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Home » All Recipes » Easy Midweek Meal Ideas » Chicken Chilli Con Carne

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Chicken Chilli Con Carne

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Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne - pinnable image for Pinterest

An easy peasy twist on a classic, this Chicken Chilli Con Carne is easy, healthy and totally delicious – plus it can be made in under 30 minutes – perfect for busy weeknights!

Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne

 

Chilli Obsessed!

To say I have a chilli con carne obsession would be an understatement – I just love a good chilli! I love the flavours and the fact it’s simple to make and can easily be made in double or even triple quantities to stash away in the freezer for future homemade ready meals.

In fact, so far on this blog I have already shared 7 different versions of chilli – including my Quick Beany Chilli, my Sweet Potato Chilli and my absolute favourite, Slow Cooked Chunky Beef Chilli. But I am always looking for ways of reinventing this delicious classic.

Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne in a pan next to a bowl of brown rice and a bowl with chilli and rice in it.

 

Quicker, easier chilli con carne

The thing about a beef chilli is, if you want to make it properly, it does take a while… And while most of that time is hands off time… well, there are often times when you just don’t have the time.

So I began toying with the idea of a chicken chilli… I have fallen head over heels in love with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, lately – OK maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but I really do like them for their fab combination of flavour, convenience, and nutritiousness. Plus they are really good value for money!

So anyway, I decided to try my beloved (!) boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a chilli… and do you know what? It worked a treat and makes a weeknight chilli con carne a doddle to rustle up… Plus, it’s fab if you are cooking for fussy children (or adults!) who don’t like beef, or you are trying to cut down on red meat.

Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne in the pan

 

A super simple recipe!

This delicious Chicken Chilli Con Carne is so easy to make. Simply fry diced onions, then add the diced chicken thigh fillets. Next add the spices, followed by a chopped red pepper, a tin of kidney beans and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, then stir in the chopped coriander, and serve with the rice, lime quarters and extra coriander as garnish.

Collage showing 6 process shots for Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne

 

Easy to adapt…

If chicken thighs are not your thing, then by all means use the same quantity of chicken breast fillets instead. Or you could easily make this veggie by using Quorn chicken pieces.

If you are wanting to stretch this further, why not add an extra can of beans or a tin of sweetcorn? And if you want to make this even quicker and easier, swap the chilli flakes and other spices for a tablespoons or two of mild chilli powder instead.

 

What to serve with chicken chilli?

To make this meal even healthier, I like to serve it with brown rice… But it’s also great with white rice, or in tortillas.

And if you are making this at the weekend, or when you have more time, it’s fab with all your favourite extras: guacamole, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips… it’s easy to turn this kind of food into a feast!

Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne in a bowl with brown rice. The pan of chilli is behind. There's also a small dish of coriander and two lime halves behind.

 

What to drink with chicken chilli?

If you want a good wine choice to go with this, I would pick a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Pretty much anything will go with chicken, but Sauvignon Blanc does well with tomatoes and spice. If you prefer red, try a fruity Chilean Merlot.

 

What to do with leftover chicken chilli?

Place any leftover Chicken Chilli in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the chilli, plus a dash of water, in a saucepan and simmer until piping hot all the way through. 

Alternatively, reheat in the microwave, until piping hot all the way through.

 

Can you freeze chicken chilli?

Absolutely – this recipe is a brilliant ‘fill the freezer’ recipe! Put the cooked and cooled Chicken Chilli into an airtight container and place in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above. 

Overhead shot of Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne in the pan next to a bowl of brown rice, half a lime, some lime quarters and a small bowl of coriander

 

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

  • Slow Cooked Beef Chilli Con Carne
  • Pork and Sweet Potato Chilli Con Carne
  • Easy Quorn Chilli Con Carne
  • Easy Chicken Bolognese
  • Easy Chicken Goulash

 

Easy Chicken Chilli Con Carne
Print Pin
4.84 from 6 votes

Chicken Chilli Con Carne

An easy peasy twist on a classic, this Chicken Chilli Con Carne is easy, healthy and totally delicious – plus it can be made in under 30 minutes!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 360kcal
Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs diced
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed or grated
  • 2 teaspoons cumin ground
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 1 red pepper chopped into bitesize pieces
  • 400 g tin tomatoes
  • 400 g tin kidney beans

To serve

  • Brown rice (or white rice, or tortillas)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh coriander (cilantro) plus extra for garnish (optional)
  • 1 lime quartered for serving (optional)
  • Guacamole, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips etc. (optional)

Instructions

  • Place the olive oil and diced onion in a wide, deep pan and fry on a gentle heat for 3 minutes until the onion is softened.
  • Turn up the heat and add the diced chicken thigh meat and brown for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Turn the heat back down and add the garlic, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes, stirring frequently.
  • Add the red pepper, tomatoes and kidney beans. Give everything a good stir and bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle bubble for 15-20 minutes to cook the chicken and thicken the sauce. Stir occasionally.
  • While the chilli is cooking, make the rice according to packet instructions / your own preferences (or warm the tortillas).
  • When the chilli is ready, stir in the chopped coriander and serve with the rice, lime quarters and extra coriander as garnish.

