This creamy chicken chili packs some serious flavor thanks to the addition of chorizo sausage, green chilies, chipotle peppers, roasted corn, and salsa verde.
Creamy Chicken Chili with Chorizo, Green Chilies, Potatoes and Roasted Corn
Soup is one of those things that naturally comes with a lot of options. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I love it so much. You can view almost every soup recipe as a list of suggestions rather than rules and it's probably going to come out alright.
This chicken chili recipe is no exception and can be adapted to personal tastes and schedules. What follows is a list of suggestions for how to make it work for you.
What kind of corn is best in this recipe?
I prefer to roast the corn for this chicken chili rather than letting it cook in the broth because a quick roast intensifies the corn's flavor and creates a more delicious consistency.
Roasted corn is especially delicious when fresh corn is in season. But, I use frozen corn to make it year round and it's also delicious.
Having said that, you really can just add a bag of frozen corn to this chili towards the end of cooking and still end up with a delicious meal. Be sure to add it at the end because over boiled corn can be soft and rubbery.
What kind of salsa verde is best for this recipe?
If you want to shave some time off this recipe, pick up a couple of jars (you want about 3 cups) of salsa verde at the market and use that instead of making Roasted Tomatillo Sauce.
In the scheme of things, homemade Roasted Tomatillo Sauce is not time consuming. It can also be made up to a week in advance. But, we all have weeks where every little bit of time saved counts. So, if you know you're going to be short on time, the purchased variety is the way to go.
What kind of chicken is best in this recipe?
Simmering boneless, skinless chicken thighs in Roasted Tomatillo Sauce (Salsa Verde) imparts a lot of flavor to the chicken itself, which then adds another layer of flavor to the chili.
But, on those nights when you want to save some time, a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is a fantastic option.
While the soup simmers, pick the meat from the bones and add it to a pan with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce (Salsa Verde). Let the sauce and chicken cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or so, then dump it into the chili.
What kind of beans is best in this recipe?
You can use any kind of beans you like in this recipe, from a can or cooked from dried.
Cooking dried beans requires less than 5 minutes of prep time, will save you money, and gives you the opportunity to infuse the beans with herbs and spices.
Serving suggestions
If you're so inclined, Homemade Tortillas and Buttermilk Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread were made to be served with meals like this.
Homemade Tortillas are one of those things that, once you make them, make it difficult to go back to the store-bought packaged variety.
They are much, much easier to make than you might think and just so much better than anything you can buy.
Buttermilk Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread only takes about 15 minutes of prep time and can cook in the oven while the chili simmers on the stovetop. The recipe makes a generous 8 servings and leftovers can be transformed into a whole new meal later in the week by making this Cornbread Salad with Sausage and Tomatoes.
More Popular Soup Recipes:
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Garlic and Mushrooms
- Vegetarian Chili with Chimichurri and Pico de Gallo
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Spanish Potato Soup
- Southwest Corn Chowder
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken Chili with Chorizo and Roasted Corn
This creamy chicken chili packs some serious flavor thanks to the addition of chorizo sausage, green chilies, chipotle peppers, roasted corn, and salsa verde.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Roasted Tomatillo Sauce OR 3 cups prepared Salsa Verde
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs OR 1 Rotisserie Chicken
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 12 ounces chorizo sausage - ground or links, cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, seeds removed and diced
- 8 ounces green chilis
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks.
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beans - any variety, canned or cooked from dried
- 12 ounces Roasted Corn OR 12 ounces fresh or frozen corn
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2-4 limes
- 16 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 or 2 ripe avocados (optional), peel removed and cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Put the Roasted Tomatillo Sauce or prepared salsa verde in a large, heavy bottom sauce pan set over medium high heat. Sprinkle all sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and nestle into the pan, stirring to coat the chicken in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. (If using a rotisserie chicken, pick the meat from the bones, add it to the tomatillo sauce, bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and remove from the heat.
- While the chicken cooks, heat 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil) in a large, heavy bottom saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the oil behind.
- Return the pan to medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, diced chipotle peppers, green chilis, cumin, oregano, and about 2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook stirring constantly, 1 minute longer.
- Add the potatoes to the pan and cook stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and chorizo to the pan, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the tomatillo sauce and use two forks to shred into bite-size pieces. Add the chicken and corn to the soup. Pour in the buttermilk slowly, stirring constantly. Add the cilantro and juice from 2 limes. Taste, and add more salt, pepper, or lime juice if desired. (If using fresh or frozen corn, let it simmer for a couple of minutes to cook the corn before serving.)
- Serve with grated cheese and avocado if desired.
Notes
- Roasted Tomatillo Sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance.
- No buttermilk? No problem. DIY Buttermilk: How to make your own
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 814Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 2488mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 10gSugar: 12gProtein: 50g
Beejay says
I've been using Herdez brand salsa verde in the tall bottle for ages. It's very inexpensive, usually not more than $3 for a pint. If I'm feeling hardcore I'll still make it from scratch, but I can't beat this price.
This sounds like it would make a great brothy soup, too. I'm hungry. 😉
RebeccaBlackwell says
I actually have some of that in my refrigerator at this very moment. It's truly delicious and can be used in any recipe that calls for salsa verde. I hope you make this sometime! I'd love to hear what you think of it! xo