I mentioned in my first post about chili that my it was one of the first real dishes I ever learned how to make, from start to finish. This white version, though, is a far cry from the traditional Texas bowl of red. It’s lighter and healthier, but still full of flavor. Unlike red chili (or white chili’s close cousin, chicken tortilla soup) the dish contains no tomatoes in any form. And instead of ground beef or cubed chuck, chicken pieces are browned and then simmered, on the bone, in a light broth laced with garlic, cumin and chili powder, along with onion, bell pepper and two kinds of fresh chiles. Once cooked, the chicken pieces (I used a mix of white and dark meat) are shredded and returned to the pot, along with a generous splash of lime juice. Feel free to go wild with the garnishes…I used chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, crushed tortilla chips and a sprinkling of Monterey Jack. I could also see a dollop of sour cream working well, and some hot sauce or extra jalapenos if you like it really spicy (though the heat definitely builds as you eat).
White Chicken Chili
Active Time: 30 min.
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 min.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, thighs, or a mixture of both (I used a 50-50 mix)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium jalapeños, stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 medium poblano chiles, stemmed and diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini/white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (1 or 2 limes)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Tortilla chips
Method
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously all over with salt and pepper; set aside
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the chicken and cook, turning once, until it’s browned all over, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large plate and set aside
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the jalapeños, poblanos, bell pepper, and onion to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pot and stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes
- Add the garlic, cumin, measured salt, and chili powder, stir to coat the vegetables, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute
- Add the stock and beans and stir to combine. Return the chicken pieces and any accumulated juices to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through
- Turn off heat and remove the chicken to a cutting board. Using two forks, remove the meat from the bone and coarsely shred it, discarding the skin and bones
- Using a potato masher, lightly mash about half of the beans and vegetables, leaving the remaining half intact. Stir in the shredded chicken and lime juice. Serve with the cheese, cilantro, tortilla chips and scallions on the side for garnishing
Noodle Therapy 