Chili of all varieties scream cozy cold weather meals. I love this recipe as it follows a similar pattern as my signature Chicken Tortilla Soup, but has added components like white beans, cornmeal, chili powder, and chiles, to help spice things up.
I love making this White Bean Chicken Chili meal up ahead on the weekend – with just two of us and my toddler, we can make this stretch for not one, not two, but THREE dinners. It is economical and no one complains about a chili dinner. I typically have some freshly grated mozzarella cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, and limes on hand for a garnish. You can also feel free to add some soup crackers or tortilla chips to your liking.
White Bean Chicken Chili
Difficulty: Easy6-8
servings15
minutes55
minutes70
minutesWhite Bean Chicken Chili is great to feed your family for dinner and makes for excellent leftovers – in fact, I think chili is always better the next day!
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion (about 2 cups)
2 jalapeños, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 4-ounce can of green chiles
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons fine cornmeal
2 cans (15.5 ounces) white beans, rinsed and drained
Directions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear chicken on both sides, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add onion, green peppers, jalapeños, coriander, and cumin. Cook until the onions and peppers are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and chili powder and cook about one minute more, or until fragrant.
- Add the canned chiles, seared chicken, and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot until the chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Be sure to maintain a low simmer the entire time so the chicken cooks and the flavors combine.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pot.
- Whisk the cornmeal with 1 cup of hot water in a small bowl and add to the pot along with the beans. Simmer for 5 minutes and Serve.
Notes
- This is a great make-ahead meal and lasts in the fridge for 3-4 days. This is also freezer friendly and lasts about 4 months in the freezer.
