When the new Weight Watchers program rolled out and we were given a revised list of Zero Point foods, I think everyone grabbed their crockpot and whipped up a Zero Point chili - me included! This Spicy Chicken Chili is healthy, hearty, and very filling. The key to making this chili zero points is to use 99% fat-free ground chicken. Sprouts and Trader Joe's both carry a great fat-free ground turkey, so you could use that as well.
It may feel more like a chicken stew because this is a bean-free chili. So if you aren’t a chili lover, I’d give it a try anyway! It’s spiced with Franks hot sauce and cayenne pepper, but you can always adjust to your heat preference. It will be a go-to this cold winter, since it’s versatile, has zero points, and is delicious.
Three reasons why you need to make this recipe!
It’s packed with nutrients because of the variety of bell peppers.
If you didn’t know, bell peppers are a great source of vitamins and minerals. Red bell peppers have more vitamin C than an orange. By using all three colors, you’re able to vary the nutrients and keep the color of the chili vibrant.
It’s low in carbs, but not in flavor.
Most chili (if you didn’t know) can actually end up pretty high in carbs, due to the carb content of beans. This bean-free chili keeps the carbs low and the flavor high.
It’s a Zero Point meal!
You don’t have to worry about your Weight Watchers points with this chili. As long as you follow the recipe as detailed, it’ll be a Zero Point meal you can enjoy all week long. It makes a large batch too, so freeze some for later on.
Ingredients you need to make Spicy Chicken Chili:
- 2 lbs raw 99% fat-free ground chicken
- 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (5.5oz) tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 diced red pepper
- 1 diced green pepper
- 1 diced yellow pepper
- 1 diced red onion
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cloves fresh diced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, feel free to add more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup Franks hot sauce
How to make Spicy Chicken Chili (step by step):
- Brown the ground chicken in a large pan on the stove until it’s fully cooked through.
- Place all of the ingredients in the crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low 7-8 hours, stirring a few times if possible.
- Makes 12- 1 cup servings.
Makes 12 (1 cup) servings. Nutrition info for 1 cup: Calories 134, Fat 2 g, Saturated fat .4 g, Carbs 11 g, Fiber 2.5 g, Sugars 5 g, Sodium 444 mg, Protein 20 g.
WW Points
- Raw 99% fat-free ground chicken 0 points
- Canned diced tomatoes 0 points
- Canned tomato paste 4 points
- Chicken broth 0 points
- Diced red pepper 0 points
- Diced green pepper 0 points
- Diced yellow pepper 0 points
- Diced red onion 0 points
- Frozen corn 0 points
- Fresh diced garlic 0 points
- Red chili flakes 0 points
- Cumin 0 points
- Oregano 0 points
- Bay leaves 0 points
- Chili powder 0 points
- Cayenne pepper 0 points
- Franks hot sauce 0 points
0 points per cup based on the WW app recipe creator.
If you’re using an older version of WW, check out these points below.
Personal points- 0-2 depending on your 0PP foods
SP Freestyle- (blue & purple) 0 using the WW recipe builder
Smart points- (green) 2 using SP calculator
Points plus- 3 using PP calculator
Different ways to change up this recipe:
- Pair this Spicy Chicken Chili with my healthy cornbread for a hearty, winter meal.
- Add a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt on top if you like sour cream with your chili. You could even use a bit of fat-free sour cream. Walmart carries Kraft’s Fat-Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese that is great on this Spicy Chicken Chili.
- You can add in beans if you’d like. You would need to add in additional broth to make sure it’s not too thick.
- Sliced avocado is amazing served on this. It helps calm the spice a bit.
Tips and Tricks for Making Spicy Chicken Chili :
- Spicy Chicken Chili freezes really well. I suggest placing 1 cup servings in ziploc freezer bags. That way, you can pull out a serving as needed, and they thaw much faster.
- This chili will keep well in the fridge for up to 7 days. It’s even better as leftovers the next day because the flavors have time to meld together.
Similar recipes you’ll enjoy:
- I Can’t Stop Eating This Zero Point Turkey Chili
- Healthy and Hearty Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Quick Weight Watchers Chicken Tortilla Soup
Spicy Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 lbs raw 99% fat-free ground chicken
- 1 can 28oz diced tomatoes
- 1 can 5.5oz tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 diced red pepper
- 1 diced green pepper
- 1 diced yellow pepper
- 1 diced red onion
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cloves fresh diced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon chili powder feel free to add more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup franks hot sauce
Instructions
- Brown the ground chicken in a large pan on the stove until it’s fully cooked through.
- Place all of the ingredients in the crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low 7-8 hours, stirring a few times if possible.
- Makes 12- 1 cup servings.
Stephanie
Do you think this recipe would work with chicken breast chopped up and pan “fried”?
Drizzle
hi Stephanie, sure I don't see why not, or shredded chicken cooked in your crockpot
Lori Smith
So is this Frank's Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, and it's not too hot? Not as hot as Tabasco? And you still add cayenne pepper? Whew! I can almost feel a hole burning in my stomach right now. 😉
Drizzle
Hi Lori, no it's franks original I didn't put in post it was the cayenne pepper one, just if you don't want it spicy to leave out the franks and the cayenne pepper 🙂
Michal
Hello there
I’m not from the states and was wondering what sauce is franks sauce ? And is it crucial for the recepie ? Could it be replaced by anything else ? Thank you and have a wonderful day
Michal
Drizzle
Hi, Franks is a spicy hot sauce, you don't have to use it or can replace it with something similar.
mia
Hello! Are you now including the calories for vegetables, fruit, etc. in your nutrition values? Thanks!
Drizzle
Yes, I will be from now on, I don't think I will be going back to do that for previous recipes, it is a lot of work and I am still working on a few older ones and converting them to freestyle
Corinnna
Can you add kidney bean?
Drizzle
Sure , I just don't care for them is why I did not
Corinna
Love the recipe so did everyone in my family,cut back on the spices in half. It was great
Drizzle
Awesome, glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Joyce
Great receipe! Delicious & love that it's 0 points on WW freestyle
Drizzle
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Brnadette
Can you tell me what stores in Canada sell 99% fat free turkey or chicken? I'm having a hard time finding it.
Drizzle
Hi, honestly I have not seen any, maybe a butcher? I don't stress about it and if it's only 97 I go with it, things like that did not get me to WW in the first place 😉 I also don't really eat ground turkey or chicken hardly ever 🙁
Cathi
I am making this today, snow day. Just realized, after I added tomato paste, that it had 4 g sugar. I assume you found one with no sugar?
Drizzle
Hi Cathi, yes there is a bit of sugar in tomato paste, but when worked out to per serving it is not going to accumulate to points, there are 12- 1 cup servings in this, check your App, I think tomato paste is 3 points for 1/3 cup??
Greg
FYI to everyone who thinks this is 0 Freestyle Points...
When I put this in the recipe builder on the weight watchers app, the tomato paste makes it 1 point. Not that it really matters, but just saying
Drizzle
HI Greg, might depend on the paste you buy, mine was only 2SP for the whole can, there are 12 - 1 cup servings in this recipe so obviously that will not make a serving a point, but yes if you consume all of the chili in one go haha it would be a few points 😉
Jen
Greg, I ran into the same thing...5.5oz of of Great Value tomato paste is 6 points on my calculator. It makes the recipe 1 point per cup serving.
Drizzle
I just ran this through my recipe builder putting the paste at 6SP (mine was only 3SP, I scanned the can I used) but even at 6 points I still get a 0 point per serving, there is 12 servings and my recipe builder is putting a serving at 0.. sorry not too sure what else to say on this issue
Melissa Carter
Can you do this on the stove top?
Drizzle
I think so, I'd say over low heat for similar time
Debby
Just put it together in my crockpot for the upcoming week. Will be trying your cornbread recipe too, for the first time. I love getting some menu items for my week assembled ahead of time. Makes the week go by so much smoother and I stay on track. Thanks
Drizzle
You are welcome Debby, hope you enjoy both the chili and cornbread 🙂 Here is to a great week!
Elena
Thank you so much! Made your chili for dinner tonight and it was excellent! I am looking forward to try some more of your recipes.
Drizzle
So glad you enjoyed the chili and hope you enjoy other recipes 🙂
Emily
Does this freeze well? In individual portions?
Drizzle
Yes absolutely it does 🙂
Emily
Thanks!!
Jill
So good! Used a frozen tri-color pepper and minced garlic which made it SO quick and easy. Also used 99% FF ground turkey bc that was what I found at the store. I will be making this over and over-such a keeper! And at zero points, you can add rice/sour cream/shredded cheese! So awesome. Thank you.
Drizzle
So glad you enjoyed it Jill, I'll have to try it some time with turkey instead 🙂
Patty
Smells and Taste delicious! I made a couple of changes to mine. I did add 2 cans of Red Kidney Beans to mine and used one Chili Seasoning packet on my chicken after I cooked it so it would have more flavor. Yummy, Yummy!
Drizzle
Thanks for the tips Patty, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Leslie
Can you freeze part of this? We are only a 2-person family here.
Drizzle
you sure can, it freezes very well, then just leave out to dethaw 🙂
Jodie
I just came across this recipe and can hardly wait to try it! Have you tried making it in an Instant Pot/pressure cooker? If so, could you share how, please? I am very new to the Instant Pot.
Drizzle
Hi Jodie, I don't have an instant pot so I'm not much help there unfortunately .. I hope you enjoy the chili 🙂
Holly Bordelon
I made this today with ground turkey and CRUSHED tomatoes (all I had on hand). It is absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Drizzle
So glad you enjoyed it Holly 🙂
Janky_Dragon
Just had to come by and say this is so dang delicious! I've made it a few times now and I will continue making it as much as I can. The seasonings in this are just great. Mostly the only chilis I've had in my life you would usually add cheese and sour cream or something, but this is amazing all on its own and needs absolutely nothing else. It's like my new favorite meal. Thank you!
Drizzle
That is so great to hear 🙂 It is one of my favorites too!