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This Healthy Cheddar Chicken Chili is one of those true dump-it-all-in and let-it-go kind of chiliโs. Itโs made with whole chicken breasts, tomatoes, chipotle, warm spices, mixed peppers, beans, and plenty of cheddar. Itโs spicy with just the right touch of smokiness from the chipotle, cheesy, and so, so good. Finish each bowl with lots of sharp cheddar, a dollop of yogurt, fresh cilantro, and creamy avocado. Tortilla chips on the side are a must โ so delicious.
When I got back from Italy, it was sunny but cold at home. I know so many of you on the East Coast are still buried in snow and very much in winter mode. Daylight saving time is this weekend (finally!), which means a little more evening light. I cannot wait! But regardless of the clock change, it still calls for cozy dinners.
After so much travel, and letโs be honest, a lot of pasta and pizza, I was craving a big bowl of chili. Something lighter, like a healthy chicken chili made with plenty of vegetables, but still hearty and spicy enough to feel comforting (and maybe help fight off any lingering winter bugs).
The best part? It takes almost no effort. Just add everything to a large pot, set it on the stove, and let it simmer away until the chicken is perfectly tender and ready to shred. Thatโs it!
Normally Iโd make my Nonnieโs beer bread to serve alongside any chili, but this time I went all in on homemade tortilla chips, extra cheese, yogurt, cilantro, and avocado.
These are the Details
Ingredients
- butter
- chicken
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- peppers
- Ro-Tel tomatoes
- tomato paste
- chipotle chile in adobo
- garlic powder
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- dried oregano
- ground cumin
- broth
- black beans or kidney beans โ you could use chili beans too!
- cheddar cheese
Topping Ideas โ the fun part!ย
- avocado
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- cheese โ spicy cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, cotija cheese
- cilantro
- green onions
- jalapeรฑos
- tortilla chips
- lime wedges
- hot sauce
- pickled red onions
Kitchen Tools
Nothing complicated needed here โ just a dutch oven or large soup pot (my favorite kind of recipe). I use my Staub six-quart dutch oven. I love how cast iron holds heat so well and cooks everything evenly. Youโll also want a sharp knife for chopping, a wooden spoon for stirring, and two forks for shredding the chicken right in the pot. For the vegetable prep, you can grab pre-chopped veggies or chop them yourself at home. Thatโs it, easy!
The Steps
Step 1: Dump It All In
This is truly my favorite kind of cooking. Add the butter, chicken, onion, carrots, celery, peppers, Ro-Tel, tomato paste, chipotle, spices, and oregano straight into a large Dutch oven. No pre-cooking, no extra pans, no overthinking. Just pile everything in.
Itโs the kind of recipe I crave on cold days when I want something cozy but donโt feel like standing at the stove forever.
Set the pot over medium-high heat and let everything start cooking together. Give it a few stirs. As the vegetables soften, the spices wake up. Your kitchen will smell incredible โ smoky, slightly spicy, and so warm and comforting.
Step 2: Add the Broth and Beans
Once the vegetables have softened a bit, pour in the broth and add the black beans, liquid and all. No draining. Season with salt and pepper, then cover the pot and let everything gently simmer.
This is when the magic happens. The flavors start to meld, the chicken cooks right in the broth, and everything becomes rich and deeply flavorful.
I love cooking the chicken directly in the chili. It keeps things simple and makes the broth even more delicious.
Step 3: Shred and Stir in the Cheese
When the chicken is cooked through and tender, remove it from the pot and shred it using two forks. It should fall apart easily, thatโs how you know itโs perfect.
Slide the shredded chicken back into the chili and stir in the cheese. Let it melt right into the broth.
This is where it officially becomes cheddar chicken chili. The cheese adds that creamy, cozy finish that takes it from good to second-bowl good.
Step 4: Top and Serve
Ladle the chili into bowls and add all your favorite toppings. I love extra cheddar, a generous spoonful of yogurt, fresh cilantro, creamy avocado, and crunchy tortilla chips on the side.
Itโs hearty, a little spicy, and exactly what I want this time of year โ especially after travel or a stretch of indulgent meals. Cozy, simple, and so, so good.
