Smoky Chicken Chili

By Kay Chun

Published June 5, 2024

Smoky Chicken Chili — Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.

Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Rating: 4(7)
Notes: Read community notes

This rich and smoky weeknight chili makes good use of pantry ingredients and opts for an unexpected time-saving ingredient: a rotisserie chicken. Garlic, onion and carrot caramelize alongside tomato paste to create a deep, rich base for the sauce, and dried chiles and golden raisins enrich the chili by adding both mild spice and a hint of sweetness. The chicken is placed on top of the chili and steamed to warm it through, helping to maintain its chunky texture. (The more you mix, the more shredded it becomes.) For the next day, leftover chili makes a fantastic topping for nachos or a satisfying quesadilla filling.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3guajillo or dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded
¼cup golden raisins
1medium tomato, quartered
4cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
1cup finely chopped onion
½cup finely chopped carrot
Salt and pepper
3garlic cloves, minced
2tablespoons tomato paste
1tablespoon chipotle chile powder
½teaspoon dried oregano
1large bell pepper, diced into ½-inch pieces (1½ cups)
1(15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
1rotisserie chicken, meat coarsely shredded (4 cups)
Tortilla chips, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, chopped avocado and sour cream, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a small, heatproof bowl, combine chiles and raisins with enough boiling water to completely cover and let stand until softened, 5 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a blender; add tomato and broth and purée until smooth.
Step 2
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy lidded pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chile powder, oregano and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; cook, stirring frequently, until tomato paste is caramelized, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Add bell pepper and the blended sauce, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are tender, 15 minutes. Add beans and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally and mashing half of the beans, until the sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
Step 4
Spread shredded chicken evenly on top, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand until chicken is warmed through, about 2 minutes.
Step 5
Stir the chili once or twice to incorporate. (The chili will continue to thicken as it sits.) Divide the chili among bowls and enjoy with any or all of the toppings.

Ratings

4 out of 5

7 user ratings

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Roy Christian3 days ago

Used black beans and grilled chicken thighs instead of rotisserie. Also I couldn't find guajillo so used dried ancho instead. It all came together extremely well.

François Dionne1 week ago

Interesting recipe. I doubled the beans, used black beans, and added a red chile. I also roasted a chicken myself; rotisserie chickens aren't that much of a time saver and they tend to be to dry.

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