This provided by America’s Test Kitchen in December 2018 shows the cover for the cookbook “Complete Diabetes Cookbook.” It includes a recipe for White Chicken Chili. (America’s Test Kitchen via AP) Share
This undated photo provided by America’s Test Kitchen in December 2018 shows White Chicken Chili in Brookline, Mass. This recipe appears in the cookbook “Complete Diabetes Cookbook.” (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP) Share
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 flavors and spiciness. All too often, however, this chili is lackluster.
We found not one but three solutions to bland chicken chili recipes. To fix what is often a watery sauce, we pureed some of our sauteed chile-onion mixture and beans with the broth to thicken the base.
To avoid floating bits of rubbery chicken, we browned, poached, and shredded bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, which gave the chicken a hearty texture and full flavor.
And to solve the problem of insufficient chile flavor, we used a trio of fresh chiles: jalapeno, poblano, and Anaheim. For a spicier chile, add the jalapeño seeds. If you can’t find Anaheim chiles, add an additional poblano and jalapeno to the chili.
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, about 12 pulses; set aside.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken, 3 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to plate and discard skin.
Add processed vegetable mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
Process 1 cup cooked vegetable mixture, 1 cup beans, and 1 cup broth in food processor until smooth, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Return pureed mixture to pot and stir in remaining 3 cups broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken into pot along with any accumulated juices and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until chicken registers 160 F, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer chicken to carving board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks; discard bones.
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.
Nutrition information per serving: 290 calories; 67 calories from fat; 8 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 81 mg cholesterol; 245 mg sodium; 23 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 32 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like White Chicken Chili in “Complete Diabetes Cookbook .”
It could be that you have enough flavorings but not enough salt. Or perhaps there aren’t enough flavors. Chili powder, or some variety like ancho, pasilla, chipotle, and cumin are a nice way to add some easy flavor.
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, about 12 pulses; set aside.
Add processed vegetable mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
Nutrition information per serving: 290 calories; 67 calories from fat; 8 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 81 mg cholesterol; 245 mg sodium; 23 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 32 g protein.
This provided by America’s Test Kitchen in December 2018 shows the cover for the cookbook “Complete Diabetes Cookbook.” It includes a recipe for White Chicken Chili. (America’s Test Kitchen via AP) Share
This undated photo provided by America’s Test Kitchen in December 2018 shows White Chicken Chili in Brookline, Mass. This recipe appears in the cookbook “Complete Diabetes Cookbook.” (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP) Share
Directions: 1. Cook the beans: Put the beans, 8 cups water, onion, and lard or bacon in a large dutch oven (at least 6 quarts), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until the beans are tender. Add the salt after 1 hour of cooking. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid they were cooking in (it should be about 2-3 cups), and put the beans back in the dutch oven. 2. Cook the chicken: (Heres a link to the basic process). After youve started the beans, liberally salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Preheat oven to 375*F. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken pieces skin side down, and cook until the skin is well browned, about 5-8 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Drain the excess fat out of the pan (reserve for use with the aromatics in the next step), then put the pan in the preheated oven and cook until the chicken is 160*F in breasts, or 170*F in thighs, about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. Remove the chicken to a plate, and allow to cool for a few minutes. (Keep any juices and browned bits in the pan for the next step.) Then, remove the skin, pull the chicken off the bones, and shred it. 3. Saute the aromatics: Put the large skillet you cooked the chicken in back over medium heat, and add enough of the reserved chicken fat to give yourself 2 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Allow the pan to heat up until the fond in the pan is starting to sizzle, then add the onion, fresh chili pepper, and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened and slightly browned. Add the garlic, coriander and cumin, stir into the onions, and cook, stirring often, until you can smell the garlic, about 1 minute. Add the cans of diced green peppers, and cook until heated through, 2-3 more minutes. 4. Cook the chili: Put the dutch oven with the beans over medium heat, and add the skillet of aromatics, chicken stock, and reserved bean broth. There should be enough liquid to just come up to the top of the beans; if there isnt, add more chicken stock or bean broth (or water). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and brown sugar, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
David Tanis, white beans recipe in A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes
Notes: *The beans and the chicken can both be made ahead of time. The beans are actually improved by resting overnight. If you have the time, cook them, let them come to room temperature, and refrigerate overnight. *I often use leftover chicken in this recipe; if you have extra chicken, this is a good way to use it up. *Also, you can saute or grill boneless, skinless chicken pieces instead of roasting bone-in pieces, but the flavor of the bone-in pieces is better. *That being said, grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts do give a nice, smoky flavor; theyre just a little bland compared to the bone-in pieces. *You can also substitute canned beans for the dried beans, and ground turkey if you need a quick recipe. In fact, Ill be posting the quick weeknight version of this recipe later in the week.
This is the most unique chili recipe I cook on a regular basis. White chili generally means that the chili doesnt have any chili powder or tomatoes in it. Now “white” may translate into “bland” for you, but this chili is anything but bland.* *I made the mistake of using more peppers than I have in the recipe below for my parents super bowl party. Bland…no. Hellfire…yes. Everyone would say how good it tasted, then stop talking, then start gasping for oxygen. So, I cut back on the heat.
How to Make Chicken Chili the Perfect Winter Meal
FAQ
What can I add if chili is too bland?
How do I make my chili more flavorful?
Why is chili bland?
How to fix Bland chili?
The home trick has already been discussed in the above title. The alternative is to go outside, bring fresh chilies from a nearby store, add these chilies to the cooker, and start sautéing the chili at low flame. Through this, you can fix bland chili. Chili has a chemical composition that gives it sour and severe flavor.
How do you thicken white chicken chili?
Another great way to thicken white chicken chili is to use an ingredient that you are already putting in the soup: beans! There are two ways to do this. First, you can add the beans to the pot and cook as directed. Once the beans have had a chance to soften, use a potato masher to mash some of them into a paste that will thicken the chili.
How do you make white chicken chili?
How do You Make the Best White Chicken Chili? Heat olive oil in a 6 quart enameled Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Add chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste.
What should I do if my chili Pan is sticky?
When you make chili, after frying the meat and onions, the pan may have a sticky, dark layer on the bottom. Remember to deglaze the pan with red wine, hard cider, or beer (use any one of these options) so that none of this flavor is wasted. When the alcohol starts bubbling up, scrape off the sticking layer and let everything mix up in the liquid.