We love us some good chili and this recipe is a tried-n-true favorite! It’s especially great for making use of leftover roasted chicken, or cooked chicken meat from making your own homemade stock. (You can also use leftover roasted turkey as well!)
By the way, if you’re not making homemade stock (i.e. bone broth), can I seriously beg you to give it a try? Please, pretty please! Not only is it far, far superior in taste to any boxed or canned stock on the market, it’s so much more nutritious too!
In fact, homemade bone broth is considered a true super food. The cooking process breaks down bones and connective tissues – including proteins, minerals and fat – that help to heal the body in various ways. One of the greatest benefits is how bone broth promotes digestive health through healing the gut, as well as reducing inflammation and inhibiting infection.
Okay, so back to the recipe … it is SO simple and delicious that I often serve this with a side of Grain-Free Chile-Cheese “Cornbread” as an easy meal for entertaining guests. Cause seriously – who doesn’t love chili? Now, now, don’t comment if you’re a chili-hater, because that will just ruin my delusion that everyone’s a chili fan just like me, right? And likewise for the chili-purists out there, yes, this is more of a chili-style stew, but again, let’s not split hairs, let’s just eat!
So, join the fan club and go make some roasted chicken chili! Trust me, your family will be happy you did.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (or 3 medium carrots)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
- 4 cups chicken stock (homemade is best!)
- 2 (15oz) cans white beans, drained (omit for Whole30, see recipe note below)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups shredded roasted chicken (or leftover roasted turkey)
- Sliced limes, diced avocado, green onions and fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Add olive oil to Dutch oven (or stock pot) over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes).
- Next, add the diced sweet potatoes (or carrots), seasonings and chopped garlic. Stir well to combine. Cook about about one minute, until garlic is fragrant.
- Then add the chicken stock, beans, apple cider vinegar and shredded chicken.
- Bring chili to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until sweet potatoes (or carrots) reach desired tenderness.
- Serve with a side of grain-free chile-cheese "cornbread" and your favorite toppings such as diced avocado, green onions and fresh cilantro. Yum!
Notes
Whole30 Recipe Variation: To make this delicious chili Whole30-friendly, simply omit the white beans and add diced zucchini and/or sweet bell pepper instead! (And of course, you'll have to pass on the "cornbread" at least for now. Enjoy!
We had chili too this weekend. I made a ground chicken, red kidney bean and kale chili. I love chili because really any flavor would do. I usually make a GF cornbread from scratch but did not take it in that direction this go around.
Have a beautiful day!
Sounds delicious, Janet! Great to hear from another chili-fan! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Blessings, Kelly
I made this for dinner tonight after making broth and soaking beans all last night. It was very good. I used leftover southwestern chicken I cooked in the crockpot for burritos a few days ago, so it was really tasty. I forgot to cut up an avocado. Darn! But there’s leftovers. 🙂 We didn’t love the almond meal “cornbread” muffins. I left out the peppers so I am thinking of having them for breakfast with some maple syrup. Yum! Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it and no worries about the “corn”bread, my hubby doesn’t care for it much because he is wants real cornbread 🙂 but my youngest and I can’t do corn, so for us it’s a tasty option. But I know not everyone will always like everything. Thanks for being so gracious. I do think they taste best with the chilies. They are rather plain and flavorless without them. 🙂
Mine came out a lot more like soup than chili, but it was fantastic none the less! Call it anything you want! I made regular cornbread to go with it and soaked up the last of the bowl with it, nom!
You’re on a roll tonight, Susanna! I love it! Thanks for all your sweet comments! You are a blessing! 🙂
Hey Kelly- I did not read the prep list very well 🙁 and now I’m here with a whole chicken (raw) and uncooked white beans. Can I put this whole thing in the crockpot to cook tomorrow while I’m at work? Do you think that would work? And then shred the chicken into the chili?
Thanks for all you do!
Hi, Katie. You could cook the whole chicken or the white beans in the crockpot – but I wouldn’t recommend putting them in together at that same time. Personally, I’d opt to cook the chicken in the crockpot, since it’s a lot easier (and less money) to grab two cans of white beans to use for this recipe rather than trying to purchase shredded chicken. (You can always cook those dry white beans another time and freeze them for future use in soups.) Hope this helps! 🙂 Hang in there! We all make mistakes!
Thanks for the reply Kelly! I had actually already put it together by the time I read your comment, so I just decided to go for it. And it worked! I quartered the chicken and pre-soaked the white beans for about 3 hours (3 changes of water) and then just threw all of the ingredients in the crockpot (with about 2 cups extra water). I left it in the fridge overnight and then cooked it on low for 8 hours. DELICIOUS! I just had to fish out the leg bones 🙂 So, maybe not ideal… but functional! haha.
Hooray! I am so glad it worked out. I wasn’t sure out the beans would do with the chicken, but all your soaking was very smart and I’m sure contributed to this being a success! Congrats for not being nervous about experimenting! 🙂
This chili was really super! I am pretty much a fan of anything I can throw excessive amounts of cilantro in. Haha! Of course, my husband likes it in moderation and my kids won’t put any on. 🙂 Anyways, the taste of this was great. I figured it would just be one of those things that is like, yeah, it is alright, but I wouldn’t really get excited to make it again, but it was really good. I used the crockpot roasted chicken from the day before and then did the bone broth in my crockpot to use for this. Really tasty. Thank you!
So glad you and your family enjoy this! I’m with you – love cilantro! Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note. Are you in our private FB group? If not, I’d love to have you join us, if you’re like. You can find us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNourishingHomeCommunity/ Just request to join, if you’re interested. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Do you think it would be possible to freeze a batch of this after cooking? I was going to make a double batch and freeze half for a quick post-partum meal.
Also, thank you so much for posting these meal plans. We have been following them for about 6 weeks now. It fits in my budget and has awesome recipes (even according to my picky eater! He’s eating more vegetables in one meal than he used to eat in a week!)
That is so great to hear, Laura. I’m so happy you’re finding the meal plans and recipes helpful. Yes, I think this chili would freeze well. I haven’t had enough of it leftover to test it myself. LOL! 🙂 Congrats on your pregnancy! I pray for your to have a safe healthy delivery and little one. So smart of you to plan ahead with some freezer meals. 🙂