Notes

  1. Suitable for freezing.
  2. Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Chilli Con Carne
Amount Per Serving
Calories 360 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 119mg40%
Sodium 266mg12%
Potassium 1067mg30%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 35g70%
Vitamin A 1671IU33%
Vitamin C 56mg68%
Calcium 95mg10%
Iron 6mg33%
* % Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet
Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comments below.

 

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Comments

  1. Mandy says

    20th September 2016 at 4:42 pm

    I love a chilli feast – it’s just perfect with guacamole isn’t it. Sometimes we have it with chips and cheese for a naughty treat!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      20th September 2016 at 5:30 pm

      I am totally obsessed with chilli, Mandy – I especially love it when I have got the time to make guacamole and salsa and have it with tortilla chips and sour cream too – and sometimes cheese! Lovely on a baked potato too – that often happens the day after! Eb x

      Reply
  2. Kate - gluten free alchemist says

    20th September 2016 at 7:36 pm

    Chilli is so versatile. Loving a chicken version and your photos are so bright and vibrant too! Little Miss GF made us chilli for tea the other week. I must share this recipe with her…… maybe she’ll fancy doing tea for us again!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      20th September 2016 at 10:22 pm

      Oh wow – well done Miss GF! I love the idea of my two making tea one day…at 6 and 7.5 they are a bit little at the moment, but won’t be long! Thanks for your kind comments about my photos…I love the colours too – the contrast with the limes, the chilli, the coriander and the pot especially…I must say I am so enjoying the photography side of blogging at the moment…so much fun – I just wish I had more time to play, that and the money to spend on all the cookware I really, really want…and the space to store it all!! Eb x

      Reply
  3. Corina says

    20th September 2016 at 9:15 pm

    I would love this easy chicken chilli too Eb and I definitely agree with you about boneless skinless chicken thighs! They’re great for stews, chillies and curries and so much moister than chicken breast, although the rest of my family tend to like breast meat if I give them the option! Thank you so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice.

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      20th September 2016 at 10:29 pm

      Thanks Corina – I have a total obsession with boneless skinless chicken thighs at the moment – they just have so much more flavour and can take much longer cooking without getting overcooked…but without all the fiddliness of bone in skin on thighs – though I do like to use those in my traybakes. The rest of my family don’t really get a choice but Mr G really likes them and I’m not sure my little ones would know the difference – they just like chicken! 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  4. jenny paulin says

    21st September 2016 at 10:50 am

    i have made a chicen chilli con carne before, but my OH complained that it wasn’t beef mince! Honestly that man does not like change! Yours looks very tasty Eb and has spurred me on to try a chicken one again soon.
    ps. lovely photo of you x

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      21st September 2016 at 6:08 pm

      Oh no – sorry to hear he didn’t like it – why don’t you call it something different – Mexican Chicken, maybe? Then he won’t have any preconceptions…or would that make things worse?!? Let me know how you get on!! Thanks for your lovely kind comments 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  5. Emma says

    21st September 2016 at 11:46 am

    Oh wow that just looks like an amazing dish! Love chilli as it is proper comfort food and this sounds perfect 🙂

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      22nd September 2016 at 10:06 am

      Thanks, Emma! Totally agree about chilli being proper comfort food – perfect as it starts to get a bit chilly 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  6. Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says

    21st September 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Chilli con carne is a family favourite and we also love it with chicken. Yours looks and sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      21st September 2016 at 6:09 pm

      It’s a good one, isn’t it? Perfect for a quick and easy midweek meal. Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  7. Charlotte Oates says

    24th September 2016 at 2:12 pm

    This sounds delicious Eb. I never really make chilli with chicken, tending to go for beef or a veggie version if I’m feeling extra well behaved. I love the idea of switching in chicken instead, or I wonder if it would work as well with turkey 😉

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      25th September 2016 at 1:34 pm

      Thanks Charlotte 🙂 The chicken works really well as a change from beef – I would really recommend it! And yes I’m sure this would be great with turkey too – I’ve been eyeing lots of my recipes, thinking hmmm – that would work well with turkey… 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  8. Ilka says

    24th September 2016 at 4:43 pm

    My feature at this week’s Sunday Fitness & Food link-up! What a beautiful dish! Congrats!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      25th September 2016 at 1:35 pm

      Oh wow! Thanks so much!! I’ll be popping over later to take a look 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  9. Midgie says

