Tips For Perfect Chicken Chili

Chili has long been associated with beef as main ingredient; however, chicken proves to be equally if not more delicious. Regardless of the variation of ingredients used, there are a few important things to remember to make the perfect pot of chicken chili.

The first thing to remember when making chicken chili is to cook the meat correctly. Many people fry beef ahead of time to add to the chili. When experimenting with chicken chili, most peoples' first instinct is to boil the chicken. Avoid boiling it, as this will drain the flavor of the poultry into the water. Chicken should always be cut into bit-size pieces, coated and seared or fried in a pan before it stews in chili. The idea behind this is equal to the idea of keeping flavor in beef. Chicken is stringier than beef and loses flavor more quickly because of the lower fat content, which is why frying or searing before stewing is essential.

Chicken Chili

Another important thing to remember when making chili with poultry is to use breast meat for the best flavor. Any part of the chicken can be used, but the breast meat has the most flavor and will have the best consistency when cooked. Dark meat tends to take on a grainy texture when it is pan-seared and then stewed. The flavor in dark meat is not as savory because it is not as fine of a consistency. In conjunction with this idea, it is also important to avoid cooking the chili too long, otherwise the meat will lose its flavor. When cooked on low heat, the chili should cook for no more than 12 hours. Avoid using high heat if possible; if using high heat, cook for no more than 7 hours and do not expect as rich of a flavor.

Tomatoes are an essential part of every chili recipe. When using them with beef, stewed tomatoes in a can complement the beef flavor well. However, chicken is better complimented by a grilled flavor instead of a stewed flavor. For best results, cut up fresh tomatoes and place them in a foil packet, then grill them for about 10 minutes. The fire-roasted flavor of the tomatoes will complement the chili much more than stewed, canned or plain fresh tomatoes will. With a fire-roasted flavor, much less salt will be needed to create flavor.

Chicken chili is a satisfying and delicious side dish or main entrée and can be made in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Tips For Perfect Chicken Chili

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