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My 24 Favorite Winter Appetizer and Cocktail Recipes.
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{This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.}
The day after Christmas…perfect day for a bowl of this Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tamale Chili.
And just like that it’s the day after Christmas. Hoping each and every one you had an amazing Christmas with your family. And for those of you who did not celebrate, I hope you had a relaxing day off!
My family and I had one of the best Christmases yet. It finally snowed, really snowed! Which made for one of the best white Christmases ever. The day was filled with good food and even better company. I have so much to share, but I’m going to save all the details for another day, as I’m attempting to keep today’s post short and sweet in an effort to spend less time online, and more time with my family.
Every year for New Years, my family and I have always made a Mexican feast. This is something my late Aunt Katie started and we’ve carried on the tradition. Back when my cousins and I were kids, we’d spend the week after Christmas at our cabin in Ripley, New York. My Aunt Katie always used to bring tons of fresh tamales for New Years Eve and it was something everyone looked forward to each year.
Here’s the thing, I’ve attempted to make homemade tamales before, and well, I don’t really have a desire to do it again.
They are a lot of work, like a lot. Too much for me, and especially when feeding over seventeen people.
These days I stick to tamale inspired recipes (hello to this tamale pie), plenty of tacos (new recipe coming on Thursday!), and bowls of guacamole.
This year’s recipe is all about easy slow cooker tamale chili (with stove top and instant pot directions too). If you guys like tamales, and you like chicken tortilla soup, then this is your kind of a chili. It’s basically a cross between those two recipes and it is DELICIOUS.
I used my favorite Mexican spices, some chipotle in adobo, and my homemade enchilada sauce (recipe in my cookbook) to flavor the chili. To make the chili thicker, creamier, and to give it that true tamale taste, I used Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal. Guys, the cornmeal is what makes this chili. It adds that sweet corn flavor of Masa, which is used in traditional tamales.
And then the toppings. You all know how I love my toppings, and I did them up for this chili with some cilantro, lime, mango, avocado, homemade tortilla chips, and crumbled goat cheese.
So. Flippin’. GOOD.
Trust me, this is your New Year’s recipe, or at least sometime in the next few weeks. Everyone you are serving to is going to love this recipe, and it’s the perfect warming chili to cozy up to after a day of playing in the snow.
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tamale Chili
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 341 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, or thighs
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder (or regular chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 4-6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground Cornmeal
- 1 mango, sliced or diced
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- sliced avocado, tortilla chips, and crumbled goat cheese, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In the bottom your crockpot, layer the onion and garlic. Add the chicken, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour over the enchilada sauce and 4 cups broth. Add the apple cider vinegar, chipotle chilies, and cornmeal. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks. Taste and add salt if needed.2. In a small bowl, combine the mango, lime juice, and lime zest, and cilantro.3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with mango, tortilla chips, avocado, and cheese. Garnish with cilantro and limes. Enjoy!
To Make in the Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, layer the onion and garlic. Add the chicken, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour over the enchilada sauce and 4 cups broth. Add the apple cider vinegar, chipotle chilies, and cornmeal. Cover and cook on high pressure/manual for 20-30 minutes.
2. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function and release the steam. Shred the chicken using two forks. Taste and add salt if needed. Finish as directed above.
Winter chili perfection.
{This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
Made this today for a cold snow day dinner. I was so skeptical, so so skeptical. The use of enchilada sauce and corn meal just didn’t sound good to me. All day I kept looking at the pot, occasionally tasting it and saying to myself, shit this is going down the disposal. I pulled the chicken out (thighs and breasts) around hour six to pull and return to the pot. Two hours later I added a can of white beans and I’ll be damned. The soup had thicken up nicely and I loved how it turned out. I garnished it with mango and a little sour cream. Glad I stuck with it. I will be making this again.
Hey Cari,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️
Is it okay to use masa instead of cornmeal in this recipe? I’ve used it in another recipe and happen to have it on hand.
Hey Tara,
Yes, that will work well for you! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xT
This recipe is awesome! I’ve made it several times and its amazing each time! My most recent time I switched it up and did ground beef instead of chicken and added black beans. It was still delicious!
Hey Jessica,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
This was great on a rainy Monday evening! I made it on the stovetop and it couldn’t have been easier. I did brown the chicken and bloom the spices in the drippings before adding the liquids but otherwise I stuck to the recipe. The mango salsa was a wonderful addition. We aren’t big mango fans, but it really worked. Thank you! I will definitely add this to my regular rotation.
Hey! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Monday ? xTieghan
Love the flavors. First time I made it in a crock pot and it was perfect. I then tried to make it in an Instant and it kept burning on the bottom. Recipe calls for high, and it burned on the bottom. I then tried it on low and it burned not he bottom. Not sure why this happened but I will not try it in the instant again
Hey Donna, thanks so much for letting me know! I really appreciate the feedback! xxTieghan
I LOVE this chili! It’s spicy and filling. I decreased the cornmeal amount to 1/2 cup (just to cut down on calories) and made it in the instant pot. It’s a perfect warm-up for a cold, grey Sunday. So good!!
Hey Kate,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hi! I’m making this for a soup hand off today with 4 other friends 🙂 This is my first time making this recipe and i was wondering if you include the avocado in with the mango/lime/cilantro mixture or if it’s “undressed” and a separate topping. I discovered you in 2020 and have made a bunch of your recipes and every single one of them has been delicious! We had the roasted cauliflower on pesto pasta last night and it was awesome! Thanks!
Hey Meghan,
I like to use the avocado as a garnish. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
I have made this recipe so many times the last couple of months. I’m absolutely addicted to it! My husband is a big fan as well!
Thank you so much Amanda! xTieghan
This is my second time making this. I don’t think I commented then, but obviously making it a second time means it was a success.
I serve the mango mix on the side. It is sooo good. Today I added garbanzo beans towards the end and that worked out well, but it’s perfect just the way the recipe is written.
I am really happy this turned out so well for you, Diana! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Is it possible to make this on stove top? If so, do you have some instructions to follow that you could share?
Hey Jan,
I would do this on the stovetop for 3-4 hours. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Is it too spicy if I leave out the mango? I’m not a fan of fruit mixed with meat.
Hey Linda,
You can absolutely omit the mango! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this in the slow cooker first and it was really great! I since got an Instapot and just tried it in there, but I got two alerts saying “burn”. I think it’s because I stirred the cornmeal in after adding all the ingredients and it went to the bottom. A note of caution for anyone else who might do the same! Just LAYER it like she said!!!
Hi Angelina! I hope this still turned out amazing for you! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
I made this for my family and it was meant to be a side dish to tacos I was serving. My family instead ate ALL of this and said next time don’t bother with tacos and just serve this as the main course. It was delicious and came together easily. The texture from the corn meal is exactly what I look for in a chili. Sooooo good! I will be making this again!!
Haha yes!! I am so glad you all loved this recipe! Thank you for trying it Maggie! xTieghan
The perfect “snow day” dinner! Both my husband and I loved the peppery and smoky flavor of this chili! This one is a keeper! ☃️❄️☃️❄️
YES! Thank you so much Wendy! Hope you are staying warm! xTieghan
I just made this in honor of our first big snow of the snow season down in the front range. It’s another hit – full of flavor and easy to pull together (I went the stove top route using a dutch oven). I love all your recipes! Thanks for continuing to share your talents!
Thank you for trying this Jessica! So glad you loved it! xTieghan