This chili doesn’t “chicken out!” . . . .

We enjoyed a really wonderful bowl of chicken chili at one of our favorite restaurants recently, and we decided to try to re-create it at home.  We shopped for what we believed to be the relevant ingredients and when a recent snowstorm hit, decided the time was right for chili.  The following recipe makes a wonderful, satisfying cold-weather dish and we decided we had come very close to the original.  Enjoy!

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup cooking oil (I used Canola)

Brown chicken thighs on all sides in large skillet on medium heat.  Set aside to cool and then shred.

2 Tbsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp chipotle chile powder

2 Tbsp ancho chile powder

3 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped fine

Add onion to skillet and cook until softened.  Add garlic, cumin, chile powders, oregano and braise in skillet, stirring to prevent scorching and scraping to loosen brown bits.  

4 – 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth

2 – 14.5 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

2 large fresh poblano chiles, roasted, chopped

4 large fresh jalapeno chiles, seeds removed, chopped

Add one can chicken broth to onion mixture in skillet, simmer to loosen brown bits.  Pour onion mixture into large soup kettle.  Mix tomatoes, poblano and jalapeno chiles to shredded chicken, add to soup kettle mixture along with remaining 3 cans of chicken broth.  Simmer uncovered 1/2 hour.

1- 14.5 oz. can whole kernel corn, liquid drained

2 – 14.5 oz. cans small black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup finely minced scallions

Add corn and black beans to soup kettle, simmer uncovered 1/2 hour.  When ready to serve, ladle into large soup bowls. garnish with scallions.  Wedges of fresh lime  and flour tortillas optional as sides.