Healthy Chipotle Chicken Chili

Awaken your tastesbuds with this spicy Healthy Chipotle Chicken Chili! Some of the heat from the chilis is tamed with a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon. Unconventional? Yes. Unforgettably awesome? Absolutely!

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I LOVE chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. I have added it to this sweet and spicy wings recipe (baked), these chipotle chorizo tacos and healthy chipotle chicken tacos, and this baked maple and chipotle barbecued chicken.

The flavors of this chili are exceptional! The heat from the chilies is tempered by just a touch of maple syrup (oh yes I did!). A mix of ground chicken and spicy chicken sausage brings more flavor without the fat. More, please!

I know there is some fiery debate about beans in chili. I am not from Texas; I don’t know any Texans; and, thus, I do what I want and what I think tastes good. And that includes beans in my chili.
I love the additional heartiness from a mix of kidney and black beans and the flavor from a bit of corn.

I also thicken my chili with some mashed black beans. <– Seriously best idea ever!

This chili was so good, in fact, there was barely enough chili left to photograph. I had a minor panic attack before figuring out a solution, because not bringing you this delicious, unique twist on chili to you was not an option. If you follow me on Instagram you probably also saw that my husband mutilated the healthy skillet cornbread that I made to go with it.

Let’s talk about the Healthy Shaker Cornbread. I tried this recipe from The Best of Shaker Cooking, 1985 Edition. It is a moist buttermilk cornbread with zero added sugar and only 2 tablespoons of butter in the whole recipe. It’s as healthy as corn bread gets.

Truthfully my favorite cornbread is this Sweet Southern Cornbread, but one cannot eat decadent, calorie-laden cornbread with every meal and not expect negative consequences.

This cornbread definitely tastes “healthy”, but it is soft and moist and not too dense and it is delicious when dunked in the chipotle chicken chili. I have copied it below in case you are looking for a good, super healthy, gluten free cornbread.

Kitchen Tip: Rarely does a recipe call for an entire can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. I hate waste, so I freeze the leftovers in a small ziptop plastic baggie (labeled, of course). When I need some chipotle peppers, I drop the baggie in warm water until it is still icy but the peppers have separated; I removed what I need and throw the rest back in the freezer.

5 from 1 ratings

Chipotle Chicken Chili and Healthy Shaker Cornbread

by Chef Lindsey

Awaken your tastesbuds with this spicy Chipotle Chicken Chili! Some of the heat from the chilis is tamed with a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon.

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 people

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Chipotle Chili:

• ▢ 3 yellow onions
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup chipotle chilies in adobo sauce minced
• ▢ 1 pound ground spicy chicken sausage
• ▢ 1 pound ground chicken
• ▢ 28 oz black beans canned, drained (one mashed)
• ▢ 14 kidney beans with juice
• ▢ 56 oz roasted diced tomatoes and juice
• ▢ ¾ cup corn fresh or frozen will do
• ▢ 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth Bonus Points for Homemade!
• ▢ 2 teaspoons paprika
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons ancho chili powder or New Mexican
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ▢ Salt to taste

For the Shaker Cornbread:

• ▢ 2 cups white corn meal I used yellow
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups lowfat buttermilk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter melted
• ▢ 2 eggs beaten

Instructions 

To make the chili:

• Heat a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat. Cook onions until they begin to release their juices and then add the garlic; cook, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning, until onions are transluscent. Add the minced chipotle peppers and cook a few minutes to mingle the flavors.
• Add the ground chicken and sausage and brown until all the chicken has been cooked.
• Add all the remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat at least an hour. The longer the better. I typically cook mine in a Dutch oven for at least 4 hours. I like to taste every hour and adjust the salt and spices as needed.
• Serve with cornbread, sour cream, and sharp cheddar cheese.

For the Cornbread:

• Preheat the oven to 425°. Butter a 10 inch skillet or 9 inch square baking dish, and preheat it in your oven. I didn’t butter mine and it stuck slightly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together corn meal, salt, soda, and baking powder.
• Add the butter and buttermilk and mix well. Add the eggs and beat until smooth.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took just under 18.

Nutrition

Calories: 674kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1558mg | Potassium: 1074mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1982IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 7mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 674

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