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Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili

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Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

 
With spring quickly approaching in the next few weeks, I fear my warm and comforting soups may be on their way out. I easily love a bowl of soup no matter the season, but sometimes the thought of standing over a large stock pot for a few hours just isn’t as appealing as laying outside in the green grass. Especially when you sweat like a man.

However! This year I’m saved. I ran across this Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili from Tasty Kitchen member Terri, and the moment I spied bacon and smoked paprika in the recipe, I was sold. To my surprise, this soup was completed in just a little over an hour and packed more flavor that I ever could have imagined. It’s pretty healthy too—bonus points!

The ease of this soup is a huge plus. It calls for a store-bought rotisserie chicken, but feel free to roast your own and use your own stock if you have some on hand. It also makes a pretty large pot of chili, so if you’re cooking for one or two, you’ll have lots of leftovers to freeze for those super busy nights. Let’s get started!

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

Here’s what you need: a rotisserie chicken, chicken stock, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, diced green chilis, bacon, a large onion, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle chili powder, fresh cilantro and some cheese for topping if you wish. Also have some salt and pepper on hand for seasoning. If you can’t find chipotle chili powder, the regular stuff should do just fine.

As a note, the first thing I did before beginning was to prepare all my ingredients. I opened all the cans, I stripped the meat from the chicken, chopped my bacon, onion and garlic and combined all my spices. This makes the process much, much easier.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

First up, add the chopped bacon to a hot pot and let sizzle away! Mmmm. Definitely my favorite part. I need a bacon candle.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

After the bacon has crisped a bit and rendered some fat, throw in the diced onion. Give the mixture a good stir to coat, then cover and let cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, while the onions get all caramelly. If you have not taken the meat off your chicken or opened your cans, now is a great time to do so. If you have, now is a great time to clean up your kitchen. I just wish I would take my own advice.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

After about 20 minutes, the onions should be soft and look like this. And in that pot of heaven you have two of the most delicious building blocks of flavor. Inhale.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

Next up, add your spices and your chicken. Don’t leave out the dark meat! So. Much. Flavor. I wish I could go back in time to all the Thanksgivings I spent shunning dark meat and eat my way to the present day.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

Stir the whole mixture to coat, and let it cook (with the lid on) for another 10 minutes so the flavors can mesh.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

The only thing left to do is add everything else to the pot. Super simple, right? Throw in the tomatoes, beans, green chilis and chicken stock. Give the soup a good stir and bring to a boil.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to your preference. I let mine simmer for about 20 minutes, then it was good to go. I also couldn’t take it anymore and was starving. The smell is intoxicating!

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

Serve it up in a big bowl, topped with your favorite cheese (the recipe calls for cotija; I used Monterey Jack) and a bunch of fresh cilantro. I also suggest a few handfuls of blue corn chips on the side for dipping and crunching over top. Trust me on this.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili. Guest post by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is, recipe submitted by TK member Terri of That's Some Good Cookin'.

I still can’t get over how much flavor this chili has for being a fairly simple recipe. It was one of the most delicious versions of chicken chili we have tried in quite a while, and I just couldn’t get enough. It’s been the star of our lunches and dinners for days and I’m ready to make another batch.

Thanks so much to Terri for the fabulous recipe. Be sure to check out her great blog, That’s Some Good Cookin’, for more incredibly delicious and comforting dishes.

 
 

Printable Recipe

Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili

See post on Terri @ that's some good cookin'’s site!
4.87 Mitt(s) 15 Rating(s)15 votes, average: 4.87 out of 515 votes, average: 4.87 out of 515 votes, average: 4.87 out of 515 votes, average: 4.87 out of 515 votes, average: 4.87 out of 5

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

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Description

The smoky flavors of bacon, chipotle chili powder, smoky paprika, cumin, and roasted tomatoes bring depth to this super easy and healthy chili.

Ingredients

  • 4 slices Bacon, Chopped
  • 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, Chopped
  • 1 whole Rotisserie Chicken, Shredded Or Diced
  • 1 teaspoon Smoky Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder Or Granulated Onion
  • ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder Or Granulated Garlic
  • ½ teaspoons Chipotle Chile Powder, Or To Taste
  • 6 cups Chicken Stock Or Broth
  • 1 can (28-ounce Size) Roasted, Diced Tomatoes
  • 4 cans (14.5 Ounce Size) White Beans, Cannelini Or Great Northern
  • 2 cans (4 Ounce Size) Diced Green Chiles
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • ½ cups Grated Cotija Cheese, Optional For Topping
  • ¼ cups Chopped Fresh Cilantro, For Topping (optional)

Preparation Instructions

In a hot Dutch oven, cook bacon for about 3 minutes.

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 about 30 minutes.

Add the chicken, smoky 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 slow boil and cook, uncovered, stirring as needed until the liquid has reduced to your level of preference.

For serving, pass the cotija cheese and chopped cilantro for topping as desired.

This is great with cornbread or a crusty bread and a salad.

Note: a can of the white beans can be reserved, pureed or well mashed, and then added to chili for thickening at the same time as the other beans are added to the chili.

 
 
_______________________________________

Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.

 

29 Comments

Comments are closed for this recipe.

Lynn on 6.30.2012

Just made this and it was awesome! Bacon is a great addition, and the rotisserie chicken made everything so much easier. I substituted half the white beans with black beans. I think so more taco type seasoning and avocado/tortilla garnish would make it into a great chicken tortilla soup.

Mrs. Smid on 4.24.2012

This chili is fabulous. I’ve been on a hunt for an out of the ordinary chili recipe and this was an exciting find! I’m in Canada and had to make a few adjustments on the ingredients but minor. I left out the chili peppers an powder and used tabasco chipotle sauce, boiled and shredded chicken breasts, and used red onion and…wowzahs. THANK YOU for sharing this wonderful idea. I’m gladly pairing it with Trader Joe’s cornbread mix. My sister shipped it up so I could introduce my husband to this treat of a cornbread. Anyone stateside should pick up a box as well. (Trader Joe’s is a gem of a market!) Happy Cooking!

Kimber on 4.12.2012

Bacon candles!! Yes, they do exist! Check out http://www.man-cans.com/ the brain child of an amazing young man.

Chrissy on 3.18.2012

ThinkGeek sells a bacon candle!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/e585/?pfm=Search&t=bacon%20candle

Lindsay on 3.17.2012

This is DELICIOUS!!!! I added a couple dashes of liquid smoke since I only had regular paprika. Turned out great.

Becky in Texas on 3.16.2012

Just made this chili — so scrumptious! I only used 4 cups of chicken stock to make up for all the liquid in the tomatoes and beans. I also mashed up one can of beans to make it a bit thicker. GREAT recipe — it’s a keeper! Thanks!

Amber @ The Cook's Sister on 3.14.2012

This chicken chili looks both delicious and healthy! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

Kristen on 3.14.2012

I tried this recipe and, WOW does it have amazing flavor. I did sub out the chipotle chili powder for two small, ground chipotle chilis with seeds and they go a long way for giving the chili a bold smokiness.

Chels R, on 3.10.2012

Oh this is singing my name right now!

Jaime on 3.10.2012

I made this last night – Delish! Instead of using chipotle powder, I used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I pureed one can of the white beans with 3 chipotle peppers and added the rest of the spice ingredients to the mixture. (The 3 peppers were right on the edge of what my husband could tolerate, I have a much higher tolerance for heat. Start your puree with one pepper and taste and decide). Then I added that paste to the chicken and other ingredients for the 10 minutes. When it came time to add the rest of the ingredients, I left out the green chiles. So good, and so smoky!

Colleen @ Culinary Colleen on 3.10.2012

I’m loving the triple smokiness from the bacon, paprika, and chipotle…can’t wait to try!

