Simple chicken taco chili

I was wandering around on the web last week and came across a recipe that I just had to try on Simple Organized Living (which is always chock full of great simple living tips). But seeing as I’m not able to leave well enough alone, I had to tweak the recipe a bit. And as you become familiar in your own kitchen, that’s partially what it’s all about. You develop the ability to modify ingredients on the fly, measure spices in the palm of your hand, and throw together a meal without any recipe at all. I’m still working up my skills to feel really comfortable about the latter but after a year or two of cooking, I think anyone can reach that level. Will it always turn out fantastic? Probably not. But I’ve tried tons of recipes as well and some of them turned out be horrible even though they sounded great. Sometimes, you just can’t be sure.

I wasn’t so sure how this taco chili recipe would turn out. I mean it sounded really good on paper and has a bunch of ingredients I really like…but I wasn’t really sure if it would result in something like tortilla soup or an entirely different animal. The consistency of this recipe is definitely like my chili and it is heavenly! You might be a little turned off by the idea of adding both cheddar cheese and sour cream to this, but trust me, it is HEAVEN!

The beauty of this recipe is that you need very little time to prepare it. If you’ve got chicken leftovers or buy a rotisserie chicken (or even pre-cooked shredded chicken), you can throw this dish together in minutes. Baking the chicken yourself does require a bit more time, but the oven still does most of the work for you, until you need to cut the meat up.

This was so good that we ate it two nights in a row. We ended up freezing only one double portion of it so I think next time I make this, I will make twice as much. It’s just as comforting and satisfying on a cold evening as a big bowl of chili, and even easier to make!

Simple Chicken Taco Chili

Serves 7- 8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil for baking
• 1 pound chicken breasts (or shredded cooked chicken)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 quart (2 15-ounce cans) tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can corn (no liquid)
• 1 8-ounce can Mexican corn (no liquid)
• 1 15 oz can chili beans  (with liquid) or kidney beans (rinsed)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 package (1 1/2 teaspoons) taco seasoning
• Shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips

Directions

1. Pour olive oil into bottom of casserole dish and add chicken breasts to dish. Coat with olive oil (add more if necessary) and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 1 hour, until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. Set aside to cool slightly before slicing and shredding.
2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or other large pot.
3. Sauté onions and garlic for about 5 minutes at medium-high heat.
4. Add tomatoes, corn, beans, salsa and chicken broth. Stir until combined.
5. Add taco seasoning and shredded chicken. Simmer for 15 -20 minutes — or until heated through.
6. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and any of your other favorite taco toppings

3 Responses to “Simple chicken taco chili”

1. Andrea @ Simple Organized Living says:

   February 22, 2011 at 1:31 pm

   Looks delicious! I guess I’ll have to give your recipe a try now!!

   Reply
2. cliff1976 says:

   February 23, 2011 at 8:06 am

   Yum!

   But where do you get your Mexican corn here in Germany? We have to smuggle ours back from Mexico or the U.S., and it really weighs down the suitcases.

   Reply
   • Tiffany says:

     February 23, 2011 at 1:07 pm

     I found it at Lidl during the Mexico week, when they sell tortillas and such. Not sure I would buy it again though, because apparently “Mexican” means it has peas and bell peppers in it, no spices. You can make it with regular corn and just add a bit more taco seasoning if you like it spicy.

     Reply