Recipe: Quick Red Chicken Chili

Every Thursday on the Good Food Blog we share a recipe from our archives.

Pam Anderson, author of Perfect Recipes for Having People Over, is a proponent of entertaining in a relaxed way. She first shared this recipe for Quick Red Chicken Chili on October 15, 2005.

Photo: Fine Cooking

Quick Red Chicken Chili

This may seem like a lot of chili powder, but the chocolate rounds out the flavor, resulting in a rich, full-bodied stew. You can make it in a large pot instead of a roasting pan, but allow extra time for the onions to saute and the chili to simmer.

Serves 12

• 2 store-bought roast chickens, meat picked from bones and pulled into bite size pieces, bones and skin reserved

• 2 qts chicken broth

• 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 large onions, cut into medium dice

• 2/3 cup chili powder

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 1/2 Tablespoonds dried oregano

• 2 cans (28 ozs each) crushed tomatoes

• 2 cans (16 ozs each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced

• 1 1/2 ozs bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

• 3 Tablespoons cornmeal

1. Combine chicken bones and skin, chicken broth, and 4 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until bones release their flavor, about 30 minutes. Strain broth into a large bowl; discard bones and skin.

2. Heat oil in a large roasting pan set over two burners on medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring until spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, and broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Stir in beans, garlic, and chocolate and simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle cornmeal over chili, stir in, and simmer to thicken chili, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

4. Ladle into bowls and serve with accompaniments of your choice.