This is the BEST chicken chili and it is so easy to make. Start with a rotisserie chicken and some cannelini beans, then pump up the smoky flavor with bacon, chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika and cumin. Top it all off with a sprinkle of cotija cheese and some fresh cilantro and this chili will be nigh unto perfect.
I never cease to be amazed that the man I married over 31 years ago can still surprise me with his food preferences. For instance, the other night as he was mowing his way through a second bowl of this chili, he made the following statement in a longing voice, “Man, I just love beans.”
Excuse me?
I have been cooking with beans for at least a bazillion years and never once has that man EVER said “I love beans.” As a matter of fact, when I went on a ‘cooking with beans’ jag, John asked me if it would be possible to have beans as little as possible in the future. I also recall that during that phase my children had to get psychiatric counseling and all three of them still go into convulsions whenever I mention anything about beans. But that’s another story.
As for this chili, there are probably some chili purists who would subject me to public flogging for attaching the sacred name of ‘chili’ to this recipe. To them I say, “Tough beans. Get over it. Food evolves.” Not really…I mean I wouldn’t really say that. I would, of course, grovel, ask forgiveness, and change the name of this recipe to Spicy Chicken Soup with White Beans.
Whatever.
Flavor Profile
If you are curious about the flavor profile of this homesy dish, I went for a smoky flavor with moderate heat. Heat in a dish is up to personal preference and certainly the heat level can be adjusted up or down. I used two spices to bring out the smokiness, ground chipotle chile and smoked paprika. Oh, yeah, and some bacon. Mmmmmm.
Chipotle Chile (ground). This spice adds a great smoky flavor to any dish. It brings heat, so adjust the quantity up or down to provide more or less heat.
To be honest, this one can be hard to find. The most consistent brand that I can find is McCormick. Many grocery stores carry this brand. Also, it can be found on Amazon; available in organic and regular.
Smoked Paprika. Smoky Paprika offers a delicious smoky flavor, minus the heat. It is great for palates that need less heat. It is relatively easy to find at most grocery stores and is made by various brands. If it is not available at your local store, then Amazon comes to your rescue. This page offers a wide selection of brands. I don’t have a brand preference.
Bacon. Bacon is probably the ultimate “smoky” flavor in cooking. It’s not subtle, that’s for certain. Use your favorite thick-sliced bacon for this recipe.
Chicken. Because this chili uses a prepared rotisserie chicken, the recipe comes together relatively quickly. Choose a neutral flavored chicken. You don’t want the flavors fighting each other. I like to use Costco rotisserie chickens. They are plump and flavorful.
Beans. White beans can be bland on their own, which makes them perfect for this chili. They pick up the flavors of the spices, onion and garlic and are a great foil for the heat. I used cannelini beans because they are meaty. However, great Northern white beans work well, too.
Tomatoes. If you can find canned, roasted tomatoes, use them in this recipe. They offer more depth of flavor and work well here. If you don’t have them, no worries, regular diced tomatoes will work just fine.
Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 whole prepared rotisserie chicken (from the deli), shredded or diced (about 2-3 cups)
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced, roasted tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 4 cans (14.5 ounces) white beans – cannelini or great Northern, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings
- cotija cheese, grated (optional) Monterey Jack would also work well
- cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat an 8-quart dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook for about 3 minutes to render fat.
- Add the onion and garlic to the bacon. Lower the heat to medium low and cover pot. Cook, stirring as needed until the onions are translucent and just starting to caramelize. This takes up to 30 minutes.
- Add the chicken, smoked paprika, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and chipotle to the pot and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes (covered) so that the chicken gets infused with the aromatics and the spices.
- Stir in the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, white beans, and green chiles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low boil and cook, uncovered, stirring as needed until the liquid has reduced to your level of preference.
- Individual servings may be topped with cotija cheese and cilantro, as desired.
Notes
- Option to Thicken Chili: A can of the white beans can be reserved, pureed, and then added to chili for thickening.
- For serving: Top with cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. This is great with cornbread and a salad. I served it with whole wheat bread and a side salad.
Nutrition
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Terri this chili has some amazing flavors in it. First of all you started with bacon so you got me there. I also love the use of cumin and chipotle!! My hubby surprises me to sometimes. He actually said he doesn’t like kidney beans after I made a chili one night. Good think I usually use white beans or black beans in chili. Sometimes it’s like who have I been cooking for… LOL! Have a great weekend!~ Ramona
I love chicken chili and love the use of chipotle in this version. Yours looks delicious. I wish I could dig into a a bowl right now!
LOL…husbands are SO unpredictable! Your chili looks marvelous, Terri. I don’t like kidney beans in my beef chili, but I’m all in favor of cannelini beans in white chili…mmmmm.
Ramona–Black beans are one of my favorites, too. And pinto beans. I think that pinto beans get underrated because they have been around for so long.
Susan–Come on over, I have some left-overs! As for the chipotle, I have become an ardent fan of it.
Lizzy–I’m with you and Ramona on kidney beans. I want to like them because they are so big and meaty and the dark red ones are very pretty. The taste, however, is lacking.
This looks and sounds delicious! I’m a sucker for Chipotle!
Congrats on the Tasty Kitchen feature AND the step-by-step recipe highlight for Beef with Barley Soup by HowSweetEats!! {I cheered out loud, “YAY TERRI!”}
Carrie–Thanks! I’m a sucker for chipotle, too! I just keep adding it to more and more things. I LOVE the smoky flavor.
Stella B–You are so cute! Thank you for the support! Life seems so random at times, so that beef with barley soup step-by-step came as a complete surprise. I want to steal those pics that HowSweetEats took…sheesh, they make the soup look utterly elegant.
This is awesome! Sooooo good!
Shiloh–Wahoo! I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know.
I found your blog through tasty kitchen and have a pot of this summering on the stove right now. Smells delicious!! Thanks 🙂
Katie, you are very welcome. I hope that you and your family enjoy it. I visited your blog. What a fun place!
Hi Terri – thanks! The chili was delicious!
I saw this today also and it will be in my weekly menu soon! It sounds delish!
Bev, thank you! And thanks for dropping by to leave a comment. When I clicked on your name to view your profile, I saw that you have several blogs. On one of them I noticed that you are giving yourself photography challenges–what a great way to build a talent.
I made this for dinner tonight and my family loved it! I’m adding it to my permanent recipe file. Delicious!
Yay, Mirien! It’s always a great thing when a family agrees on a meal. I’m so glad that the recipe worked well for you.
I am making this as I type…can’t wait to try it! You had me at bacon.
Hi, Jill. I hope that this works well for you. Drop back by and let me know it worked for you; if you have any ideas for changes, I’d love to hear them.
I’m in the midst of a several years long love affair with beans and this is going on my *to cook* list. My idea of heaven in a bowl 🙂
Good for you on the love affair with beans. I am so glad to know that I am not the only one that enjoys them so much. You will love this soup; it’s just so full of flavor.
I just made this tonight! It was absolutely delicious…My two teenage sons and husband devoured it and said to put it into the rotation!! woohoo
Yes! I am so glad that you and your family enjoyed this chili. If it passes the man test, it is definitely a keeper. 🙂
I make white chicken chili for my famille they love it. I can’t wait got try your version of it I know they’re going to love the new ingredients added to it,
Thank you I’m so glad I found your posts
Hi, Donna. Thanks for giving this white chicken chili a try. I hope that you and your family will like it. 🙂