Hearty Chicken Chili with a Twist is the very definition of comfort food! Except while most comfort foods are loaded with cream and/or cheese, which is what makes them comforting, this easy chicken chili is actually healthy and good for you too!
It’s February and even in North Florida, it’s been chilly and rainy. What better to serve on a cold and rainy evening than some delicious chicken chili? This chicken chili isn’t your traditional white chicken chili recipe, however. The twist is that this chicken chili recipe is made with salsa verde, which is made from roasted tomatillos. Tomatillos give it a wonderful depth of flavor and smoky fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and spicy tomatoes and green chilies make this Hearty Chicken Chili with a Twist one recipe that your family will ask for time and time again.
Oh, and did I mention that you can have this yummy easy chicken chili on the table in under 20 minutes? And leftovers, if you have them, are even better the next day.
If you like hearty soups and stews, you might also like these delicious recipes:
Traditional Irish Potato Soup,
Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup, and
Easy Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
How to make Hearty Chicken Chili with a Twist!
The ingredients for the Hearty Chicken Chili with a Twist include chicken, onion, bell pepper, olive oil, a jar of salsa verde, chicken stock, black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, ground cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Depending on what you like to top your chili with you will also need the following garnishes: sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, and grated cheese. Cheezit crackers are also a great topping for this chili.
In a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil, chopped onion and chopped bell pepper. Saute, frequently stirring for about 5 minutes or until the onion and bell pepper have softened.
Add the chicken, ground cumin, and chili powder. Mix well.
Add the salsa verde, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomatoes and green chilies, chicken stock, and black beans and mix well. Once this mixture starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and cook for about 10 minutes.
Serve hot and garnish with sour cream, grated cheese, chopped avocado and tortilla chips. Optional, squeeze a little fresh lime juice on the chili right before you serve it. Enjoy!
Leftovers should be covered and will keep several days in the refrigerator.
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Hearty Chicken Chili with a Twist
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pound chicken cooked and cubed, about 2 cups, you can use a rotisserie chicken
- 16 oz jar salsa verde
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies with juice Rotel
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cans cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice 15 oz cans
- 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- Optional garnishes: sour cream chopped avocado, grated sharp cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips.
Instructions
- In a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil, chopped onion and chopped bell pepper. Saute, frequently stirring for about 5 minutes or until the onion and bell pepper have softened.
- Add the chicken, ground cumin, and chili powder. Mix well.
- Add the salsa verde, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomatoes and green chilies, chicken stock, and black beans and mix well.
- Once this mixture starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Serve hot! Optional, garnish with sour cream, grated cheese, chopped avocado and tortilla chips. Another option, squeeze a little fresh lime juice on the chili right before you serve it. Enjoy!
- Leftovers should be covered and will keep several days in the refrigerator.
Sharon, I served your chicken chili recipe when our grandson was home from college at Christmas. He loved it.. So, I fixed a “care package” with all the ingredients (except the chicken) and gave it to him when he came to visit for Spring Break. We got a FaceTime call a couple of nights ago while he was eating and bragging about how good and easy to fix “his” chili is. I know you’ll appreciate this since you watched him grow up. Thanks for sharing and also for a good memory.
Harriet, thank you so much for sharing this. It made my heart sing!
My Husband loved this chili. It was very easy to make also.
Hi Heidi, so glad your husband liked it and thanks so much for letting me know!
Sharon
I’m a huge fan of using green chilis, so adding them to this sounds like a win to me!
Hi Leslie, yes, the green chilies do really ramp up the flavor!
All my best,
Sharon