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Is it cold where you live? Cause let me tell you, it is COLD here.
Currently I am in my flannel pajamas, knee-high socks, heaviest, warmest sweater + down puffy coat + cozy slippers that go all the way up to my ankles, oh and my hat and gloves too.
Then I have proceeded to wrap myself in my down blanket. I can barely move my arms to type.
Yeah, it is that cold.
It is not that the temperature is actually that cold (we have had a lot colder).
Nope.
Itโs the the wind. It is vicious I tell you, vicious. It just makes everything feel so cold and then there is that fact that the sun has not peeped out once today. For Colorado this is very unusual and it makes for an extra chilly day!
Now, I hate to get all cheesy on you guys because really who likes a cheese ball? Well, unless it is one of the Buffalo Fried Goat Cheeses that I made the other week. in that case, I love um! But Iย just got to say it, a chilly day calls for a big old pot of hot chili โ topped with plenty ofโฆ cheese!
I am sorry, I had to (I really do hate cheesy lines โ really).
This soup gets a nice smoky flavor from the chipotle chiles and smoked paprika. Then there is the chocolate.
Yeah, I added just a tiny bit of chocolate to my chili. Itโs a secret! Not really, but it adds depth and richness to the chili that you would not expect. It sets it apart from all the rest. Itโs healthy, hearty, super quick and oh so easy!
Make it today, make it tomorrow, or hey make it on Sunday for that Football thing. Whatโs it called again?
Smoky Chipotle Chocolate Chicken Chili.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 whole large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 pounds cooked chicken breast, shredded, about 1 1/2
- 4 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ยฝ teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 in chipotle chilies adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 28- Size
- 2 ounce cans pinto beans or black beans, optional, 15-
- 1 Ounce can diced green chiles, 4 Size
- 1 tablespoon dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ยฝ cups grated cheddar cheese, optional for topping
- ยผ cups chopped fresh cilantro, optional for topping
- sliced green onions, optional for topping
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and then add the onion and garlic. Lower the heat to medium low and cover pot. Cook, stirring as needed until the onions are translucent and just starting to caramelize. This takes about 30 minutes.
- Add the chicken, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, chipotle chilies and adobo sauce to the pot and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes covered so that the chicken gets infused with the aromatics and the spices.
- Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, beans (if using), and green chiles. Stir in the dark chocolate cocoa powder. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a slow boil and cook, uncovered, stirring as needed until the liquid has reduced to your level of preference.
- For serving, pass the cotija cheese and chopped cilantro for topping as desired.
- This is great with beer bread and a salad.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Oh, yeah the Super Bowl. This, for sure, is Super Bowl food!
Could you use ground beef instead? If so how would you adjust the liquid (ie broth)?
Hi Kristin,
So sorry, I have never tested that with this recipe, but you could certainly give it a try! xx
Best chili I ever had! My husband and I are obsessed. I added a square of dark chocolate, in addition to the 1 teaspoon cocoa powder. I donโt have dark chocolate cocoa powder and enjoy a mole sauce, so I thought the chocolate would work and it was great! I also added 3 tablespoons of the Adobo sauce, not just 1 tsp. It didnโt make it spicy, just very flavorful. We will make this again and again.
Hey Shannon,
Fantastic! I appreciate you trying this recipe, love to hear it turned out well for you! Enjoy your day:)
How would you best adapt this to a slow cooker/crockpot? Thanks!
Hey Amy,
I would cook on low for 6-8 hours. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
We thought the flavor was great but that the liquid needed to be thicker to be a real chili. Maybe if I hadn’t drained the tomatoes it would have helped, but I couldn’t tell since the can descriptions in the list of ingredients were confusing (and six cups of broth was already an awful lot of liquid). In any case, the next time I might try some crushed tomatoes for more body; otherwise, a super recipe!
Hey Helen,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Made this for some friends tonight…sooooo delicious! Have made it before and loved it then too! This time I made a paste with some olive oil and the spices and seared the chicken breasts in them in the Instant Pot. I then slow cooked it for 4 hours. Worked so well! Thank you, Tieghan, for the hard work you put into your recipes. They are a gift!!
Hi Jeannine,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
If I forgot diced tomatoes can I use stewed tomatoes?
Hi Leanne,
Sure, those should be great here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi! I have a question about the recipe:
When you say: 1 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes 28- Size.
Is it only 1 ounce or is it 1 28 ounce can?
Same for the two ingredients below! If you could get back to me by Friday that’d be great!
Thank you so much; really love all your recipes!
Hey Sam,
Sorry for the confusion, you will want to use 1-28 ounce can of roasted diced tomatoes, 2-15 ounces cans of beans, and 1-4 ounce can of chilies. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
How do you suggest cooking the chicken breast to keep it moist? And then shred it?
Hey Sarah! I would roast the chicken breast at 400 degrees with olive oil, salt and pepper for 18-25 minutes, depending on the size of your breast. You can also cook the chicken in the instant pot if you have one. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan