I once cooked a "White Chicken Chili" recipe from America's Test Kitchen. I liked it a lot. However, I changed several parts of the recipe over the years to make it my own. Most importantly, I reduced the amount of chicken and increased the amount of beans. For me, chili is all about a good selection of legumes, not only meats. I added another type of beans to give the chili a more earthy substance and more color. Most recipes for chicken chili call for chicken breast. However, this will give it a rather bland meat taste. Chicken thighs will give the chili a more defined chicken taste.
I also reduced the "heat" by shortening the number of Jalapeño peppers. You can add spiciness later easily. I developed an external spice booster from 4 different hot peppers. (See recipe at the end) Many people do not like spicy food, while others want to sweat. The booster allows you to adjust individually, as needed. It is undoubtedly a matter of taste, and you can easily change the recipe to your liking.
Ingredients
4 pieces Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs
2 Jalapeño Peppers
3 Poblano Peppers
3 Anaheim Peppers
2 medium size Yellow Onions, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 head of Garlic (yes, you've read that right!), minced
3 cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 - 1 can of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
3 cups Chicken Stock (preferably low sodium)
Lime juice from 2 limes
3 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro
3 Green Onions, cut into small slices.
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Ground Cumin
1 tbsp. Ground Coriander
1 tbsp. Celery Salt
The process
Start by preparing the “Hot Stuff”(see end of recipe). It will need to steep for at least two hours.
Salt and pepper the chicken generously.
Cut the jalapeño peppers, remove seeds and discard. Cut them into small pieces. You should wear gloves for handling the peppers. Cut peppers irritate your skin and can be dangerous when you rub the oils into your eyes. Washing your hands with soap will not eliminate the spicy oils from your skin.
Stem the Poblano and Anaheim peppers, remove seeds and discard. Cut into large pieces (just enough to get them into the food processor).
Add Poblano and Anaheim peppers (not Jalapeño) and onions to a food processor and process until you have small chunks. You may have to work in several batches, depending on the size of your food processor. Don’t blend it. It must have still some pieces.
Add oil to a dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat.
Add chicken skin side down and fry until solid brown, around 5 minutes. (You want the skin to be dry, so all the tasty fat is in the pot.)
Turn over chicken pieces and fry for another 2 minutes.
Take the chicken out, remove the skin and discard. (see Notes)
Reduce heat to medium and wait until the temperature comes down for around 2 minutes.
Add chopped Jalapeños, pepper-onion mix, garlic, and spices.
Cover pot and cook peppers and onions until softened for about 10 minutes.
Add 1 cup of cooked pepper-onion mix to the food processor.
Add 1 cup of Cannellini beans and 1 cup of chicken stock and process until smooth.
Pour this mixture from the food processor into the dutch oven, and add 2 cups of chicken stock and the chicken thighs.
Bring to a boil once and reduce heat to medium-low to low.
Cover the dutch oven and simmer for around 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Check the chicken temperature with a meat thermometer. The thighs should measure at least 180 degrees. (Usually, the recommendation for chicken is 165 degrees. This is not enough in a chili to be safe. Furthermore, it will not get too dry with higher temperatures since it is cooking in liquid.)
Transfer chicken to a plate and let cool down.
Add Beans to the dutch oven and simmer uncovered until warm enough for around 10-15 minutes.
When the chicken is cool enough to be touched, shred it into smaller pieces. (The piece size depends on your preference. I usually have 1 - 1.5 inch pieces.
Add chicken to dutch oven.
Add lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring again to a simmer.
Serve with green onions and "hot stuff" on top (see the following recipe).
Optional: Add a dollop of sour cream or, better, Crème Fraîche.
Enjoy!
Notes:
- You can store the chili for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or you can freeze it. When you are hungry, just put the frozen chili in the microwave and reheat. No need to defrost it slowly.
- The crisp chicken skin is delicious (however, not low in fat!). Instead of throwing it out, I take the removed skin and fry it a little more in a pan. Fried chicken skins make a great snack!
Hot Stuff
Ingredients
2 Habanero Peppers
2 Jalapeño Peppers
2 Serrano Peppers
4 Red Thai Peppers
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
The process
Cut all peppers into 1/2” pieces, remove seeds and discard. You must wear gloves for handling the peppers. Cut peppers irritate your skin and can be dangerous when you rub the oils into your eyes. Washing your hands with soap will not eliminate the spicy oils from your skin.
In a food processor, combine peppers, brown sugar, and olive oil.
Process until it has a consistency of salsa.
Pour the salsa into a small bowl and cover.
Let it steep for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add to chili carefully. This is very spicy!
Wine Pairing
Chardonnay (buttery), such as 2018 Au Bon Climat Los Alamos Historic Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County or similar.
Why:
Butter and Coconut aromas complement the spiciness of this chili. It balances the palate and provides a slight sweetness. Hints of toasted oaks will add robustness to the experience.
Music Pairing
Dave Brubeck Quartet – Take Five and other songs from the album “Time Out”.
Why:
Jazz offers a moving, light, and playful environment which makes you want to move on your chair. It pairs well with a spicy, more casual meal.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this, Martin! You are so right about chicken thieghs and FLAVOR! Your pairing of the chilis is clever and creative! I look forward to MORE MORE MORE!