Tex-Mex Chicken Chili With Lime

img_2087When my friend Katie shared two recipes with me, I couldn’t wait to try them. She said that she served these at her husband’s 40th birthday party and folks raved. Katie is quite the cook, so I knew these recipes were must-trys.

Katie, by the way, has the most fabulous store, Baker Lamps and Linens. Check out her website and visit her store when in Birmingham. From gorgeous lamps and linens to custom creations, Katie can help. She is definitely one savvy gal.

The two recipes Katie shared, Tex-Mex Chicken Chili With Lime and Green Chili Toast, both come from the tried and true Southern Living kitchens, and I can attest that the Tex-Mex chili is outstanding. I didn’t make the toast but can’t wait to try it.

I prepped most of the ingredients for this chili the day before. The prep is the most time consuming part but thankfully can be done ahead. Throwing all this in the slow cooker makes it even easier.  I adapt almost every soup, stew, or chili recipe to the slow cooker. My philosophy is the longer and slower it cooks, the better!

I had a rotisserie left over from lunch that day, so I used it to make my own broth. Easiest and tastiest broth ever. If you want to see how I do it, I shared my method in Making Homemade Chicken Stock From A Rotiesserie Chicken.

I chopped all the veggies, a big job for this recipe since there are several different ones.  I used my mini prep food processor for the onions but did the peppers and sweet potato by hand.

After chopping the veggies, I sautéed and seasoned them, and put them in a ziploc in the fridge – all ready to throw into the pot the next day. I baked a few chicken tenderloins to add to the pulled rotisserie meat. Knowing this was a Tex-Mex dish, I sprinkled the tenderloins with EVOO and  a favorite no-salt Tex-Mex seasoning, Penzey’s Arizona seasoning. I highly recommend this. It is a staple in one of my family’s favorite recipes,

Note: I don’t prefer rotisserie chicken meat in soup,stew or chili. I think baking a few breasts or tenderloins in EVOO and some great seasonings makes a far better tasting and looking dish. I think the chunks or shreds of all white meat look and taste better than the random white/dark rotisserie meat. The best way, in my opinion, that rotisserie contributes to a soup is using the carcass to make broth or stock. Just saying:-)

The day I made the chili, I put all ingredients in the slow cooker. I started on high (2 hours) then left on low the rest of the day. This consistency of the chili was more like soup than chili. If you prefer thicker, reduce broth to 3 cups.

Tex-Mex Chicken Chili With Lime (adapted from Southern Living)

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 1 medium-size red onion, diced
  • 1 poblano or bell pepper, seeded and diced (I used poblano)
  • 1 red or green jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 (16-oz.) cans navy beans, drained
  • 1 (12-oz.) bottle white ale
  • 4 cups shredded chicken
  • 4 cups chicken broth ( 3 if you prefer thicker chili)

1. Melt butter with oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add white onion and next 7 ingredients, and sauté 8 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds.

2. Put all ingredients above, along with beans and beer, into a slow cooker. Stir well, and cook on high for 2 hours. Reduce to low and cook 7-8 hours or all day. img_2076

Note: Southern Living tested with Blue Moon Belgian White Wheat Ale (this is what I used). Publix had it in the case where individual bottles of beer could be purchased. The chipotle chili pepper is McCormick organic, and I found it in the spice aisle.

The chili lime cream that the original recipe calls for is simply sour cream (1 cup) with the juice of one lime.  This lime cream was fabulous and really offset the heat and spice of the soup.

This soup gets better after a day or two. Tortilla strips or chips, lime cream, and shredded cheese make this as good as any soup you’ll eat anywhere. Try it, and let me know what you think!

 

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