Mexican Chili

Here come the winter months and with it, an excuse to have one extra bowl of chili. This Mexican chicken chili is a hearty, flavorful, and delicious chili that breaks up the weekday into something comforting.

Easy to make and with lots of spices (That can also be varied with your favorite heat style), double this recipe for leftovers and skip being in the kitchen tomorrow night.

Why you will love this Chili Recipe

If you love “Taco Tuesday” and you also love hearty chilis, this recipe combines both. With garlic, cumin, onions and of course spiced chili beans, this is a rare dinner that never results in complaints.

And while I prefer adding chicken as the base, it’s easy to get creative with what you have in the fridge. Try it with leftover pulled pork or ground chili for a result that keeps changing month after month in rotation.

• Tip: Use the techniques in our slow cooker chili recipe to translate this meal to an all day low and slow meal that is ready when you are.

Ingredients

• cooking oil
• chicken breast, cut into cubes
• Seasonings and spices – dry minced onion, minced garlic, salt, dried parsley, garlic powder, black pepper, and chili powder. 
• chicken broth
• can of salsa (flavor of choice)
• canned – chili beans, corn, diced tomatoes (optionally use the fire-roasted tomatoes for heat), condensed tomato soup
• chopped fresh cilantro, optional for serving

How to make Mexican Chicken Chili

In a large stockpot, add vegetable oil and uncooked cubed chicken. Heat the pot on on medium high heat until chicken is cooked through, which is 165 degrees.

Add all seasonings and spices, which include chili powder, minced onions, minced garlic, salt, dried parsley, garlic powder and black pepper. It is fine to get creative here if you have a spice that you particularly like in your chili and isn’t on my list.

Drain the can of corn and add to the stock pot.

Dump in a whole jar of your favorite salsa. You can make this any level of heat you would like, but I like to use a mild.

Add both cans red beans in chili sauce (do not drain) and one can of condensed tomato soup.

Heat chili on medium high heat until it just begins to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover.

Continue to heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, and then ladle into a large bowl for serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. 

Expert Tips

• If you want your Mexican chicken chili spicier, add additional chili powder or a can of diced green chilies.
• Another great tip when cooking this chili is to opt for spicy hot salsa, which already comes flavored and ready with spices and heat.
• At our house, chili means toppings and there are so many to choose from. For this combination of flavors, we recommend adding some shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, pieces of fresh avocado, and a dollop of sour cream.
• We also eat our chili with homemade tortilla chips. I like to use the scoops ones to get all the beans and meat right inside the chip but my husband prefers to crush chips on top of his.