Weeknight · Instant Pot · about 30 minutes

“Runnin’ Like A Chicken” Chicken Chili

Name: "Runnin' Like A Chicken" Chicken Chili
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 480 ml water; 3 vegetable bouillon cubes; 6 tbsp dried chopped onion; 2 tsp granulated garlic; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp dried oregano; 4 tbsp chili powder; 3 bay leaves; 60 ml olive oil; 2 cans diced tomatoes; 3 cans black beans; Optional: 2 cans (12.5 oz) chunk chicken, shredded; plus toppings — cheese, chips, red onion, scallions, sour cream

A big-batch black bean chili with a vegan “chick’n” backbone — pantry spices, canned beans, and a quick pressure cook to meld it all. Add real chicken if you want it; load it with toppings either way.

~30 min total 10 min pressure Instant Pot method

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Instant PotVeganGluten-Free

Servingsamounts scale to match

Units

Ingredients

Bloom and meld the base first, then stir the beans in at the end. Building the spiced tomato base and giving it a short pressure cook melds the flavors; the canned beans go in after so they stay whole instead of blowing out. It's named for the heat — go easy on the chili powder if you're sensitive.

Easier, if you like

Canned beans are the fast route used here — no soaking, no long cook.
Mix the beans — kidney or pinto, or a combination, all work in place of the black beans.

Method

Cook's notes

Vegan as written — the “chick’n” flavor comes from the bouillon, not meat. The optional canned chicken is what the punny name winks at, and it makes the chili non-vegan.

From dried beans (deeper flavor, about 1¼ hours): pressure-cook 2½ cups dried black beans with the water, bouillon, and aromatics on Manual/High 30 minutes plus a 20-minute natural release, then add the tomatoes and cook 15 minutes more.

Heat: 4 tablespoons chili powder is bold — start at 2 and add to taste, and let people add hot sauce at the table.

Gluten-free as written — just check your chili powder and bouillon.

Vegan and gluten-free as written

Vegan / gluten-free: it already is — leave out the optional chicken and use a gluten-free bouillon and chili powder.

Milder: cut the chili powder back to 2 tablespoons and skip any added cayenne.