Looking for other dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Spicy Queso Beef Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Crockpot Chipotle Queso Chicken Chili
Lastly, if you make this Healthy Cheddar Chicken Chili, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. If you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Healthy Cheddar Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 1 cup chopped, carrots
- 1 cup chopped, celery
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped
- 2 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3-4 cups broth
- 1 can kidney beans or black beans, (with liquid)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- 1. In a large Dutch oven, add the butter, chicken, onion, carrots, celery, peppers, Ro-Tel tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and dried oregano. Set over medium-high heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened.2. Pour in the broth and add the black beans (with their liquid). Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.3. Shred the chicken. Stir in the cheese until melted.4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top as desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Even though I didnโt add everything because I have a toddler who definitely wonโt eat anything with spice, it was absolutely delicious. I put in the mild Ro-tel tomatoes and skipped the chipotle and poblano peppers! Easiest chili Iโve made in a long time.
Hey Marie,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you!
Have a great week!
The flavor was great, but it was difficult to adequately cook the huge amount of vegetables, even in a large dutch oven, especially since they weren’t really sauteed in the butter because most of the other ingredients were added. As a result, they were pretty crunchy and not what we like. The chicken, however, cooked perfectly, which I was also a bit unsure about, like other people!
Hey Helen,
Thanks so much for trying this chili and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear the veggies were not cooked to your liking. Let me know if you make the recipe again!
Made this last night, it was delicious! I love the added veggies and the heat was perfect. Thank you for yet another amazing recipe!
Hey Tracey,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughtsโso happy it worked for you!
What can you use instead of Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies?
Looking forward to try this chili, love your other recipes
Hi Anne,
So sorry, what are you wanting to use? I probably wouldn’t omit from this recipe.
Here are some other chili recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/buffalo-chicken-chili/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cheddar-beef-chili/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/buffalo-white-chicken-chili/
Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Made this tonight!! Excellent and definitely one I will make on the regular!! Spices were great and just the right amount of heat!
Hey Normajean,
Thanks for trying this recipe and for the feedback, I canโt wait to hear what you make next!
Enjoy your Tuesday!
Can this all be cooked in a crock pot? Any changes that might be required?
Hey Laurel,
Sure, that would also work nicely for you! I would cook for 6 hours on low. Let me know how this turns out for you!
This will definitely be the next chili recipe I try…I like to try all different ones. Off topic: last night we had the enchilada recipe from your latest cookbook and so good! I plan on getting rid of all the other enchilada recipes I have because this is the BEST. We enjoyed it so much and thank you for sharing it. Take care.
Thanks so much, Chris! Love to hear the enchiladas were enjoyed! Hope you are having a great Friday!
I made this last night! The perfect recipe for a cold night in Boise! I used black and kidney beans and the smokey flavors were amazing. Can’t wait to make this again! Thanks Tieghan for all of your thoughtful creativity: )
Hey Lisa,
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed!
Could I leave out the 4 tablespoons of butter? Or substitute it with something healthier?
Hi Sara,
You could use olive oil in place of the butter:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I hope you love this chili!
So it requires cooked chicken breast? Correct.
Hi Kathy,
Nope, the chicken is going to cook in step 1 and then you will shred in step 3:) Thanks for asking! I hope you love this recipe!
Why do you consider this healthy? It seems to have all the normal ingredients in chili, and nothing really out-of-the-ordinary to make this stand out as healthy?
Hi Alice,
This recipe has a good amount of veggies, beans, and then shredded chicken which is low in fat and high in protein:) I feel like this in healthier than other chili recipes that I make. Let me know if you give it a try!
Your chili recipes are the best. I love the ground beef chili that has cinnamon in it.
Thanks so much, Kendra! Let me know if you give this one a try, I hope you love it!
How can you only cook the chicken for 2o minutes. There must be an error in the instructions
Hi Susan,
I didn’t have any issues with the chicken cooking in 20 minutes. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Hi Tiegen,
Is the cook time correct on this recipe? A total of 20 mins seems rather short.
Thanks!
Hi Erin,
Yes, that is correct. Unless your chicken breasts are extremely large, they should be perfectly okay to cook in 20 minutes.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!