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I literally said to Brandy and Gina the other day that I can’t wait for my first pot of chili for the season.
It’s something about that first batch that really makes cool weather that much more approachable and welcome. It’s also a sign, for me at least, that Fall is officially here to stay.
Southwest chicken chili
This Southwest chicken chili is a one-pot flavor bomb. It has all the warm flavors you think of in Southwest cuisine (like in these easy and flavorful Southwest egg rolls) and it’s so easy to make.
My favorite kind of spicy soups/chilis are the ones that initially don’t have any heat to them but the more you eat it, the more you feel it hit the back of your throat and warm you up. It’s like a sneak attack, haha
This is what that soup does. Instead of ancho chili powder, I used chipotle chili powder because it’s what I had and it was a great substitution.
Can you make this in the slow cooker or Instant Pot?
I haven’t tried it specifically but generally, most chilis and soups you can make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot so I’m going to say yes, this Southwest chicken chili can be made in either of those.
Slow cooker: probably 4-5 hours on low, 2-3 hours on high.
Instant Pot: 15 minutes, high pressure, manual release.
Don’t quote me on these as I haven’t tested it for myself to see if it actually works. I just want to offer suggestions to cook times because I know often times I get those questions so I wanted to address them here.
How long ahead of time can the Southwest chicken chili be made?
The beauty of chilis is you can make it a day or two ahead of time and reheat easily.
Honestly, the best flavors come from leftovers sometimes because the flavors have time to hang out and get together.
I made mine hours ahead of when guests were going to come and just let it sit in the dutch oven on the stovetop. It retains a lot of heat so it’ll was just fine.
Other chili recipes
Slow Cooker Chorizo, Potato, and Two-Bean Chili
Slow Cooker White Turkey Chili
Southwest Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¾ cup (177 ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3-4 cups (420 g) cooked chicken, shredded (I bought a rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups (246 g) corn kernels, can be frozen corn
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, melt butter on medium heat and saute the green pepper, jalapenos, onion, and garlic until soft. Then season with chipotle chili powder and cumin. Sprinkle with flour and stir until flour is all combined then cook for a while longer.
- Add in 1 cup of the chicken broth and 3/4 cup of cream. Stir all together and bring to a simmer. Then stir in the tomato paste.
- Add in the beans, chicken, and corn. Stir together and add the rest of the broth. Cover and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour over medium low heat.
- When ready to serve, remove the lid and let simmer uncovered for 15 more minutes, seasoning with salt, to taste. If it’s not the thick consistency you want, you can add more flour to it (dissolve it in wanter first).
- Serve with sour cream, green onions, cheese, and/or crushed tortilla chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Photography by Ari Laing
Never fails to impress and it’s so easy to do. It’s my pot luck favourite. Today I added a little whisky to deglaze the pan but not enough to taste it. So delicious!
oh wow, that sounds really good!!
This is an outstanding dish! Full of wonderful flavor and comes together quickly. Will be making this again!
a great chili! I love all kinds, chicken, beef, veg, etc and with ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder, they are always to me the perfect savory dish since they have everything that I love in them, so much so that I even like them in the middle of summer, so thank you!
Made this last night and it was delicious!
This is so flavorful! I made it today and will definitely be in my winter soup rotation!