Jump to recipeThis comforting one-pan southwestern chili & pepper dippers recipe is a hearty family dinner and a friendly part of your meal-prep arsenal.
This chili is proof-positive that great tasting comfort food doesn’t need to be loaded down with extra fats. It’s rich in flavor (and protein)!
I love to eat chili with chips but find the empty calories from chips don’t satisfy me. The pepper dippers are higher protein, lower fat, and a lot more robust for chili scooping capability. The red pepper paste (see link in recipe) adds an almost cheesy taste to these chips and with only three ingredients, they are very easy to make. Greek yogurt makes a surprisingly good base for the dough. Note that it does not work with regular yogurt (too much moisture).
We want this chili to be thick and with minimal liquid so look for a fresh pico de gallo salsa or a jarred version where you can drain out extra liquid. Likewise, use of lime powder instead of lime juice helps keep the chili from being watery.
Lean ground beef or chicken are great alternatives for the meat, as is Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) crumbles for a plant-based option. If you don’t care for black beans, pinto beans are a good substitute, with near-identical macros.
One-pan Southwestern Chili & Red Pepper Dippers
Ingredients
For the Chili:
- 1 lb/ 16 oz 93:7 lean ground turkey (vegan alternative – see TVP instructions in notes)
- 15 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh pico de gallo salsa
- 1/4 cup no-sugar ketchup
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp lime powder
- 1 tsp red chili flakes, optional
For the Dippers:
- 150 g nonfat plain greek yogurt
- 150 g white flour
- 45 g red pepper paste
Instructions
- Place chopped onions and black pepper in a large nonstick pan lightly sprayed with oil, turn heat to high and saute onions until they are soft and begin to turn brown (5-7 minutes), stirring often.
- Turn heat to medium-high and stir in chopped red pepper and minced garlic. Cook for an additional three minutes.
- Add ground turkey, smoked paprika, and lime powder. Mix and cook until turkey is browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in beans, pico de gallo salsa, and ketchup, ensuring all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
- Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Ready to serve!
- While your chili is simmering, prepare the dippers:
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine yogurt, flour and red pepper paste.
- Mix together with your hands (or in a mixing stand) until a uniform dough ball is formed. Do not over-mix as the dough may become tough.
- Using a rolling pin, on a piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 12″ x 12″. (Use a bit of additional flour if the dough is sticky. Flip the dough over after every few passes with the rolling pin.
- Cut the dough into an even number of strips, and cut each strip into triangles. You should be able to make approximately 30 pieces.
- Place the pieces evenly spaces on the baking sheet, and lightly mist with cooking oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until tops are browned. Flip pieces over and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes to desired crispness.
Notes
- Nutrition info for the entire batch of chili = 1137 Cal, 108 g protein, 91g carbs, 33g fat
- Nutrition per serving (5 servings) = 227 Cal, 22g protein, 18g carbs, 7g fat
- Nutrition info for the entire batch of dippers = 642 Cal, 34g protein, 118g carbs, 2g fat
- Nutrition per serving of the dippers (5 servings) = 130 Cal, 7g protein, 24g carbs, 0.4 g fat
- Pinto beans are a great substitute for black beans if you prefer them.
- This chili stores well in the fridge for meal prep and the recipe can be doubled if you want to make a large batch for the week.
- The recipe for the dippers also works well with 1:1 Gluten-free flour.
- To reheat the dippers, place in oven or toaster oven for 5 minutes at 350F
- Vegan? Swap the turkey for TVP. Cook all ingredients as directed above except turkey, and then stir in the TVP before simmering.
- I enjoy eating this chili on a bed of greens – rice (or cauli rice) is also a great option!
Look forward to getting your feedback on this Southwestern Chili & Pepper Dippers recipe! Please share on socials or with a friend if you enjoyed it.
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