Enjoy the ultimate comfort food with my signature chicken chili recipe made with homemade chili paste. It warms the soul and delights the taste buds with its rich, flavorful spices and tender chicken. This recipe is perfect for a cozy night in or a gathering with friends.
Why I Love This Recipe
Our family loves Mexican cuisine, so we keep recipes like these hearty black bean enchiladas and fajitas de lengua in our standard rotation. Chili is always a hit because it’s so adaptable. You can make it milder or spicier to please everyone, and the tender chicken, beans, and vegetables make a hearty and well-rounded one-dish meal.
While it’s possible to make a tasty white bean chicken chili without real chili paste, the depth of flavor that comes from a homemade chili paste can’t be replicated.
Plan plenty of time for this recipe since it has many steps. Making chili this way takes work, but it’s worth every second. Double or triple the chili paste, and save the extra for next time!
Tips for the Best Chicken Chili
By following these simple steps and tips, you’ll be able to get the most out of this chicken chili recipe:
- Make Ahead – When you’re short on time, this chicken chili recipe is a lifesaver. Just cook it, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for 4 days or the freezer for 3 months. To serve, thaw it and reheat it on the stovetop or slow cooker.
- Roasting Tips – Roasting dry chili peppers is an activity best done outdoors or away from people since the fumes are spicy!
- Make it Heartier – Is your chili thinner than you’d like? Masa harina, or corn flour, is a great thickener for chili. Just add a few tablespoons for the last five minutes of simmering, and the masa will add body and impart a subtle corn flavor to your chili.
- Chicken Options – Use a combination of dark meat and white meat chicken for the best flavor and texture. You can use ground chicken or chopped chicken. This recipe is a great use for leftover roasted chicken, home-canned chicken or frozen chicken.
Serving Suggestions
The best chicken chili recipe is all about being versatile. It’s a crowd-pleaser on its own, but you can make it even better by adding your own twist. Try some of these toppers to suit your taste.
- Chopped Cilantro – Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.
- Cheese – Sprinkle with shredded cheddar, Monterey jack or cotija cheese.
- Corn Chips – Tortilla chips are a great match for chicken chili. Serve it with crunchy, salty tortilla chips for dipping and scooping. The mix of crisp chips and hearty chili is unbeatable.
- Lime Wedges – Enhance the lime flavor and the aesthetic appeal by serving each bowl with a lime wedge.
- Sour Cream – To tame the spice and add creaminess, stir in a spoonful of sour cream towards the end of cooking. Or serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt on top.
- Corn – Want more veggies? Throw in some frozen or freeze-dried corn kernels for color and nutrition.
- Stretch the Meal – For a bigger meal, serve the chili over white rice or with warm cornbread.
How to Make the Best Chicken Chili Recipe
Supplies Needed
- Chef Knife – Use these knife sharpening basics to keep these kitchen tools in safe working condition.
- Cutting Board – Learn how to naturally clean your cutting boards here.
- Whisk – A silicone whisk is ideal to protect the seasoning or enamel on your cast iron Dutch oven.
- Food Processor – You can also use a high-powered blender, but I prefer a food processor like this Breville food processor.
- Dutch Oven – A well-seasoned cast-iron Dutch oven or an enameled Dutch oven works best.
Ingredients Needed
For the Chili Paste:
- Dried and Deseeded Peppers of Choice – Use 1 oz for mild, 2 oz for medium or 3 oz for hot.
- Garlic – Learn how to grow garlic for culinary and medicinal purposes here.
- Cilantro – Learn how easy it is to grow cilantro here.
- Yellow Onion – Learn to grow onions from seed here.
- Smoked Paprika – Smoked paprika is best, but you can substitute regular paprika if that’s all you have.
- Cumin – Cumin is essential for this recipe. Do not be tempted to substitute or skip this ingredient.
- Coriander – Cumin and coriander are often substituted for one another, but using both gives this chili paste the depth of flavor needed for the best chicken chili recipe.
- Lime Juice – Learn how to preserve limes here so you can enjoy them all year round.
- Salt – We use Redmond Real Salt (Using that link for Redmond Salt will automatically give you 15% off your order!).
- Avocado Oil to Thin – Olive oil can also be used if that’s what you have on hand.
For the Chili:
- Avocado Oil – Avocado oil is a staple fat source on our homestead. Olive oil or coconut oil are also good choices.
- Yellow Onion – Red or white onions can be substituted.
- Garlic – Freeze-dried garlic works great in this recipe.
- Prepared Chili Paste – See the ingredients needed above.
- Chicken Broth (or Stock) – Homemade bone broth is recommended.
- Chicken – You will need approximately 6 cups of cooked chicken.
- Diced Tomatoes – You can use fresh, canned, or fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Beans of Choice – Learn how to pressure can black beans here.
- Salt – To taste.
Step-by-Step Direction
- Make chili paste: Toast dry chilis in a large pan over medium heat until brittle and smoking – a little blackening and blistering is fine, but remove chilis from the heat before completely black.
- Add toasted chilis and other chili paste ingredients to a food processor and pulse to blend.
- Add avocado oil 1 Tablespoon at a time to thin and allow the ingredients to combine completely into a paste consistency.
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add avocado oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add diced onions and sauté until translucent and beginning to brown. Add minced garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
- Whisk chili paste and broth or stock into the onions and garlic, whisking until the chili paste is evenly distributed throughout the broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Add cooked chicken, tomatoes, and beans. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Taste chili and add salt, if needed. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
- Serve chili with toppings, or refrigerate and reheat to serve the next day. Homesteading Hack: Flavors will continue to develop over 24 hours, so the chili often tastes better the next day.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo of your chicken chili and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
In the Homestead Kitchen
This recipe was featured in issue No. 36 of In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine. You can subscribe to the magazine here to start making delicious, healthy homemade meals for your family, homesteading tips and tutorials, inspirational stories from fellow homesteaders, and find new ways to preserve food.
A new digital issue is available each month, and as a bonus, this digital magazine is going to print in January of 2025. If you subscribe now, you will lock in your low price!
FAQ
This chicken chili recipe is the best because of the homemade chili paste. It’s perfect for when you want comfort food. The mix of tender chicken, creamy beans, and spices makes it delicious and comforting.
Yes, you can! This recipe is very flexible, so you can change it to fit your taste. You can play with the spice level, add or swap out ingredients like different beans or veggies. You can even make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and using veggie stock.
Serving this chicken chili is fun because there are so many tasty ways to do it. I like to top it with cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, and a bit of lime juice. Crushed tortilla chips are also a great addition. Or, you can serve it over rice or with warm cornbread for a bigger meal.
Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time. The flavors get even better as it sits, so it’s great to prepare a day or two early. Plus, you can freeze leftovers for easy meals later.
Absolutely! This chicken chili is loved by everyone. Its comforting taste, flexibility, and ability to make ahead make it ideal for any event. Your guests will definitely enjoy it.
Other Posts You May Enjoy
- Easy White Bean Chicken Chili – Pressure Canning Recipe
- Hearty Black Bean Enchiladas Recipe – Quick & Tasty!
- Savory Beef Tongue Recipe (Fajitas de Lengua)
- Sweet Pepper Creamy Salsa Recipe
- How to SAFELY Can Raw Chicken
- How to Pressure Can Black Beans
The Best Chicken Chili Recipe
Equipment
- chef knife
- cutting board
- Whisk
- Food Processor or high-powered blender
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
For Chili Paste
- 1-3 ounces dried chili peppers
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 Tablespoon salt
- avocado oil to thin
For Chili
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup chili paste
- 1 quart bone broth or stock
- 2 pounds chicken cooked and shredded
- 3 cups diced tomatoes
- 3 cups beans cooked and rinsed
- salt to taste
Instructions
To Make the Chili Paste
- Toast dry chilis in a large pan over medium heat until brittle and smoking – a little blackening and blistering is fine, but remove chilis from the heat before completely black.
- Add toasted chilis and other chili paste ingredients to a food processor and pulse to blend.
- Add avocado oil 1 Tablespoon at a time to thin and allow the ingredients to combine completely into a paste consistency.
To Make the Chicken Chili
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add avocado oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add diced onions and sauté until translucent and beginning to brown. Add minced garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
- Whisk chili paste and broth (or stock) into the onions and garlic, whisking until the chili paste is evenly distributed throughout the broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Add cooked chicken, tomatoes, and beans. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Taste chili and add salt, if needed. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
- Serve chili with toppings, or refrigerate and reheat to serve the next day. Homesteading Hack: Flavors will continue to develop over 24 hours, so the chili often tastes better the next day.
Notes
Serving Suggestions
The best chicken chili recipe is all about being versatile. It’s a crowd-pleaser on its own, but you can make it even better by adding your own twist. Try some of these toppers to suit your taste.- Chopped Cilantro – Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.
- Cheese – Sprinkle with shredded cheddar, Monterey jack or cotija cheese.
- Corn Chips – Tortilla chips are a great match for chicken chili. Serve it with crunchy, salty tortilla chips for dipping and scooping. The mix of crisp chips and hearty chili is unbeatable.
- Lime Wedges – Enhance the lime flavor and the aesthetic appeal by serving each bowl with a lime wedge.
- Sour Cream – To tame the spice and add creaminess, stir in a spoonful of sour cream towards the end of cooking. Or serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt on top.
- Corn – Want more veggies? Throw in some frozen or freeze-dried corn kernels for color and nutrition.
- Stretch the Meal – For a bigger meal, serve the chili over white rice or with warm cornbread.
