If you follow me on Twitter you know one of the things I love about my husband is that he cooks his famous (around these here parts) chili for me. Any. Time. I. Want. It.
It’s a special treat because 1) it’s good! and 2) he’s cooking…not me!
Needless to say, it’s pretty unusual for me to make chili.
It was Kim’s (Cook It Allergy Free) Chicken Chipotle Tortilla Soup that provided inspiration to try my hand at making chicken chili. I made a version of Kim’s soup for my guys and they loved it!! So, I decided to take it one step further and make chili.
There’s a little of this, not so much of that, and a few new ingredients that are definitely not in my husband’s chili or Kim’s soup recipe. This one definitely has my name on it.
It came out perfectly perfect. Now, I’m pretty sure the hub’s is going to ask me to make it. Any. Time. He. Wants. It.
Shredded Chicken Chili
Saute in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat until crispy:
3 slices bacon, chopped into quarters
While the bacon is cooking prepare the vegetables:
1 sweet onion, diced
1 jalapeno*, seeds and stem removed, minced
1 red or green pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
Remove the cooked bacon and most of the bacon fat from the pot. Set the bacon aside and discard the bacon fat. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook until the onions are just translucent—a few minutes. If you think a little more fat is needed while the vegetables are cooking add:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sprinkle the cooked vegetables with herbs and spices:
2 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons each: cumin and cocoa powder
1 teaspoon each: salt and chile powder*
½ teaspoon each: thyme, oregano and cilantro
Quickly add in and stir to combine:
2 cups chicken broth
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 jar salsa (I used Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa - glutenfree!)
Add in:
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, fat removed
Bring the pot to a boil and keep it at a slow boil for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set the pot to a simmer.
Stir the following ingredients into the pot and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon honey
Shred the chicken with a fork and add it back into the pot along with:
1 can each black beans and white great northern beans, drained and rinsed.
Simmer for about 5 minutes to heat everything through.
Serve topped with the reserved bacon (chopped into bits), crumbled gluten-free tortilla chips and a wedge of lime for the more adventurous folks.
*Note: adjust the heat to your liking by adjusting the amount of jalapeno and chile powder you use in the recipe. The amounts I used created a medium hot chili.