Chicken chili pops with flavour
White chicken chili is a fresher, lighter cousin of the thick red chili most of us know and love.
Its appeal is not surprising because it is a healthier alternative and, when made well, packed with vibrant flavours and spiciness. All too often, however, this chili is lacklustre.
We found not one but three solutions to bland chicken chili recipes. To fix what is often a watery sauce, we puréed some of our sautéed chili-onion mixture and beans with the broth to thicken the base.
WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
Serves: 8
2 onions, chopped
3 Anaheim chilies, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
3 poblano chilies, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
3 jalapeno chilies, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 lbs (1.4 kg) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) ground coriander
Salt and pepper 2 (15-oz/443-mL) cans no-saltadded cannellini beans, rinsed
4 cups (1 L) unsalted chicken broth
1/4 cup (60 mL) minced fresh cilantro
4 scallions, sliced thin
2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh oregano
1. Toss onions, Anaheims, poblanos and two-thirds of jalapenos together in bowl. Working in two batches, pulse vegetables in food processor to consistency of chunky salsa, 12 pulses; set aside.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken, 3-5 minutes per side; transfer to plate and discard skin.
3. Add processed vegetable mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, 3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
4. Process 1 cup (250 mL) cooked vegetable mixture, 1 cup (250 mL) beans, and 1 cup (250 mL) broth in food processor until smooth, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. Return puréed mixture to pot and stir in remaining 3 cups (750 mL) broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken into pot along with any accumulated juices and bring to simmer.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until chicken registers 160 F (70 C), 10-15 minutes.
7. Transfer chicken to carving board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks; discard bones.
8. Stir remaining beans into chili, bring to simmer over medium heat, and cook, uncovered, until chili has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in chicken and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro, scallions, lime juice, oregano and remaining jalapeno, and season with pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges.