Vegetarian chili con carne
This easy White Chicken Chili is like a milder, calmer cousin vegetarian chili con carne Texas beef chili. White Chicken Chili This easy White Chicken Chili is like a milder, calmer cousin to Texas beef chili.
Make it with canned or dry beans, and add extra chili peppers for more heat if you like! Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University. If you are not familiar with it, it’s sort of the calmer, nicer cousin of a Texas chili. No frantically looking for something to put out the flames from a beef and habanero fest. That said, if you must, must have scorching heat in your chili, there are ways to do that while still keeping the chili white.
Read through the comments for some ideas. Personally, I love the flavors of mild Anaheim or hatch green chiles with chicken, white beans, and Monterey jack cheese. It’s like a stew version of my favorite chicken burrito. Great with tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings.
You can use either canned or dry beans. Dry beans will add a couple of hours of cooking time, but it’s almost all hands off time and the flavor of the beans is terrific. If you use canned beans, pick a good brand. Some of the organic, low salt canned beans brands are some of the most bland tasting beans ever sold. If you use those, you’ll need to add more salt than you would expect.
We’ve received some great suggestions from readers who have made this recipe over the years. Like so many stews, this chili is even better the next day when the flavors have had more chance to meld. The chili will last several days in the fridge. To freeze, cool the chili completed then transfer to freezer containers or bags. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Using a slow cooker to make this chili allows you to put this together hours before you serve it and forget about it. 2, and then place the beans and sautéed, seasoned onions in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. No adaptations needed — hop over to our recipe made just for your Instant Pot! Any boneless, skinless chicken meat will work, but we prefer thigh meat. Thigh meat has more flavor, is less likely to dry out, and doesn’t get a stringy texture. Refrigerator the chili, tightly covered, for 3 to 5 days.
Reheat it by bringing to a boil on the stovetop over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Freeze this chili — it freezes very well — for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat over medium-high heat on the stovetop until it boils. If you are starting with dry beans and want even more flavor, cook them in about 7 cups of chicken stock, and then when done, use the stock that the beans haven’t absorbed as a base for the chili. Place the beans in a medium pot and cover with a couple inches of hot water, about 2 quarts. 2 teaspoons salt, 1 chopped garlic clove, and one bay leaf. Heat on high to bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to very low to maintain a low simmer.
In a large thick-bottomed pot, sauté onions in olive oil on medium high heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, cloves, and cayenne and cook a minute more. Add the green chiles and dried oregano. Add the minced jalapeño or serrano chile if using.
Add the chicken and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and maintain the simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the drained cooked beans and cook for 15 minutes more. Taste for seasonings and add more salt to taste. Depending on how salty your chicken stock and beans are, you may need to add a teaspoon or more.
