisp and mild in flavor compared to yellow onions. They're the ones traditionally used in south-of-the-border salsas and guacamoles.
- A rotisserie chicken from Costco will yield about 4 cups of diced or shredded chicken breast, 5 cups if you include the dark meat. I find chickens from other grocery chains are smaller and will yield slightly less meat. If you have a little less, that's fine, the chili will still be wonderful.
- You could actually omit the chicken altogether in this recipe and have a delicious, super healthy, vegetarian chili. You'd also want to leave out the bacon and add an additional tablespoon of olive oil.
- As stated above, there's one strip of thick-cut, smoky bacon in this recipe. The fat is not removed after the bacon is crisp and golden. It serves as a source of wonderful flavor and also subs for part of the oil that the veggies are sauteed in. If you're watching calories, no worries! An average strip of uncooked, thick cut bacon has 140 calories, which means only 14 calories are added per serving of chili - but loads of delicious flavor! So don't omit the bacon (unless, of course, you're vegetarian).
- You might think it strange, but there are two corn tortillas that are diced and added to the vegetable sauté in this Chicken Black Bean Chili. These tortillas will melt into the broth and add a delicious depth of flavor to the chili. What to do with the rest of the package of corn tortillas? They make delicious quesadillas; just sandwich chicken and shredded cheese between two corn tortillas. Add a little oil to a sauté pan and cook on both sides until golden. Serve with salsa on the side for a delicious lunch. Corn tortillas can also be frozen. I like to divide them up and place 3-4 each, in small ziplock bags. When I use them, I can pull out just what I need, and not try to pry them apart from a big stack.
- There's a teaspoon of sugar in this savory chili recipe. That might seem unusual but don't worry, it doesn't make the chili sweet but it does balance out the tomatoes and spices.
- Chili powders can vary drastically in spiciness. Start with 1-2 teaspoons. You can always add more towards the end, if you find you want more spicy heat. If you do add more chili powder at the end, be sure to let the chili simmer a little longer to let the spices meld and marry.
- This Chicken Black Bean Chili recipe can be made in a slow cooker. I didn't use my slow cooker because the bacon has to be sautéed till crisp on the stovetop to render the fat. It's also important for the aromatics (the onion, garlic, spices and other veggies) to be sauteed before combining with the broth and tomatoes to enhance the flavor. Rather than dirtying an additional pot, I just pop my chili into a low temp oven and let it do it's magic there. If you're going to be gone all day, or simply prefer to use the slow cooker, just transfer the mixture to the slow cooker after all ingredients have been added and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the veggies are very tender.
- The recipe calls for a can of corn. During the cold winter months, when fresh corn is not available and/or reasonably priced, I like to use Summer Crisp Corn. It comes in an 11-ounce can and is sweet and crisp. You can find it with other canned corn at the grocery store
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Thought for the day:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
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Chicken Black Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 2 strips thick-cut smoky bacon
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 large onion, diced small
- 3 stalks celery, diced small
- 4 medium carrots, diced small
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced small
- 1 medium jalapeno, finely minced
- 2 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder, see Café tips above
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 14.5 ounce cans fire-roasted canned tomatoes
- 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 4-ounce can mild diced green chilis, undrained
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 11-ounce can sweet corn, see Café Tips above
- 4 cups diced or shredded rotisserie chicken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300ËšF.
- Cut bacon in length lengthwise then cut into thin (ÂĽ-inch) pieces width-wise. Add bacon and olive oil to a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty stockpot. Cook over medium heat until bacon is crisp and golden. Do not discard fat.
- Add garlic to the pot and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add diced vegetables, diced corn tortillas, chili powder, cumin and oregano to the pot and stir well. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are beginning to soften and onions are translucent.
- Add broth, tomatoes, black beans, green chilis, salt and sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and place in the oven for 2 hours.
- Place pot on the stovetop, add chicken and cook, uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken broth and meld flavors. Add corn and cook for another 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Serve chili on its own or with toppings listed above in the post under Café Tips.
Notes
Nutrition
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A great recipe! I added more chili powder and some cayenne pepper (I am from Texas...). It smelled so good that my dog pestered me all day long hoping for a bite! The prep time (for me) was considerably longer than half an hour, but it was all worth it in the end! Delicious!
Thank you for the review, Tracee! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I have cooked this 2x/s already and making it again today. I really like how it all comes together, I simmer it on the stove vs putting in the oven, I just turn the burner off after a while then back on until it is all tasting good and ready for the chicken and corn.
Thank you for a lovely chicken black bean chili!!
