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Lazy Chicken Chili
Some days, especially as the weather becomes cooler, I crave food that is warming and nourishing but easy to make. Most of the time I love getting in my kitchen and being creative, but there are days I am over booked and tired of making dinner. Recipes like this one are just the ticket for me, and it so happens that this makes enough chili to feed a lot of people. I passed this on to my in-town family and they are in total agreement with me.
The few times I have made this chicken chili I have used some precooked rotisserie chicken. If I go to the trouble of making my own roasted bird I prefer to eat it straight up with easy side dishes and veggies or a salad. This recipe involves basically using a lot of pantry items, but it tastes pretty complex.
I started with a NYT recipe by Lidey Heuck and tweaked it. It is THE BEST. No one will guess it is so easy to make! Keep this recipe in mind for last minute dinner guests.
Lazy Chicken Chili
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- ½ large jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic or more
- 1teaspoon dried basil or 1 Tbsp fresh slivered basil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth (I use Better than Bouillion)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
- 2½ to 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (from 1 roast chicken or rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- Half a lime, plus lime wedges for serving
- Toppings: choose what you like: Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, pickled onions, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro and crushed tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
Instructions
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic,basil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the chicken broth, rinsed cannellini beans and diced green chiles with their liquid; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth has reduced by about half, 18 to 20 minutes. Off the heat, use a wooden spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue mashing the beans until the broth is noticeably thicker.
Return the pot to medium, stir in the chicken and corn, and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Juice the lime half over the pot, then taste for seasonings and add more salt, black pepper, and cayenne, if desired.
Serve the chili in bowls topped as you like with a lime wedge. I serve the optional toppings on the side.
