Are you a chili lover? If so, you will love my creamy chicken chili version using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fresh veggies and a little rice and spice from the southwest is a great variation from traditional beef chili.


My Grilled Chicken Chili with Rice recipe is absolutely delicious and addicting. Using local and easy to find fresh ingredients, it's simple to make and freezes really well for a quick fix down the road. Grilling the chicken isn't necessary in this recipe and I have given you an alternative if you don't own an indoor or outdoor grill.


If you don’t want to use boneless skinless chicken, you can substitute this by using ground chicken or turkey, either will work very well here. You will need approximately 2 lb. of ground chicken or turkey as a substitute for the chicken breasts in this recipe. Add the ground versions of meat to the pot in step 3 of the recipe where I added the grilled chicken.

Ingredients

Olive oil for sautéing
1 large red bell pepper
2 large white onions
4 fresh garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño chili pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground black pepper
3 fresh sprigs of oregano
1/4 tsp. paprika
8 thin boneless - skinless chicken breasts
2 quarts reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 tbsps. Cornstarch mixed with water
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method

1. Dice the bell pepper, onions and jalapeño and set aside, then prepare the chicken.

2. Coat the chicken in olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. If you are going to grill the chicken, heat the indoor/outdoor grill on high for at least 5 minutes. Sear the chicken on both sides to create only grill marks and set aside to cool a little before chopping the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Please note:- the chicken will not be cooked fully at this point.

3. Heat 3 tbsp. Olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat and then add the bell peppers, onions, garlic and jalapeño. Sauté for approximately 8 minutes stirring often. After 8 minutes add the cubed chicken and cook until opaque (white) and then add the 2 quarts of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

4. After 20 minutes return to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture and chopped cilantro. Stir and cook constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream.