Smoked Chicken Chili with Beans
Makes about 3.5 quarts
This recipe falls somewhere in the realm of a chili, pozole or Tex-Mex chicken stew. My version here is a healthy chicken chili that is relatively light when compared to a hearty beef chili. The smoked chicken adds a subtle flavor note to this recipe; tho’ roasted or rotisserie chicken would also work well in this recipe.
Smoked Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 Medium sized onion – sliced and rings separated
3 large garlic cloves - sliced
1/2 TSP Herbes de Provence
CookShack Spicy Chicken Rub
Cracked Black Peppercorns
Drizzle Olive oil
1 TBSP Chili powder
Make a smoking container with heavy duty aluminum foil by folding foil into 4 layers; turn up sides and fold corners to make a “pan” that is approximately 7” x 10” x 1”(This eliminates cleanup for this step). Add the sliced onion rings to the “pan” and sprinkle the sliced garlic on top. Sprinkle some of the Herbes de Provence, cracked peppercorns and chili powder over onions and garlic; lightly drizzle just a bit of olive oil. Lightly season the chicken thighs with the Spicy Chicken Rub and cracked peppercorns. Lay the prepared chicken thighs over the bed of onions. Sprinkle the remaining chili powder over the chicken.
Put the prepared chicken into a cold smoker; a pizza peel comes in handy here. Set the smoker to 300° and add a small piece of pecan. Smoke/cook the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temp of the chicken reads 165° to 170° with an instant read thermometer.
Remove the smoked chicken and cool a bit before cutting into cubes; you may just shred the chick if preferred. Reserve the onions, garlic and drippings for the chili base.
(*CookShack Spicy Chicken Rub is somewhat similar to Cajun spices but also has a good bit of salt. Therefore added salt may not be needed. Cajun spices and salt may be substituted here)
While chicken smokes prepare the chili base:
1 medium sized onion – chopped
Celery – chopped; same amount as onion, about a cup or more
1 pint Chicken stock
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 TBSP chili powder
1 Package Sazón Goya
Drizzle olive oil
Onions, garlic and drippings from smoked chicken
Put a heavy pot over medium heat and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil; add the chopped onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Finish the chili:
2 cans beans (used a can of navy beans and a can of black beans)
Chopped smoked chicken
Add the beans and chopped chicken to the chili base. Bring the chili to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. I added probably less than a half cup of water for ‘rinsing’ the bean cans and chicken stock container. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Garnishes:
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chopped scallions
Cilantro
Avocado
