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    Home » Recipes » American

    Updated: Apr 23, 2023 by Marc · Leave a Comment

    Chicken Chili

    With big chunks of tender, juicy chicken and a colorful medley of peppers this easy Chicken Chili comes together from pantry staples in under an hour. Garnished with avocado, red onion and cilantro it's a sunny rainbow in a bowl that will warm you up from the inside out.
    Recipe Pin
    With big juicy chunks of chicken this easy chicken chili is as satisfying as it is delicious.

    While I've been in and around the kitchen from as far back as I can remember, it wasn't until my final years of college, when I met a kindred kitchen spirit, that my eyes were opened to the vast universe of food beyond my small town upbringing. She had an unrivaled collection of cookbooks and magazines, the likes of which I'd never seen before. Amongst that vast collection was a book that had a hand in shaping the way I think about food to this day.

    In the late 90's, while a show featuring the exploits of a quartet of Manhattan besties was lighting up TV screens around the world, Ina Garten's series of Barefoot Contessa books was feeding binge-watching parties across the country. The recipes were practical and approachable and yet they were posh enough to cater to the needs of the Hampton's set. The lesson for me was that good food doesn't need to be complicated.

    This easy chicken chili has a wonderful balance of textures and taste.

    This chicken chili is one I've refined over the years but is one I first made from the pages of Barefoot Contessa Parties!. My version simplifies the process a bit while adjusting the balance of flavors to add some more depth and complexity.

    The key difference is that I brown the chicken in a pan, rather than roasting it in an oven. The chicken is only partially cooked while browning, and it's finished off by gently poaching it in the chili at the very end. This small change not only saves time, but it also ensures that each piece of chicken is plump, juicy and tender.

    I like serving my chicken chili with tortilla chips, which imparts a marvelous toasted corn flavor while adding a satisfying crunch. If you want something more substantial, my triple cornbread would be awesome as well. Because this uses breast meat and a medley of sweet aromatic vegetables, it's lighter than my Chili con Carne and Green Chili recipe, but you can adjust this using condiments. Personally, I love the combination of sharp cheddar, creamy avocados, sweet red onions and fresh cilantro.

    📖 Recipe

    With big juicy hunks of chicken and sweet peppers in a spicy sauce, this is the best chicken chili ever.

    Easy Chicken Chili

    4 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Discuss
    Prep Time 6 minutes mins
    Cook Time 54 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Yield 6 servings

    Units

    Ingredients 

    For chicken

    • 1 tablespoons olive oil
    • 890 grams boneless skin-on chicken breast ~3 breasts
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    For chili

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 500 grams onions ~2 medium onions,½-inch dice
    • 26 grams garlic ~4 large cloves, minced
    • 200 grams red bell pepper ~1 pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 200 grams yellow bell pepper ~1 pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
    • 800 grams canned whole tomatoes

    For serving

    • 1 avocado chopped, for garnish
    • ½ red onion minced, for garnish
    • Cheddar cheese grated, for garnish
    • cilantro for garnish

    Instructions

    • Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
      Chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper for the best Chicken Chili.
    • Place the chicken, skin-side down in a pot. Turn the heat on to medium heat and fry the chicken, until most of the fat has rendered out of the skin (about 4 minutes).
    • Flip and brown the chicken on the other side (another 3 minutes); the chicken does not need to be cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it cool enough to handle.
      Browm the chicken breasts on both sides for the chicken chili.
    • Add the onions, garlic and bell peppers to the pan you browned the chicken in. Saute until tender, and the onions start to brown (about 10 minutes).
      Garlic, onions, red and yellow bell peppers are sauteed until tender and fragrant to make chili.
    • Add the chili powder, salt, oregano, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Saute until the spices are fragrant (about 2 minutes).
      Chili powder is added and sauteed to bring out it's fragrance.
    • Add the canned tomatoes along with the juices they're packed into the pot and crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Simmer the chili over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
      Tomatoes are added to the chicken chili.
    • While the vegetables are simmering, chop the browned chicken into 1-inch chunks and set aside.
      The browned chicken breasts are cut into large cubes and placed in a tray for the chicken chili.
    • Add the chicken to the chili and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes). Adjust seasonings to taste.
      The chicken is returned to the pot with the chili and simmered until the chicken is cooked through.
    • Serve the chicken chili garnished with avocado, red onions, cheddar, and cilantro.
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    Nutrition

    Calories 440kcalCarbohydrates 23gProtein 34gFat 23gSaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 94mgSodium 702mgPotassium 1058mgFiber 6gSugar 8gVitamin A 1870IUVitamin C 127.7mgCalcium 104mgIron 3.5mg

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    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

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