I know that my readers as of now are pretty much all East coasters. I’ve been made aware that your weather back in my old home of the southeast is all 70’s and perfect and sunshine and rainbows.
But here in Colorado we experienced blizzard conditions all day yesterday. The day prior, we actually had the same 73 degree and sunny conditions you guys are experiencing now! But Mother Nature’s children who blow through Colorado are really just indulging in too many libations and are doing all kinds of crazy things. Like going from 73 and sunny to blizzard conditions in less than 12 hours. It’s over and it’s sunny again, but all that snow built up outside put me in that pajamas-and-fuzzy-socks-by-the-fireplace type of way today! I remembered I had just the thing for times like these. Feast your eyes, folks.
From Jen at Carlsbad Cravings comes this versatile mixture of chicken, a variety of beans, homemade BBQ sauce, spices and the real ace in the hole: Liquid Smoke. If you have never tried this product, you must. Just take the top off and smell…. breathe innnnnn…..a little more… repeat… (I really like to smell things in the kitchen.) This smelling thing all started when I worked in the kitchen for a catering company in college. On the rare occasion when we had free time, I was usually caught doing one of three things: smoking a cigarette on the back dock with the boys, talking about my daydreams of swimming in a pool of Ranch dressing while simultaneously eating things dipped in a giant bowl of Ranch dressing (true story), or I was smelling the spices. I could sit here and say that I was educating myself and really getting a taste and feel for the spices to advance my culinary artistry for the future.
But I’m sure I was really just hungry.
Liquid Smoke is literally “condensed smoke”, or water vapor, from the controlled burning of Hickory wood. As far as I am concerned, it is pure magic in a bottle and it will add that fresh barbecued taste to anything you dare pair it with. And you’ll want it to pair it with all the things.
Do not get overwhelmed. This recipe is so easy but has a lot of ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand and they just need to be thrown together and forgotten about. Until that smell finds you again…. or you know, if you find the smell.
Happens.
I think that you could probably use a variety of meats in this soup (think leftover Thanksgiving turkey, diced sausage or steak) and I added corn to it for a little extra sweet flavor and of course, an extra veggie. The chili can either be thrown into a crockpot or cooked over the stove for a quick 30 minutes! So easy and we were actually a little knocked off of our feet at how good this was. It instantly went into the rotation and the Favorites pile at my house, and I promise it will not disappoint!
Smoky BBQ Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 4 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 Small onion chopped
- 1 Bell pepper chopped, any color
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 3 Tbsp. Brown sugar
- 2 tsp. Yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 15 oz. can Cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can Pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can corn rinsed and drained
- 1 4 oz. can Diced green chilis Fire-roasted
- 2 tsp. Chili powder
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
- 2 cups Chicken broth mixed with 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
- Cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado, bacon, tortillas optional toppings
Instructions
Stovetop
- Saute chicken in 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat, about 4-5 minutes on each side until mostly cooked through.
- Add rest of ingredients and stir to combine. Turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from soup and shred it (with forks or a Kitchen Aid mixer). Put the shredded chicken back in the pot, stir, add desired toppings and serve.
Crockpot
- Add all ingredients to slow cooker,cover and cook 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW.
- Remove chicken and shred. Add back into slow cooker, stir, add desired toppings and serve.
Yum! Looks delicious-wonder if I have this one already?
You do! You made it and loved it 🙂
I made this chili this weekend for Mark and Laurie-they loved it!!!