This past week brought a significant amount of snow, single digit temperatures and below zero wind chills here in the Midwest. Other than dressing in layers or sitting by the fire, it seems the only other way to warm up are savoring either a hot bowl of soup or chili. Great soup and chili recipes are not only soul satisfying, they are labors of love. With the added benefits of infusing intoxicating aromas in the kitchen and yielding plenty of leftovers, investing the time into making them is almost enough to temporarily keep the winter blues at bay. Rather than making some Three Bean Chili, Beef and Bean Chili, Texas Style Chili, Beef Chili, or Chipotle Turkey Chili, I wanted to make a chili that was a little more on the healthy side yet still a comforting, crowd pleasing, deeply satisfying one. Which explains what inspired this Red Chicken Chili recipe.
There are hundreds of thousands of chicken chili recipes out there. You will find white and red versions, quick and slow cooked versions, as well as ground and shredded chicken versions. No offense to white chicken chili lovers, but I happen to like my chili 'red'. And it just so happens I LOVE this Red Chicken Chili. It's a recipe I would gladly enter into a chicken chili contest! But wait, I actually think it might even be a ribbon contender in any chili contest!
Making homemade chili is easy. Once the chicken is cooked, the vegetables sautéed, the spices allowed to toast, and the other remaining ingredients are added in, all you need to do is let it simmer (with occasional stirring) for four hours. Yes, four hours. The low, slow cooking process helps to meld and deepen all of its' flavors.
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If you happen to be a beef loving chili eater, you are going to be more than pleasantly surprised with the flavors and textures of this Red Chicken Chili. You might actually switch from being a beef chili to a chicken chili lover. So how good is this hearty, perfectly spiced chili? It's 'second helping please' good.
Other than deciding which of your friends to invite over for a weekend chili dinner, you only have decide on the array of toppings to serve along with the Red Chicken Chili. Grated white cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, sliced or chopped avocado, and/or Fritos Scoops all compliment the chili perfectly. I would have bowls of all of them!
But you don't need to host a gathering to make this chili, you can make it just for you as it freezes beautifully. So when you crave a bowl of hot chili and don't have four hours to spend making a batch, all you have to do is pull some out of the freezer. Does this chili sound even more enticing?
Last, but not least, I promise eating a bowl of this scrumptious chili will not only warm you up, but it will be good for your soul. So what are you waiting for?
Recipe
Red Chicken Chili
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 3/4 to 2 pounds ground chicken (see notes)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large green pepper (seeds removed), finely chopped
1 large jalapeño (seeds removed), finely minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or red pepper flakes
15 ounce (425g) can crushed tomatoes
10 ounce (283g) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
15 ounce (425g) can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce (425g) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
16 ounce (454g) bag of frozen whole kernal corn
16 ounces beer (see notes)
2-3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth (and more if necessary)
Chopped green onions, sour cream, grated white cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, Fritos Scoops
Directions
1. Heat a large Dutch oven. Add in one Tablespoon of olive oil and heat. Add in the ground chicken. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Stir often but keep as many bite sized bits as possible. Transfer the cooked chicken and drippings to a bowl. Set aside.
2. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat. Add in the chopped onions, green pepper and jalapeño. Cook until vegetables have softened and become lightly browned (approximately 10 minutes).
3. Add the chili powder, cumin, and red chili flakes to the cooked vegetables. Stir and cook for 90 seconds to toast the spices.
4. Add in the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Stir until well blended.
5. Add in the cooked chicken, black beans, dark red kidney beans, corn, brown sugar, Kosher salt, worcestershire, and beer. Stir until well mixed.
6. Place the cover on the Dutch oven. After one hour of cooking time add in the half cup of the chicken broth and stir.
7. Place lid back on but allow the steam to escape so the chili thickens. Stir the chili periodically. Cook for an additional three hours. Note: If the chili is too thick, add a little more chicken stock.
8. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Notes: (1) For a very chunky chili, use up to 2 pounds of ground chicken. I used the full 2 pounds in this recipe. (2) Use a lighter beer. I used Stella Atrois. Most bottles of beer are approximately 11 ounces. You will need one full bottle and almost half of another bottle. (3) Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator or freezer so you can enjoy a bowl on another chilly day.