Thank you for the review, Mollie! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I'm going to use the crock pot method so I can start the chili in the morning and serve it at night. Should I add the chicken and canned corn for the 4-6 hours of crock pot cooking, or add those two ingredients before I serve the chili? Perhaps it doesn't matter. I made the smoky black bean turkey chili and it was superb!
Hi Susan, I would add both of them at the end, before serving. Neither need to cook very long.
I’ve not made this but want to take to my church chili cook off dinner. Will this be ok made a day ahead? And what chili powder do you use?
Thanks
Yes, this will be even better a day ahead. I use Mexene Chili Powder.
I won second place with your recipe. I followed it exactly except for increasing the chili powder by another teaspoon. It wasn’t spicy at all. It was very good and got rave reviews. Thank you!!
That's awesome, Nanci! Thanks for letting us know!
Great chili with just the right amount of spice. All the vegetables are a nice addition to chili. Served this with a side of your best ever super easy salsa & oven baked corn tortilla chips. Yes, it's the best & so easy to just everything in the food processor. Thanks again for a wonderful dinner.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Candace!
Chris, I followed the directions carefully but ended up with what could be used as a casserole. Hardly any liquid so I added 3 cups of water to get it to a more chili style. It tastes delicious but where did I go wrong?
Hi Carolyn, it may be that your cover is not real tight and that some of the liquid evaporated. It should definitely not be like a casserole but you did the right thing to add more liquid.
Everything is prepped and ready to go. The recipe itself mentions olive oil. I don't find an amount. Think one could do without it. The ingredients call for 2 slices of bacon, the narrative mentions one. Maybe I missed something. Pls advise...your recipes are genius...I want the full effect!
Hello Susan, thank you for noticing that and pointing it out. I think what happened is that originally, I made the chili with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 strip of bacon but in a later test, made it without oil and 2 strips of bacon. I will correct it now. It should be 2 strips of bacon and no oil is needed.
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe! I used leeks instead of celery (personal preference) and omitted the bacon and corn tortillas. It was outstanding. Putting the chilli in the oven for two hours allowed the flavours to blend and intensify. I am going to use this technique with my other chilli recipes. Thanks Chris!!
Thanks for sharing your results, Jennifer!
Hi Chris,
I'm just wondering how spicy this is. My husband likes really spicy food, but I like medium spicy food, but we both love chili. Thanks.
Hi Helen, I would say this is fairly mild. It has spice from the chili powder but is not spicy. You can always increase or decrease the heat to your tastes.
Just made this. It is really good. I don't know if this question has been asked,, but can you freeze this. Thanks for a great recipe!
Yes, you can freeze it!
We love this recipe. Since it only needs 3 stalks of celery, how to you use the rest of the celery? I never know how to safe celery for future use when a recipe calls for a certain number of stalks.
Thank you.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Melzana! As for the celery, I make a lot of soups this time of year so I use it that way. It's also great in chicken salad or as a snack. You can store it in a plastic storage bag in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Melanza,
I got a set of these at Costco many months ago. They're amazing how ell they keep produce like celery, carrots, peppers and asparagus. I use a large one and keep it at the back of my fridge where it's coolest. https://amzn.to/3Fbnkm0
Thanks, Sally! That's very helpful!
Your London recommendations were spot on so had to try our first Cafe recipe the day after returning home to Maryland. Jason RAVED about it even after I subbed in smoked turkey pieces for the bacon. He’s looking forward to eating leftovers today while watching football. We’ll definitely be trying more!
I'm so glad, Nicole! And thanks for sharing your review for the chili.
Made this chili for dinner tonight. Used ground chicken instead of diced chicken breast or rotisserie chicken and I left out the canned chilies. It was the best chili recipe I have ever made. Will be making this recipe often.
I'm so glad, Cindy! Thanks for letting us know!
I don't usually leave a post, but this chili was so good, I had to this time. The flavor was amazing and the house smelled so good when it was cooking.
Yay! I'm so glad, Sandy!
Just delicious! The house smells heavenly.
This was absolutely the best chili ever. I did not include the bacon (didn’t have any) or the garlic (it doesn’t like me) but it was outstanding without either. My husband LOVED it and wants me to add it to the rotation, often! Thank you for the great recipe.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Jean! Thanks for sharing your results!
Costco Rotisserie Chicken already in the package!! Husband is tearing it up now!! The smells coming out of the oven are amazing. We just got home from a warm vacation and the colder weather here in Seattle...Soup/chili sounded great! Your recipes were hard to chose from. This one was the first to try...Can't wait to taste it...
Welcome home, sounds like you pick the perfect dish for a chilly evening! Hope you enjoy it, Christi!
It was amazing and a huge hit with my parents too! Thanks for another amazing recipe!!!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing your results, Christi!
Made this tonight and it was excellent. Baked two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (using your recipe on your site) that I needed to use from the freezer and only needed to buy a few items to add to what I had on hand. Both my husband and daughter kept commenting on how great it smelled when I was cooking it in the oven. We all loved it and my daughter, who is not much of a carnivore, had seconds. This is defintely a keeper for our family. The only thing I would add is that I needed to add water to keep the chili from becoming too dry. Thank you Chris!
Thanks for sharing your results, Theresa! I'm so happy you enjoyed this Chili!
Very excited to try this....wondering your thoughts on trying in crockpot instead of oven? Thanks! Love your recipes!
Hi Sheila, I think you could definitely make this in the crockpot. I would just do steps 1-3 on the stovetop before adding to the slow cooker - unless of course, you have one of the slow cookers that you can sauté in. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks so much! And yikes...I posted again! Apologies!
Another winner! Made this and can't wait for my husband to get home from work so we can dig in! (Might not wait, haha!) Delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Yay!! So happy you took the time to share your results DC! Enjoy! But do save him a bit 🙂
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! Had a second serving for lunch today, and it was even better. This is a perfect recipe for those following Weight Watchers Freestyle program. Incredibly filling, tasty, and very low in points.
Thanks, Susan! So happy you enjoyed it and it's great to know how the Weight Watchers information too!
We had this for dinner last night , along with Tostitos, a thin and crispy corn chip. A side of broccoli with grainy mustard and corn bread made with sour cream and chilis took it over the top. Tonight will be leftovers and I plan to serve with diced raw onion on top, and coleslaw. We are big veggie eaters so this chili was perfect for us. I, too, have learned to tuck veggies into many recipes. We stay healthy and fit.
Thanks for the healthy and lighter recipes Chris.
Thanks Karen, I like your toppings!
This is the perfect weather for this amazing chili, Chris! How delicious and satisfying this looks on our chilly, snowy day here.
What a gorgeous chili Chris!! I've just come down with the flu and I really need my husband me to make up a giant pot for me 🙂
Snow and chili just go together, don't they? And chicken and black beans are a wonderful chili pairing. This looks excellent -- thanks.
This is perfect for our Winter, too! Loving all the goodness, combined with all the deliciousness 🙂
Wow! This looks awesome Chris! I LOVE all the veggies. This would be perfect for a crowd for the Super Bowl!
Made this tonight. I used extra olive oil instead of the bacon because my daughter doesn't eat bacon. Everyone loved it!!! Thank you!!
So perfect for the cold weather we're having. We too got a little snow - maybe a little more than a inch, but the cold weather sure hung on. Wish I had a big bowl of this delicious chili!
Love this idea! Looks so good!
Thanks Lisa!
We're having a wee reprieve from the bitter cold, but I'm certain I'll need to make a batch of this chicken chili next week when the temps plunge again! Have a great week! xo
Hello Chris,
This looks delicious and I plan to make it soon!
I thought I'd mention - if you read the blog post it makes perfect sense, but you titled the recipe "Chicken Black Bean Chili" and the rotisserie chicken is not mentioned in the ingredient list or in the instructions. There is mention of it near the title, so if the recipe is printed that should jog the shopping memory.
Sometimes I'm such a dingbat! Thanks for pointing this out Kristi, the recipe has been corrected!
It was delicious and left-overs were good too! I really like it with a spoonful of sour cream on top.
Thanks so much Kristi, we love the leftovers too. It just seems to get better and better!
Looks so delicious and warming! And those fresh cilantro...too cold to find some at this time of year..
There's no chicken listed in the ingredients - although it's mentioned in the Café Tips. Any suggestions for how many boneless skinless breasts to use if not using rotisserie chicken?
This is the perfect winter comfort meal! Love your healthy twist on a classic!
We live so close to you, yet I had no idea that it hardly ever snows! This is perfect for the deep winter, and Phil loves black beans!
Oops, I see the part about baking it now! I stayed up too late watching UGA play Alabama last night, I think. I suspect I'll find chicken in the ingredients list soon, too!
Haha, I don't have that excuse, Sandra! I did forget the chicken but it's been corrected now!
I was so tempted by that chopper in Fl..unfortunately there was nary an ounce of space or weight to be had.
Looks great..and that turquoise pot:) Love it..bet the chili was delish too..we have had a very inclement start to the new year..chil was on the menu also:)
I can see why this chili went fast, looks delicious. Also love all the veggies you added. This should help keep the cold weather blues away;)