You can top it with your favorite toppings, including sour cream, shredded cheese, and jalapenos. Don’t you just love making chili in the fall and winter? Whether it’s made with chicken or with beef, I find it absolutely delightful. Steaming-hot and well-seasoned, I think it’s one of the best ways to keep oneself warm when it’s bitter cold outside. I’ve been making this chicken chili a lot ever since the weather started cooling off. We all enjoy it very much, especially The Picky Eater (and when she likes something I make it often!). It’s an excellent way to use up leftover baked chicken breast or broiled chicken breast.
Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make this tasty chili. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Spices: I use kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and diced chiles. They add so much flavor! Chicken broth: I use regular broth here, not reduced sodium. I think it’s more flavorful. Heavy cream: Half-and-half might work too, but I haven’t tried that, and I do like the richness of heavy cream. Cooked chicken breast, shredded: You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken - just make sure you remove the skin. Garnishes: Chopped cilantro, thinly sliced seeded jalapeño, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
Instructions
Making this chicken chili is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: First, you cook the aromatics and spices in olive oil. Next, you add chicken broth and simmer to allow the flavors to meld. Stir in the heavy cream and then the chicken. Cook just until heated through. The chicken is already cooked. You don’t want to overcook it.
Expert tips
It’s always a good idea to wear gloves when handling jalapenos. They can irritate your skin.Since we’re using cooked chicken in this recipe, it’s important to cook it very briefly - all we need to do is reheat it. Overcooking will make it dry.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
Add ½ teaspoon of dried thyme to the spice mixture. It goes well with chicken.Use cooked turkey instead of chicken.A tasty garnish in addition to the other garnishes is salsa.
Serving suggestions
I usually just serve this tasty chili on its own, in soup bowls. It’s hearty, delicious, and very filling, so you don’t really need to serve it with anything. But if you’d like to serve it with something on the side, here are a few good options:
Cauliflower rice - you can top the “rice” with the chili.Cheese biscuitsKeto cornbreadSavory cheese muffinsHomemade pork rinds
Storing leftovers
You can keep most cooked leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. When I cook the chicken especially for this recipe, I follow the 3-4 days rule. But when I use cooked and reheated leftover chicken, I don’t keep the leftovers for longer than a day or two.
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