Black Bean Chicken Chili (gluten and dairy-free)
This nourishing black bean chicken chili gives you classic chili flavors in less than 30 minutes. Made with tender chicken, black beans and lots of veggies, it’s the perfect meal when you’re hungry, cold and mildly lazy. No judgments on the lazy part.
This black bean chili recipe can be made in an instant pot, stove top or slow cooker and is totally customizable. It makes a ton of food so is perfect for serving larger groups or meal prep. I love having a potluck where everyone brings their favorite chili toppings. Have you ever had macaroni noodles with your chili? Me neither, but I do now!
If you’ve been hit by the chili train and want more delicious, healthy and hearty bowls, try Instant Pot turkey chili, chicken and white bean chili or my family’s favorite, macro friendly chili.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- High in protein and fiber and low fat.
- Minimal ingredients.
- Gluten and dairy-free.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for this black bean chili recipe.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, chicken thighs or sausage.
- Red Peppers: any color bell peppers but I like the sweetness of the orange and red bell pepper mixed with the cumin and chili powder.
- Green Chiles
- Black Beans: all types of beans work. White beans, pinto beans and kidney beans are my favorite.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: fire roasted adds a little kick of flavor.
- Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock: beef broth or vegetable broth also work.
- Corn: canned, fresh or frozen.
Variations
- Make this vegetarian chili by omitting the chicken and adding lentils and sweet potatoes, diced onions, fresh tomatoes or any preferred veggies.
- To change up the flavor, instead of adding the cumin, green chilis and chili powder, add homemade Cajun seasoning or homemade ranch dressing mix to season the chicken.
- Add red pepper flakes or hot sauce for some heat.
- Top with Greek yogurt, diced onion or shredded cheese.
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is both gluten-free and dairy-free, as is.
How to make Black Bean Chicken Chili
Step 1: cook the chicken
Over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the large Dutch oven or large pot. Once hot, add cubed chicken breast, diced onions and minced garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently until the chicken is no longer pink.
Add cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper and green chilies. Mix and stir to evenly coat the chicken in the spices.
Step 2: add ingredients
Add all remaining ingredients and give it a good stir to combine. Cover with lid and let simmer for 15-12 minutes until warmed through.
Step 3: serve
Serve the chili and enjoy. Top with chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, diced red onion or a dollop of sour cream.
Expert Tip!
Recipe FAQs
Top with fresh cilantro, crushed tortillas chips, olives or jalapeños and hot sauce for some heat.
This chili gets even better after a day or two. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze the leftovers: portion leftovers into individual servings and freeze using freezer safe bags and pull them out when ready to use. Let the chili fully defrost in the refrigerator the night before or defrost directly in a sauce pan over medium until warmed through.
Crockpot: add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you lose some liquid add additional chicken broth. Instant Pot: add all ingredients to the instant pot and cook for 15 minutes.
Check out some of our other easy meals!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Black Bean Chicken Chili
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Equipment
- Dutch Oven or soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast cubed
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bell peppers red & orange diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 7 oz. diced green chilies
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 cans black beans 15 oz. each
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes 14.5 oz. each
- 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 can corn 15.25 oz.
Instructions
- Over medium heat add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the large Dutch oven or soup pot. Once hot add cubed chicken breast, diced onions and minced garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Add cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and green chilies. Mix and stir to evenly coat the chicken in the spices.
- Add all remaining ingredients and stir together well to combine. Cover with lid and let the chili simmer for 15-20 minutes until warmed through and chili has thickened.
- Serve and top with optional toppings like cilantro, jalapenos or crushed chips.
Notes
- All nutritional data is an estimate. For the most accurate serving measurement weigh your final dish and divide by the number of servings.
- Add any additional veggies or different type of beans to suit your preferences.
- Use leftover chicken to make this recipe even easier.
This is perfect for a cold night and then some! I made it with ground chicken and plan on freezing whatever is left after a night of leftovers. Greek yogurt makes a great topper, too!
Didn’t change a thing about this recipe and it was SO good. Added Greek yogurt and avocado and am so excited to freeze some for the future!
Yay! Happy you loved it!
The flavors of this are amazing, this a top favorite for soup season!
I’ve made your white bean chicken chili before and when my husband asked me to make this instead I was hesitant because I didn’t think I could love anything more than the white bean chili! I was shocked when I tried this! We added 4oz of cream cheese and a little bit of kale at the end and it was amazingggg. Highly recommend!