Southwest Chicken Chili Mac | Easy Chicken Pasta Recipe (2024)

This delicious Southwest Chicken Chili Mac is easy to make in a skillet and perfect for picky eaters! It’s packed with chicken, pasta and delicious chili flavors the whole family enjoys!

Table of Contents

• Southwest Chicken Chili Mac
• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• What You’ll Need
• How To Make Chicken Chili Mac
• How To Serve
• How To Store Leftovers
• Recipe Tips For Success
• Try More Delicious Chili Recipes
• Get the Recipe

Southwest Chicken Chili Mac

It’s time for chili night! Break out your cast iron skillet or favorite pot, dinner is about to be served. This is a flavorful chicken chili seasoned with fragrant southwest ingredients along with some fun wagon wheel pasta. My boys went nuts for this dish. Top with a little sour cream and enjoy!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Kids as well as adults love this fun dinner recipe!
• It’s not only easy to make, but delicious!
• Makes delicious leftovers too!

Try my Taco Turkey Chili Recipe too! Be sure to follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

See Also

Nigel Slater’s recipe for sausages and black-eyed beans, and for savoy cabbage, cream and juniperThe Best Taco Dip RecipeQuinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe - Gluten Free & Vegetarian - Wendy PolisiChopped Salad With Chickpeas, Feta and Avocado Recipe

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Southwest Chili Mac at home. See the recipe card located at the bottom of the post for full instructions.

• small pasta shells– Use any small pasta shape you like. The wagon wheels are fun if you can find them.
• extra virgin olive oil– Olive oil is used to saute the vegetables.
• onion– I like to get a white onion. Finely chop before adding to hot pan.
• bell pepper– Finely chop and de-seed bell pepper.
• fresh garlic– Mince the garlic before adding to pan.
• cooked chicken breast such as rotisserie– I use rotisserie chicken often for quick dinners.
• diced tomatoes– Any canned diced tomatoes work great.
• chicken broth– Look for reduced sodium chicken broth.
• corn– Drain the can of corn before adding to chili mac.
• white beans– You can substitute for any white beans you’d like.
• chili powder– Chili powder adds that great chili flavor to the dish.
• ground cumin– Cumin is smoky and aromatic. Great in chili recipes.
• Ranch Dressing Seasoning mix– Find the Ranch Dressing seasoning mix in the dressing isle of the grocery store.
• fresh cilantro– Fresh cilantro adds color and freshness to the chili.

How To Make Chicken Chili Mac

Cook Pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cool water to stop cooking.

Saute Vegetables. Heat oil in 9 inch deep cast iron skillet. Stir in onions and peppers, cook stirring until softened about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute.

Add Chicken and Chili Ingredients. Place chicken, tomatoes, broth, corn, beans, 1 cup wagon wheel pasta, chili powder, cumin, Ranch seasoning and cilantro into pot, stirring to combine.

Simmer. Stir until well combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve.

How To Serve

Serve Chili Mac hot, in individual serving bowls. Top with shredded cheese and more cilantro if desired.

How To Store Leftovers

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Recipe Tips For Success

• Be careful not to overcook your pasta, it will continue to cook some in the hot chili. I like to check my pasta 2 minutes before the package recommends. Once it’s al dente drain immediately.
• Use different variations of pasta if you’d like. The wheels are fun, but any small shaped pasta works great.
• You can substitute the beans for other varieties. Black, kidney and pinto all work well. You can even omit the beans.
• Try using cooked beef instead of chicken for another varation.

Try More Delicious Chili Recipes

• Easy Slow Cooker Chili
• Best White Chicken Chili
• Taco Turkey Chili