Bring this quick and fun autumn appetizer to your next party. Mini pretzel rolls stuffed with a simple 4-ingredient Chicken Black Bean Chili. Kid-friendly, quick and perfect for casual gatherings. Top before serving, or allow guests to DIY their own toppings.
Every year for Halloween, my family would serve up a big pot of chili & a side of fresh donuts to us just before we hit the streets to trick-or-treat. Your family, too?
So this year, I was like: I need a twist on the traditional. It’s always fun to switch up the usual for something that screams “PAR-TAYYY” so here’s a whole new way to share chili, party-style. It’s a superquick, megasimple recipe that I think you’ll lurve, lurve, love.
Ingredient Lineup
Here’s what you need to make this super simple recipe
Ground Chicken (you can also use ground sausage, ground beef or shredded pork)
Black Beans (a can of chili beans, lentils or pintos works as well. My kids love when we use a big can of pork & beans in this recipe because the beans are tiny and you get that added bit of tomato sauciness)
Fire-roasted Diced Tomatoes (the Southwest diced tomatoes also work, or go for crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce if your fam doesn’t like the chunks)
Taco Seasoning (any brand will do)
Pretzel Rolls (available in our town at Whole Foods, in the bread aisle)
Toppings (sour cream, jalapeños, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, diced onions or green onions)
What is the best secret ingredient for chili?
Though there are a lot of chili recipes with a of different secret ingredients, our family happens to think a single packet of Taco Seasoning is the ultimate chili ingredient. Make a great chili by combing a pound of meat, a can of beans, a can of tomatoes and a packet of taco seasoning. Boom! Dinner is done!
What makes chili chili?
Chili peppers (and sometimes chili powder) cooked with a tomato-based stew is generally regarded as “Chili” . Add meat and you’ve got “chili con carne.”
What makes the best chili?
There are so many ways to make chili. So the best way to answer this question is: what are you feeling like? Chicken or beef? Black beans or pinto? Spicy or mild? Perhaps the best thing about chili is how versatile it is. So to make the best bowl, toss all of the things that sound tastiest to you in a pot and stew away!
What can you add to chili?
A basic chili is a tomato-based stew flavored with chili peppers or chili powder. From there, the additions are endless. Add pumpkin puree for a fall-inspired chili. Try tossing in bacon or beef or pork or sausage for a hearty bowl. Season with spice or add honey to lend a mild sweetness. Try adding your favorite hot sauce, serving over rice, tossing in favorite veggies or topping with cornbread for a dumpling-like chili. The options are endless!
Who invented the bread bowl?
Food history dates the bread bowl back to the 1400s, when a British duke who loved bread gave money to an Irishman to open a bread bowl shop in what’s now known as Dublin.
Are you supposed to eat a bread bowl?
Yes! Serving soup in a bread bowl is fun. But eating the soup-soaked bread once the soup is gone is the best part of a bread bowl. To keep guests from wasting bread bowls, serve soup in smaller rounds, so the serving size is realistically edible in one sitting.
How do you eat a bread bowl?
Eat the top of the bread bowl by dipping into the soup as you enjoy. Eat the soup with a spoon, as you would traditionally enjoy it. Then gently tear small pieces of the bowl apart once the soup is gone.
With this recipe, no spoon is needed. You can simply bite into the bowls and enjoy the entire thing in 2 (or 3) bites.
Tried This Recipe?
Snap & share on Instagram. I’d love to see your creations! Don’t forget to tag me at @brookelark
2-Bite Chili Bowls
Makes 12 lil’ chili bowls
1 pound ground chicken
1 (15 oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
12 pretzel rolls, top sliced & center hollowed
Toppings (sour cream, jalapeños, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, diced onions or green onions)
In a large pot, brown and crumble chicken. Add black beans, diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Heat until bubbling, then remove from stove. Scoop into the center of pretzel rolls. Top as desired. Enjoy!