Green Chicken Chili

I have made this chicken chili for our ward chili cook off several years in a row. It's never won an official award, but has had many compliments. You can make it as spicy as you like, depending on heat of green salsa you buy. If you wanted to add more heat per bowl you could sprinkle pepper jack cheese on top. I think it is quiet good. It's different than your average pot of chili. Enjoy.



Green Chicken Chili
Printable Version

1 quart chicken broth
1-1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 large handfuls tortilla chips, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
One 15-ounce can small red beans, drained
1 cup jarred green salsa


In a deep skillet, bring the chicken broth and chicken breasts to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly and poach the chicken, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool. (If you like shredded chicken, follow this step as listed. I like small chunks of chicken personally. I either use leftover chicken from something else cut into cubes or cut raw chicken into bite size pieces and cook up in a bit of EVOO.)

Crumble the 4 handfuls of tortilla chips into a food processor and add 3 cups of the hot broth; let sit to soften. Reserve the remaining 1 cup broth.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the scallions, oregano and cumin; cook until the scallions are softened, about 2 minutes. Pour the remaining cup of broth into the scallion mixture, then stir in the beans and salsa and bring to a simmer.

Puree the chips and broth in the food processor until smooth, then whisk the chip mixture into the bean mixture. Shred the chicken, add to the chili and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until heated through. Serve with extra tortilla chips.

Recipe by Rachael Ray