This is my standard chicken chili recipe. My husband loves it so much that I think he is disappointed when I try something different, so we eat this a lot.  What makes it truly great is the freshly ground chili powder, the homemade chicken stock, and using dried beans rather than canned beans. Yes, those things do make a huge difference, however even I cheat occasionally. Please feel free to substitute canned stock for homemade and 1 15 oz can of black beans (drained & rinsed) per cup of dried beans called for in this recipe.

2 cups dried black beans = 2 15 oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed

I usually roast the chicken myself after seasoning it liberally with my own chili powder, salt & pepper, but you can just buy a rotisserie bird instead. Peel off and discard the skin, shred the meat and set aside.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole roasted chicken (approximately 4 pounds), skinned and meat shredded
• 3 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-3 Serrano peppers, seeded & finely diced (use 1 for mild, 3 for medium/hot)
• 4-6 cups of chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 2 cups dried black beans, soaked in water overnight & drained
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-4 Tbsp Chef Wylie Chili Powder (See recipe in previous post) or 1 Tbsp ground cumin & 1-3 Tbsp store-bought chili powder
• Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion with a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook until soft & translucent, 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, Serrano peppers, a pinch of salt & pepper and saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add chili powder and cook for 1-2 minutes more. (If cooking in a crock pot, skip to Crock Pot Directions). Add black beans, chicken stock, tomato puree, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until the beans start to soften, approximately 2 1/2 hours. Add the shredded chicken meat and stir. Simmer the chili for 30-60 minutes longer for the chicken to take on the flavor of the chili. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and additional chili powder if necessary.

Crock Pot Directions:

After the sauteing the chili powder until fragrant, scrape the contents of the pan into a large crock pot. Add all of the other ingredients to the crock pot, set temperature setting to High and cook for at least 7-8 hours or until beans are tender. You might want to reduce the amount of chicken stock 1-2 cups to account for the lack of evaporation in a crock pot, but make sure the solid ingredients are covered with chicken stock by at least one inch. After cooking, taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and additional chili powder if necessary.