    24th September 2016 at 7:36 pm

    Oooh chicken chilli!! Yum! (Really should have eaten before I read this!!!) Agree with you about the skinless/boneless chicken thighs, they are my go to chicken pieces as they have more iron in than chicken breasts so they are better for the Peachicks! Plus I reckon they taste better too!!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      25th September 2016 at 1:43 pm

      Aw, thanks Midge 🙂 Skinless/boneless chicken thighs are so fab, aren’t they? Good point about the iron and totally agree with you about the flavour – plus I love how you can’t overcook them in the way it is so easy to do with chicken breasts. I like the skin on / bone in version for some things – like my traybakes but the skinless/boneless ones are so good for this kind of thing. Thanks for your lovely kind comments 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  10. Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says

    25th September 2016 at 4:50 am

    This looks fabulous! One of the reasons I love Fall so much in New England is because of the cooking!! This will be a perfect meal after a brisk late afternoon on the soccer field with the kids. Thanks for sharing…Pinned 🙂

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      25th September 2016 at 1:52 pm

      Aw thanks Angela – I love fall (or rather autumn as we say over here) for the exact same reason – such great food!! And that lovely contrast between the chill outside and then coming home to a lovely warming meal – it is totally my favourite season! Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
  11. Louise Fairweather says

    25th September 2016 at 5:29 pm

    I do love a good chilli, but haven’t even thought of putting chicken in it before. #cookblogshare

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      25th September 2016 at 5:33 pm

      You really should try it, Louise – it works so well and it’s so quick and easy to do! Eb x

      Reply
  12. Andy says

    4th December 2017 at 3:39 am

    It looks good, and I will be trying it very soon,
    I am a great fan of smoked paprika and, with the other herbs and spices, the flavours seem nicely balanced.

    The only change I will be making is to use a fresh chilli rather than the flakes (I had a bumper crop this year, well over over 300 from 4 plants, with a couple of dozen Dorset Naga’s from another).

    Another I am considering is adding chocolate near the end of cooking time. It works very well in beef chilli, but do you think it would work in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      4th December 2017 at 11:36 am

      So pleased you like it, Andy! It’s one of the most popular recipes on my site, so you are in good company. I love your idea of using fresh chilli. I use dried chilli flakes simply for speed and also to ensure I get the chilli just right…my kids would not thank me for making this too hot! Chocolate does work well in a chicken chilli too. In fact if you like the flavour of chocolate and chilli, you might like to check out this recipe: Easy Chicken Mole. Do let me know how it goes! Eb 😀

      Reply
  13. Andy says

    4th December 2017 at 10:51 pm

    After this evenings meal I now know why it is a popular recipe.
    I stuck to the recipe*, with the exceptions in my previous message and, not being sure of the chocolate, did half with and half without. My wife and I both agree the chocolate (1/2 square of dark) added another dimension to the very tasty ‘original’.

    *It was a ‘last minute’ decision to make this today, so as I did not have enough chicken thigh I added a well known makers vegetarian Chicken Style Pieces. I can’t say they added any flavour to the recipe, but they certainly did not detract from it.

    I will be passing this recipe, and your site details, on to family and friends.
    Our only dilemma now is chocolate or no chocolate!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      4th December 2017 at 10:55 pm

      I’m so pleased you liked it Andy! So interesting to hear about your chocolate experiment…now I want to try the chocolate version!! Thank you so much for leaving this lovely comment on my blog and for sharing my recipe and website with your family and friends 🙂 Eb

      Reply
  14. Kate says

    8th May 2020 at 3:31 pm

    Loved this and so did my teenage daughter. Added a little chicken stock just to lighten the sauce.

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      11th May 2020 at 11:04 am

      Yay! So happy to hear you and your daughter enjoyed this – and great idea to use some chicken stick in the sauce! Eb 🙂

      Reply
  15. Michelle Rolfe says

    26th May 2020 at 11:07 am

    Anything with Mexican flavourings is always a favourite in my house. I always end up doing fajitas with chicken and chilli with beef, maybe its time I change! 🙂 Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle x

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      28th May 2020 at 9:56 am

      Yeah in this house too! Definitely worth trying chilli with chicken – it really works and is so much quicker. So perfect for a busy weeknight! Eb x

      Reply
  16. Emer O'Shea says

    29th April 2022 at 11:17 am

    This is a great recipe, full of flavour and very easy to make. Will definitely become part of my favourite recipes. Thanks Eb!!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      29th April 2022 at 4:32 pm

      Aw, that’s so good to hear 😀 Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review… and especially for the 5* rating! Eb 🙂

      Reply

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Hi and welcome to Easy Peasy Foodie! I’m Eb – a professional blogger, busy mum and passionate foodie and it is my mission in life to make cooking EASIER and MORE DELICIOUS! READ MORE

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