Creamy Chilli Chicken

Recipe from Pinch of Nom · original post · full recipe on pinchofnom.com

Creamy Chilli Chicken is a comforting, medium-spiced fakeaway with tender chicken, cannellini beans in a deliciously creamy sauce.

Serves 4 60 min 46g protein
chickenlegumesspicy
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Ingredients

  • skinless chicken breast500 g
  • onion — peeled and diced1 ea
  • green pepper — deseeded and diced1 ea
  • garlic cloves — peeled and crushed4 ea
  • green chillies — deseeded and chopped2 ea
  • ground cumin — 1 tsp2.5 g
  • smoked paprika — 1 tsp2.5 g
  • dried oregano — 1 tsp1 g
  • chicken stock cube — made up with 800 ml water1 ea
  • sweetcorn150 g
  • canned cannellini beans — drained800 g
  • reduced-fat cream cheese165 g
  • lime — juiced1 ea
  • fresh coriander — chopped1 bunch
  • sliced jalapeños50 g

Method

  1. Set a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a high heat and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Add the chicken breasts and seal for 2 minutes on both sides. Remove from the pan and set to one side.
  2. Spray the pan again and lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, peppers, chilli, and garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and oregano. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and add the sweetcorn.
  3. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  4. Remove the chicken from the pan and shred using 2 forks.
  5. Stir in the cream cheese until melted, then add the cannellini beans. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the beans thoroughly. To thicken the sauce slightly, use the back of a spoon to lightly crush some of the beans.
  6. Squeeze in the lime juice and add the coriander.
  7. Serve into bowls and garnish with the sliced jalapeños.

Cooking for a different diet?

Swaps that keep this dish what it is. The prices on this page are for the recipe as written.

  • Vegetarian

    Creamy Chilli Chickpeas

    • 440 g Chickpeas instead of skinless chicken breast
    • 1 ea Vegetable stock cube instead of chicken stock cube

    Skip searing and shredding the chicken: add the chickpeas with the stock and simmer for 15 minutes instead of 30 before stirring in the cream cheese and beans.

  • Vegan

    Creamy Chilli Chickpeas

    • 440 g Chickpeas instead of skinless chicken breast
    • 1 ea Vegetable stock cube instead of chicken stock cube
    • 165 g Dairy-free cream cheese instead of reduced-fat cream cheese

    Skip searing and shredding the chicken: add the chickpeas with the stock and simmer for 15 minutes instead of 30, then stir in the dairy-free cream cheese off a full boil so it melts smoothly.

  • Gluten-free

    • 1 ea Gluten-free chicken stock cube instead of chicken stock cube

    Nothing changes in the cooking.

  • Dairy-free

    • 165 g Dairy-free cream cheese instead of reduced-fat cream cheese

    Stir the dairy-free cream cheese in over a gentle simmer rather than a boil so it melts smoothly.

Swaps are suggestions — check labels if you are cooking for an allergy.

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What it costs, and where to buy it

Each item at whichever of your shops sells it cheapest.

Shops to compare

List price at each shop

  • Missing items

    These totals leave part of the list out, so a lower one isn't a cheaper shop.

  • Aldi UK

    you pay £14.34 · 48% spare

    £7.41

    missing 4 items

  • Sainsbury's

    you pay £9.36 · 30% spare

    £6.55

    missing 5 items

  • Morrisons

    you pay £9.61 · 31% spare

    £6.62

    missing 8 items

  • Tesco

    you pay £13.62 · 21% spare

    £10.71

    missing 9 items

  • Asda

    you pay £6.75 · 43% spare

    £3.83

    missing 11 items

£1.85a serve

from £1.85 a serve at Aldi UK · 11 of 15 ingredients priced

About £7.41 of ingredients used for 4 serves.

£18.90 across 4 shops · all 15 items priced · £1.35 more for bigger packs, 46% spare for later

Aldi UK

£7.41

missing 4 items

you'll pay £14.34 · 48% of it spare

Sainsbury's

£6.55

missing 5 items

you'll pay £9.36 · 30% of it spare

Morrisons

£6.62

missing 8 items

you'll pay £9.61 · 31% of it spare

Tesco

£10.71

missing 9 items

you'll pay £13.62 · 21% of it spare

Asda

£3.83

missing 11 items

you'll pay £6.75 · 43% of it spare

Buy at Aldi UK£13.15

skinless chicken breast

£7.48/1kg

need 500 g2 × Ashfields Diced Chicken Breast 0.4kg£2.99

Aldi UKAldi UK£7.48/1kg£2.99·AsdaAsda£7.70/1kg£4.62·TescoTesco£10.20/1kg£2.55·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

ground cumin

£0.16/10g

need 2.5 gReady, Set…cook! Cumin 40g£0.65

Aldi UKAldi UK£0.16/10g£0.65·TescoTescoN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

smoked paprika

£17.25/1kg

need 2.5 gReady, Set…cook! Smoked Paprika 0.04kg£0.69closest match

Aldi UKAldi UK£17.25/1kg£0.69·Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£21.59/1kg£0.95·TescoTescoN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

lime

£0.23/1 pack

need 1 itemNature's Pick Limes 5 pack£1.15closest match

Aldi UKAldi UK£0.23/1 pack£1.15·AsdaAsda£0.24/1 ea£1.18·MorrisonsMorrisons£2.00·TescoTescoN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

sliced jalapeños

£3.55/1kg

need 50 gThe Deli Green Sliced Jalapeños 0.11kg£0.39

Aldi UKAldi UK£3.55/1kg£0.39·Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£5.50/1kg£1.10·TescoTescoN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

Buy at Sainsbury's£2.75

green pepper

£0.70/1 ea

need 1 itemSainsbury's Standard£0.70

Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£0.70/1 ea£0.70·Aldi UKAldi UKN/A·TescoTescoN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

green chillies

£36.00/1kg

need 2 itemsSainsbury's Standard£0.72closest match 1 pack assumed, quantity unknown (sold by weight)

Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£36.00/1kg£0.72·Aldi UKAldi UKN/A·TescoTescoN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

dried oregano

£79.16/1kg

need 1 gSainsbury's Oregano 12g£0.95real special

Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£79.16/1kg£0.95·MorrisonsMorrisons£1.09·Aldi UKAldi UKN/A·TescoTescoN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

fresh coriander

£12.50/1kg

need 1 bunchSainsbury's Fresh Packed Coriander 100g£1.25

Sainsbury'sSainsbury's£12.50/1kg£1.25·Aldi UKAldi UK£16.67/1kg£0.50·MorrisonsMorrisons£1.25·TescoTescoN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

Buy at Tesco£1.00

chicken stock cube

£10.00/1kg

need 1 itemTesco Standard£1.00closest match

TescoTesco£10.00/1kg£1.00·Aldi UKAldi UK£0.58/100g£0.69·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·MorrisonsMorrisonsN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A

Buy at Morrisons£2.00

canned cannellini beans

£1.00

need 800 g2 × Napolina Cannellini Beans 400g

MorrisonsMorrisons£1.00·TescoTesco£6.90/1 ea£6.90·Aldi UKAldi UKN/A·Sainsbury'sSainsbury'sN/A·AsdaAsdaN/A·OcadoOcadoN/A