Make Chicken Chili

Chili is always a crowd favorite, and aficionados of this varied dish take crafting it quite seriously. While chili is traditionally made with beef, there are a world of possibilities if you opt for chicken instead. This guide will give you a few recipes to show that chicken chili can be made in a variety of ways – slow-cooked in a crockpot for the mom on-the-go, seasoned for more or less “kick,” created with both red- and white-based sauces and even whipped up in your dorm room microwave! It will also teach you a few handy tricks-of-the-culinary trade along the way.

Ingredients

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
  • 2 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} cans cannellini beans, drained
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can corn, drained
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can Rotel with green chilies
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} jar green salsa verde
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} ground cumin
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} ground oregano
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} chili powder
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} shredded Monterey or cheddar cheese
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} cilantro
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

  • 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 5 jalapeno peppers, diced
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} group cumin
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} chili powder
  • A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} dried oregano
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can cannellini beans, drained
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can corn, drained
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can Rotel with green chilies
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} reduced-fat cream cheese
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} shredded Monterey or cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Microwave Red Chicken Chili

  • 1 rotisserie chicken
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} white or yellow onion, diced
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} green pepper, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can Rotel with green chilies
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can tomato sauce
  • 1 {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can kidney beans, undrained
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} chili powder
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} salt
  • {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} paprika

Steps

Making Crockpot White Chicken Chili

  1. Begin by cooking the chicken. The two best ways to cook chicken for chili are by either simmering in a pan or by boiling. These methods will help retain their moisture so they're not too tough when you later add them to the rest of the ingredients.
    • To simmer chicken, put about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of extra-virgin olive oil in a 12-inch frying pan and heat on medium. As it warms up, lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken breasts, place them top down in the pan and cook for 5 minutes until they are golden brown on the top. Flip the breasts, add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} water, cover and simmer over medium-high for 7-10 minutes. Make a small slice in the middle of each to check for any pink. If not, they’re done!
    • To boil chicken, fill a medium-to-large pot about halfway with water and add the chicken breasts. Turn the burner to medium-high heat until the water starts boiling. Reduce the heat until the water is simmering and cover with a tight lid. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Again, check to make sure they are fully cooked by slicing into them to ensure there is no pink in the center.[1]
  2. Dice the onion. Dicing onions isn’t the most pleasant task. In fact, it often reduces one to tears, but here are the basic steps.
    • First peel off the outer, papery skin, and then place the onion on its side on a cutting board.
    • Cut off the top of the onion (where the stem is), and then turn it so it’s sitting on the flat surface created from cutting off its top.
    • Now cut it in half. Take one of the halves, lay it flat-side down and cut {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} slices lengthwise toward but not all the way through the end, or root, so the onion doesn’t fall apart.
    • Turn the onion and cut {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} slices perpendicular to the ones before, and the pieces will start to break away. Do the same for the other half of the onion.[2]
  3. Add the ingredients to your crockpot. Mix the onions, cannellini beans, corn, Rotel, chicken broth, green salsa verde, cumin, oregano and chili powder together in the crockpot. Arrange the chicken breasts on top.
  4. Cook the chili for 6-8 hours. After about 6-8 hours, or when you get home from work, for instance, open the crock pot, remove a chicken breast and slice into the middle to make sure it’s not pink. The chicken should also be very tender.
    • Aside from the time convenience of cooking with a crockpot, there’s also a nutritional advantage as well. Because a crockpot cooks at a low heat level, it doesn’t suck out all the vitamins and minerals in food.[3][4]
    • As for chili, crockpots are a great solution because the longer you let chili cook, the more flavorful it will become.
    • It also takes the heat out of cooking chili in the summer since you’re not standing over a hot pot, stirring for a couple of hours. You don’t even have to be at home while your food essentially cooks itself.
  5. Shred all the breasts. Allow the breasts to cool before you begin shredding or they will be too hot to handle. The quickest way to do this is by putting them in a pan of cool water for a few minutes. Once they’ve cooled down, you’re ready to proceed. There are a couple of ways you can go about shredding.
    • You can pull the chicken apart with your hands and place the shredded pieces on a plate.
    • You can hold a breast with either one hand or with a fork and use another fork to tear the chicken into pieces and place the pieces on a plate.[5]
  6. Return the chicken to the crockpot. After you’ve shredded the chicken, put it back into the crockpot and stir everything together. Heat for another 20-30 minutes to warm the chicken back up.
  7. Prepare the cheese and cilantro. While the chicken is warming back up, get your toppings out and ready to go. Shred the Monterey or cheddar cheese. If it's in a refrigerated package, measure it out and let it sit so it's not as cold and hard when you put it on your chili. Also wash, dry and prepare your cilantro.You can either top your chili with whole leaves, or you can top it with chopped cilantro.
    • To chop cilantro, simply gather the bunch in your hand and begin chopping from the flowering tops toward the roots. Only chop off as much as you think you will use. Then put the tip of the knife on the chopping board and rock back and forth over what you've already cut to create smaller pieces.[6]
  8. Serve your crockpot creation. Ladle the chili into serving bowls and top it off with either the Monterey or cheddar cheese (or both) and the cilantro.

Cooking Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

  1. Prepare the chicken breasts. This recipe calls for cubed chicken. To cube chicken, place a breast on a chopping board with the smooth side facing up. Using a very sharp knife, cut straight strips about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} apart down the length of the breast. Turn the cutting board and cut straight strips about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} apart across the width of the breast. Lightly salt and pepper the cubed chicken.
  2. Cut up the garlic, jalapenos and onions. These three ingredients will take some time to prepare as they require mincing, dicing and de-seeding, but the kick they’ll give your chili will be well worth the effort.
    • Dice the onion as you did for the crockpot chicken chili recipe.
    • To mince garlic, you must first pick off a clove from the bulb and peel it. Start by laying the flat side of the clove on a cutting board. Take a wide-blade knife, hold the handle with one hand and lay either of the flat sides of the knife on top of the clove. Push down hard with the heel of your hand to smash the clove, which will allow you to easily take off the peeling.[7] Now lay the clove on one of its flat sides on a chopping board, cut off both ends and cut the clove in thin strips lengthwise, or from root to tip. Turn it 90 degrees and cut strips in the opposite direction, which will form a pile of garlic. Put the tip of the knife on the cutting board and, using a rocking motion, move the heel of the knife in different directions as you cut into the pile. And Voilà! Minced garlic.[8]
    • To de-seed and mince jalapeno peppers, first consider wearing a pair of gloves! Next, cut the stem off the pepper, slice it in half lengthwise, take a spoon and scoop out the seeds.[9] Now, cut very thin, or roughly {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} lengthwise slices. Take the slices, turn them crossways and make very small cuts across.
  3. Saute the veggies. Heat a saucepan deep enough for soup over medium or medium-high heat for a few minutes, or until the pan is quite hot. Next add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and swirl it around so that it coats the bottom. Continue heating for 10-30 seconds, or until the oil begins to shimmer, looking almost colorful or iridescent.[10][11] Toss in the onion, garlic and jalapeno, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes or until tender.
  4. Add the chicken and spices. Pour {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of extra-virgin olive oil into the pan and add the cubed chicken, cumin, chili powder, oregano and crushed red pepper. Stir them all together until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
    • Flip and stir the chicken frequently so each side browns, but does not burn.
    • If the oil splatters, turn the heat down a bit.
  5. Stir in the broth, veggies and cook. Pour in the chicken broth and add the corn, cannellini beans and Rotel. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
    • You will want to stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
    • This is also a good time for a taste test to see if you want to add more spices, which is best to do while cooking because heat draws out the flavor in spices.[12]
  6. Cook the bacon. While the chili is cooking, you will want to get the bacon prepared. There are three ways to do this: pan fry it, cook it in the oven or microwave it.
    • To pan fry bacon, lay out the slices so that they don’t overlap but still fill up the pan. You want enough slices in the pan to produce plenty of grease. Otherwise, they’re likely to burn. If you overlap them, they won’t cook evenly. Turn the burner to medium heat and let them cook for several minutes before flipping. Once they are crispy enough for you, use a fork or spatula to remove them from the pan and put them on a paper towel-covered plate to soak up the grease.[13]
    • To cook bacon in the oven, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay out the slices in the pan horizontally and don’t overlap them. Cook them for about 10-15 minutes, flipping once. [13]
    • To cook bacon in the microwave, put 3 layers of paper towels on a plate and lay the slices side-by-side across the plate. Cover them with another paper towel. The total cook time depends upon microwave wattage and whether or not there’s a rotating tray, so you will just have to go slow and watch it.[13]
  7. Crumble the bacon. After you've crisply cooked the bacon, let it cool for awhile. Then crumble it so it's larger than bacon bits but not in massive chunks. You can crumble it by breaking it apart with your fingers or by using a knife to chop it.
  8. Fold in the cream cheese and add the bacon. Add the cream cheese to the chili and stir until it is well blended and fully melted. Next add half of the crumbled bacon and stir.
    • Setting out the cream cheese while the chili is cooking will soften it up and make blending it much easier.
  9. Serve and add the finishing touches. Ladle the chili into serving bowls and top it off with shredded Monterey or cheddar cheese and more crumbled bacon.

Fixing Microwave Red Chicken Chili

  1. Prepare the rotisserie chicken. The standard rotisserie chicken is {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} with a seasoned skin, which will need to be peeled. You will also need to shred it.[14]
    • To do so, start by removing the wings and legs by cutting through the joints with a knife and then pulling them off. Peel off the skin from each piece as you go.
    • Use a knife to run down the center along the breast bone to remove the breast meat.
    • Try to get as much meat off the back as you can.
    • When shredding, use either your fingers and hands or one hand and a fork. If the meat gets stuck in the fork, gently pull it off.
  2. Prepare and cook the vegetables. Dice the onion and green pepper, and mince the garlic. Place them all in a 3-quart casserole dish with enough water to coat the bottom of the dish. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
    • To dice a green pepper, first cut off the top and bottom ends before standing it up and making a cut down one side. Next, lay the pepper on its side, slide your knife in the opening and, while turning the pepper, cut between the pepper and the core/seeds. Discard the core, and cut the pepper in half. Take one half, holding it flat, and cut it into thin slices. Keeping the slices in a row, turn them perpendicularly and again cut thin slices, forming dice. Do the same for the other half.[15]
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook. Toss in the shredded chicken, Rotel, tomato sauce, kidney beans, chili powder, salt and paprika. Microwave everything on high for 25-30 minutes. When done, make sure you use hot pads while removing the casserole dish from the microwave as it will be very hot.
    • Make sure you stir the chili frequently while it's cooking. Microwaves cook quickly but very unevenly, even those that rotate.
    • To give it a bit more punch, try crushing up some tortilla chips and throwing them on top, along with a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice.

Tips

  • One of the wonderful things about chili is that it is not an exact science. Ad libbing with what you have on hand is perfectly acceptable, as is altering recipes to adjust to your personal preferences and your taste buds’ delights.
  • Double up on the ingredients and cook times so you can have it for more than one meal.
  • Rotisserie chicken can be substituted for just about any white chili recipe, which can be a real time-saver.
  • Chili (or leftover chili) is excellent when served on hot dogs, on spaghetti or on top of tortilla chips. It also goes well with crackers, pita chips and corn bread.
  • If you find that your chili is too soupy, add some cornstarch or tomato paste to it. If you find it’s too thick, add more chicken broth or tomato sauce.
  • Adding more cumin powder than a recipe calls for will give chili an extra smoky flavor.
  • While extra-virgin olive oil is used here, feel free to use your preferred cooking oil.

Related Articles

  • Boil-Chicken-Breasts
  • Fry-Bacon

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.bhg.com/recipes/chicken/breasts/how-to-cook-boneless-chicken-breasts/
  2. ↑ http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/chopping-an-onion/
  3. ↑ http://mycountrycookin.com/the-benefits-of-using-slow-cookers/
  4. ↑ http://food.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/03/crockpot_slow_cooker.php
  5. ↑ http://www.popsugar.com/food/How-Shred-Chicken-29237817
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXOkCySgdNE
  7. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-peel-garlic-quickly-and-44659
  8. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/knife-skills-how-to-mince-garl-51718
  9. ↑ http://www.chatelaine.com/recipes/cooking-videos/easiest-way-to-deseed-a-jalapeno/
  10. ↑ http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/10-sauteing-tips
  11. ↑ http://www.cookthink.com/reference/40/What_do_we_mean_by_shimmering_oil
  12. ↑ http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/chili-cooking-mistakes
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/09/20/mastering-man-food-how-to-cook-bacon-properly/
  14. ↑ http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/meat-poultry-fish/all-about-rotisserie-chicken
  15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viaKd1V35-4
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_Chicken_Chili&oldid=312448"