Chocolate Chicken Chili

 

"Chocolate chicken chili" reminds me of that Savage Garden song "Chica Cherry Cola."  Three c-words strung together except the first one seems to make no sense with the other two.  Also, am I the only one who remembers this song??   I'd never heard of chocolate in chili until my friend Amanda told me about Nigella Lawson's apparently amazing chocolate chili.  And I'm not one to turn down chocolate in anything!  I was going to make Nigella's recipe, but I was a little lazy and decided to do a simpler version in my slow cooker.  It turned out to be delicious.  Loads of chicken with a rich chili flavor.  I probably would add another can of beans next time I make it, but that's just me.  

  

Like any good chili recipe, there are quite a few ingredients, though almost all of them are pantry items like spices and canned goods. What you need: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 pounds boneless chicken, 1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, 1 can (15 oz.) white beans (drained and rinsed), and 1 oz. bittersweet chocolate.

  

First cut up your chicken and cook it in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I bought 1.5 pounds or so and used some leftover turkey I had in the freezer from Thanksgiving.  Both tasted great.  I thought the chicken breast would taste tough, but it is tender and delicious after cooking in the slow cooker for hours.  Yum!  You don't want to completely cook it as if you were about to eat it, but I cooked mine about 90%.  When almost cooked throw it in the bottom of your slow cooker.

  

Dice up your onion and cook it some olive oil until translucent.  

  

There we go!

  

It's spice time.  Add 4 cloves diced garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 tablespoons flour.  Mix it around until the onions are coated and cook for another minute or so. 

  

Add 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth and 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes with their juices into the onion pan. 

  

Bring the sauce to a boil and allow it to simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.

  

Pour the sauce on top of your chicken already in the slow cooker. 

  

Now add your can of drained and rinse white beans.  Stir it well and it's time to turn on your slow cooker and leave it be for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. 

  

I think I set mine for 8 hours, though I honestly don't remember at this point.  It's smelling delicious by now and you just need to add the finishing touch.

  

Chocolate!  Add 1 oz of bittersweet chocolate to your chili, reduce the heat to warm and stir to combine.  Cook it for another two minutes or up to 2 hours on warm before serving.

  

John was a huge fan of this chili too.  He's not much of a cheese person...

  

But I am!  I love my chili with tons of cheese, and this one was no exception.  Loads of tender chicken in a rich, thick sauce made this chili unbeatable.  You can't taste the chocolate per se, but it just adds another dimension of flavor to this already great dish.  Maybe I'll start adding it to all kinds of chilis I make.  Yum!

Chocolate Chicken Chili

From Art of the Slow Cooker

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained and rinsed

1 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 pounds of chicken, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, to the pan and cook until 90% done.  Remove the chicken to your slow cooker.  Heat a little more olive oil in the skillet and add 1 large diced onion.  Cook until translucent and then add 4 cloves diced garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 tablespoons flour.  Stir until onions are covered and cook 1 more minute.  Add 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth to the onions and 1 can of diced tomatoes with their juices.  Bring to a boil and simmer for several minutes until the sauce thickens.  Pour sauce into slow cooker with chicken and then add 1 can of drained and rinsed white beans.  Stir and turn on slow cooker.  Leave to cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.  When fully cooked, reduce to warm and add 1 oz. of bittersweet chocolate and stir to melt.  Allow it to cook 2 more minutes or leave it on warm for up to 2 more hours.  Enjoy with shredded cheese, if you're into that.