Some nights I just crave spicy, southwestern flavors like warm chili and hot jalapenos, cool avocados and smooth sour cream. And when I have a craving, I want to satisfy it fast-in an hour or less. So, with that in mind, let me offer my favorite chicken White Chicken Chili recipe, ready in about an hour, full of flavor and perfect for a crowd.
Even if you roast the chicken breasts (which really gives the best flavor) it’ll be ready in an hour. Who doesn’t like that? And if you really want to save time, use a rotisserie chicken. So, here you go – White Chicken Chili!
Perfect roast chicken breasts.
The onions, garlic, and jalapenos sautéing.
Rich, spicy and oh-so-full of flavor!
Top with grated cheese, a squeeze of lime juice, cool sliced avocados and a dollop of sour cream. Good to the last drop!
White Chicken Chili
- 3-4 cups shredded chicken. Use the meat from 2 organic roast chicken breasts or, use a rotisserie chicken.
- 3 tablespoons coconut or grapeseed oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and de-ribbed then chopped. The seeds and ribs make the chili hot. Leave them out or just use some depending on how hot you like your chili. Also, wear rubber gloves to chop jalapenos!
- One 4 ounce can of chopped green chilis
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne - cayenne is hot so use according to taste. I'm a wimp so I just use ¼ teaspoon.
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2-3 cups organic chicken broth
- 1 can white beans -cannelini or pinto or whatever you like
- Garnishes: 1 avocado, chopped; 1 lime, sliced; 1 cup grated cheese; 1 cup sour cream
- First, roast the chicken breasts. Preheat oven to 350, rinse and dry chicken breasts and coat with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes. The skin will be crisp and beginning to brown. I save all the bones and skin and use it to make homemade stock.
- Remove chicken from oven and let it cool. Shred it or chop the meat when cool enough to handle.
- While the chicken is roasting, saute the chopped onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil for about 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped jalapeno and saute another couple of minutes. Add the can of chopped green chilies.
- Now add the spices and let it all cook about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Add the chicken broth, beans and shredded chicken and simmer for about 20 minutes. The liquid should evaporate some as you don't want it soupy. If it gets too dry, add more broth.
- While it's simmering, chop an avocado, slice a lime, grate some cheddar or monterey jack cheese and scoop out some lovely sour cream.
- Serve in bowls and pass the garnishes!
Kate’s Tips
- I think the taste is remarkable and much more chicken-y when you roast the chicken breasts first. Plus, if you roast a few extra, you can use them all week for other recipes like roast chicken salad, chicken tortilla soup or even chicken noodle soup.
- Save all the bones and skin for homemade chicken stock. Either freeze them to use later or make a small pot of stock the next day. Recipe here.
- Jalapenos when cooked lose a lot of their heat if you remove the ribs and seeds. No matter what, use rubber or plastic gloves when chopping them. You don’t want to rub your eyes with jalapeno juice on your hands!
- You can switch up the spices if you like. Cumin or coriander would both be good choices.
- I use cannelini beans but you can really use any beans you like. Even black beans.
- To stretch this even further, use 2 cans of beans.
- Servings: The basic recipe above will serve 4 nicely with a salad. If you double it, it will serve 6 to 8.
- If you can get organic tortilla chips, they would be yummy crumbled on top.
Let me know what you think!
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