If you haven't had padron peppers, you are in for a treat. Their delicious flavor is the star in this quick and easy padron chili recipe! These peppers can range in heat from mild to spicy! If you are looking for a quick and easy dinner, this is a delicious chili recipe to make.
Jump to:
My easy chili recipe is a twist on a classic chili recipe. I am in love with padron peppers and I wanted them to be the star of this recipe. If you haven't heard of padron chiles, check out all of the great recipes with padron peppers. This padron pepper chili recipe is not only gluten free, but it is also dairy-free.
To make things easy for you, I am including directions to make my chili recipe for the stovetop, the Instant Pot, and the slow cooker so you have lots of options in cooking this homemade chili.
Why this padron pepper chili is so good:
If you love rich hearty meals that make lots of leftovers, this is a great recipe to make. This tasty chili is sure to please! All you need is 30 minutes and a few simple ingredients.
If you are looking for more delicious ideas, check out these gluten free dinner recipes too!
Ingredient notes:
- Meat - You can use ground beef, turkey, chicken, pork, or a vegan meat.
- Padron peppers - If you can't find these little peppers, use shishito peppers.
- Diced tomatoes - You can use salted or unsalted. Do not use Italian seasoning diced tomatoes.
- Kidney beans - You can also use pinto or black beans. Just be sure to rinse them.
Variations:
One of the things I love about this recipe is the ability to customize it. Mr. Fearless Dining loves vegan meals while the kids like meat. In this recipe, you can use vegan meat like Impossible burger, or use ground meat.
You can also use ground beef or low-fat meat like ground turkey or chicken. Chili meat can be anything, even bison!
If you love vegetables, add them in! I added zucchini but you can add broccoli, carrots, corn, or anything you have on hand in the refrigerator.
Recipe step by step directions:
Step 1: Add the onion and oil to a large pan. (I used a combination of scallions and onions.) Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add the meat and vegetables and cook until the meat is browned.
Step 3: Pour in the diced tomatoes and add the salt and seasonings.
Step 4: Add in the beans. Mix everything well. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer 15 minutes.
Serve hot with sour cream, cheddar cheese, scallions or chives, chopped red onions, fresh cilantro, or anything you like! This also is great with tortilla chips or Fritos!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Most people will use kidney beans for chili. You can use canned or cook dried kidney beans. (If you use canned, be sure to rinse your beans in a colandar first.)
This chili will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an air-tight container.
You can freeze this chili. I like to freeze it in single serving blocks. The container is on Amazon and is called Souper Cubes.
The secret to great chili is in the spice. Use high quality gluten free spices like Penzey's or McCormick.
Chili can be made soupy or thick. This chili recipe turns out pretty thick and hearty.
You can easily make this recipe in a slow cooker. Just brown the meat, peppers, and onion. Add it to a slow cooker with your tomatoes, spices and vegetables. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
More gluten free Mexican inspired recipes:
I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!
📖 Recipe
Padron Pepper Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef * see note
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ⅓ cup padron peppers chopped, seeds removed
- ½ cup corn kernels * see note
- ⅓ cup zucchini chopped
- 15 ounces kidney beans * see note
- 1 tablespoon light oil
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper optional
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pan, add the oil and onion to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Add in the meat and vegetables and cook until the meat is browned.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and seasonings and mix.
- Rinse the kidney beans in a colander and add to the pan. Mix again.
- Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes
- Serve garnished with any of these: sour cream, cheddar cheese, scallions, chives, chopped red onion, and/or fresh cilantro. I like to add crushed tortilla chips too.
Notes
- You can use any ground meat in this chili recipe. Ground beef, chicken, turkey, pork, bison, or even vegan meat.
- Feel free to use fresh, frozen, or drained canned corn kernels.
- This homemade chili will taste great with kidney, pinto, or black beans. Just be sure to drain and rinse the canned beans first.
- This chili can be stored in an air-tight container and it will keep fresh up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze this chili and it will keep in the freezer up to 4 months.
Nutrition
If you love the recipes you are finding on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free chocolate e-cookbook!)
Ashley
Yum! Love this flavor combo. So delicious!
Katie
This is a hit every time! We love all the vegetables and the heartiness of it!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you all liked this recipe. Thanks Katie!