Bibleauntie on 3.9.2012

To answer “Suedeesue”…. I would add 2 cans white shoepeg corn as well as the white northern beans for extra deliciousness. bibleauntie

Melinda Lee on 3.8.2012

Made this for supper today. YUM! I will make this again!

Annette on 3.8.2012

I have been sick with a wicked head cold for a week now (on the plus side, I have lost at least 7 pounds, bringing my plus side down some!). Hubby has been doing the cooking, but I have been eyeing this recipe. After another trip to the doc because I got pink-eye now, I dropped of my prescription and went and bought the fixins for this. Easy enough to pull apart the chicken and shred it, dice an onion, minced garlic from a jar (oh so easy!). Diced up the bacon, and had all the spices mixed together. Started on the cooking about an hour and a half before I wanted to serve. Could not have been easier, nor more delicious! I will make this again and again. I can easily see myself having all ingredients packed up to take camping. Unfortunately I forgot to buy cilantro, it would have been nice, and I forgot the shredded jack cheese until everyone had started their 2nd helpings. The house still smells yummy, and the flavors really came through,, even with my stuffed nose (I have not tasted much lately).
Thank you!

SueDeeSue on 3.8.2012

Instead of beans can you use diced potatoes or corn?

Stacy L. on 3.8.2012

This is the first recipe that I have ever gone to get the ingredients for same day of seeing it (and I’m a chronic food blogger stalker too!)…it turned out so great. Easy to throw together on a week night and the flavors were awesome! I definitely think cooking the chicken with the spices for 10 minutes really helps permeate the seasoning in there. Definitely the most flavorful “quick” chili I’ve had! Also, next time hubby’s going to smoke the chicken first…mmm…ok going to eat my leftovers now! Thanks Jess for bringing it to my attention!

Teresa from Texas on 3.8.2012

This one is going on the must try list. Have a jar of chipotle chili powder in my spice rack :-). It too packs a punch (similar to the peppers in adobo sauce) so be careful if you don’t like lots of heat but the smoky heat is oh so divine.

Jenn on 3.7.2012

Is it sad that I got all excited to see the Market District brand? Pittsburgh represent!

Also? I had no idea that they had bacon. How did I not know they made their own bacon?

Maggy on 3.7.2012

This looks so good! My kind of recipe. Can’t wait to try it!

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Megan {Country Cleaver} on 3.7.2012

Oooo that looks positively delish!!

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EatLiveRun on 3.7.2012

Oh yum, that looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Jess!

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Terri @ that's some good cookin' on 3.7.2012

@ Nancy R–Ooooooooo…order food from Tasty Kitchen…can you IMAGINE the wonder?

Thanks, Jessica, for spotlighting this soup! It is definitely a flavor powerhouse. For those who cannot find chipotle chile powder, try using a canned chipotle in adobo. I’d probably only use one pepper to start; they can pack a heat punch. Use more if your palate demands more heat.

Nancy R on 3.7.2012

Sincerely wishing we could order food from Tasty Kitchen all Jetson-style.

SoonerLaura on 3.7.2012

White Chili is a favorite at my house. This recipe has some nice variations I need to try it too. Thanks!

Heather on 3.7.2012

Sold! And I need a bacon candle too…or maybe just more bacon in general ;)

Mountaincat on 3.7.2012

I just bought a bacon candle from baconfreak.com
It is amazing! All my clothes and curtains now smell like bacon. It’s very strong.

Mallory on 3.7.2012

Try adding a citrus salsa on top. Pineapple, grape fruit, lime, mango, a little cilantro mixed in, alll put over the top. OMG out of this world!

All Good in Mommyhood on 3.7.2012

Oh this looks divine! Thanks!

The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh on 3.7.2012

This looks wonderful! (When I was scanning to the ingredients part, I could’ve sworn that can of tomatoes was Spageddio’s, stopped in my tracks and retreated. Thankfully it was just morning brain!)