Smoky Chicken Chili - a delicious pot of smoky goodness! This hearty soup is infused with wholesome ingredients, rich smokiness, and warm spices. It's an easy and quick recipe since it includes a precooked BBQ (smoked) rotisserie chicken. And if you can't find a BBQ chicken, I offer instructions on how to smoke one in the oven - no special equipment required! Either way, read on my friend…this chicken chili recipe is a keeper!✅
This post has been updated since its original publish date in February 2016.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This chicken chili recipe is protein-packed: with 1.5 pounds of shredded chicken, plus black beans and navy beans. Coming together to make this soup satisfying and nutritious.
- It's an explosion of flavor! The combination of BBQ chicken, smoked paprika, smoked salt, cumin, and fire-roasted tomatoes creates a smoky flavor profile that takes this chili to a whole nother level.
- And of course, this chili recipe is versatile and very adaptable. You can add extra beans or leave them out for a low-carb version. And of course, you can customize it with your favorite toppings or adjust the spice level to suit your taste.
It's been unseasonably cold here in Florida this winter so soup, chili, and stews have been on the menu a lot! Especially my personal favorites... Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chicken Mushroom Soup, Slow Cooker Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup, and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.
A fun fact about me is that soup happens to be one of my favorite things to make and enjoy. Think about... it's a wholesome balanced meal all in one big bowl. No side dishes needed!
If you're experiencing the same colder-than-usual weather - I'm here to help!
Let’s make some cozy soup to warm you from the inside out!
I like to make this chili with a store-bought whole BBQ (smoked) chicken, but they are becoming harder to find.
I have also used a regular rotisserie chicken, and although it’s still good, it just doesn’t have that same campfire flavor.
So I did what any smoke-lovin’ girl would do…I smoked my own bird!
What You'll Need
For Smoking a Chicken in the Oven
- A roasting pan with a rack and a lid.
- Hickory-flavored liquid smoke. You can find this in the condiment section of your grocery store.
- A whole raw chicken, organs discarded, rinsed, and patted dry.
- Chicken stock or broth.
- Smoked salt, to mix into the liquid, plus more to season the chicken
- Pepper for added flavor.
For the Chicken Chili
- A whole BBQ (smoked) rotisserie chicken with the meat shredded and bones discarded.
- Yellow onion
- A red bell pepper.
- Poblano peppers
- Jalapeño peppers
- Garlic fresh and mince.
- Fresh cilantro
- Small white beans (either navy or Great Northern)
- Black beans - canned. Goyas brand is my favorite!
- Canned fire-roasted tomatoes
- A can of Rotel - the original version.
- Chicken stock
- 1 cup of juice from the homemade smoked chicken pan, (if you're not smoking your chicken use regular chicken stock.)
- Hickory-flavored liquid smoke. You can find this in the condiment section of your grocery store.
- Smoked salt
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Oregano
- Coriander
I think most of us love a meaty, hearty, bowl of chili! Especially Chicken Chili that is full of traditional zesty Mexican flavors with the nuance of a smoky campfire taste.
Let's go over how this chili comes together...
How to make Smoky Chicken Chili
As I mentioned, hit the easy button and pick up a BBQ AKA smoked rotisserie chicken from your grocery store. This is such a great time saver when you want to get dinner on the table fast.
If you decide to cook the chicken yourself, here are the instructions for that...
For the Smoked Chicken
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Use a roasting pan that has a rack and a lid. Mix chicken stock, liquid smoke, and 2 teaspoons of smoked salt in the bottom of the pan.
Place the rack in the pan, then put the chicken on top of it. Season the chicken with more smoked salt and pepper, close the lid, and cook for 90 minutes.
Allow the chicken to cool for 15-20 minutes, remove the skin and discard, then shred it using two forks. Add a ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the shredded chicken.
It is AMAZINGNESS!✨ Super-tender and perfectly smoky.
Now for the chili instructions...
For the Chili
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions, poblano peppers, red peppers, jalapeño peppers, and season with 1 teaspoon of the smoked salt. Sauté for 6 minutes.
Mix in the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
Add in all the spices along with the other teaspoon of smoked salt, and allow to cook for another minute.
Then, add in the cilantro, beans, tomatoes, Rotel, and stock (and or some of the chicken cooking liquid when it's finished roasting).
Mix the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Turn the soup down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Gently fold in the shredded chicken, simmer for 10 minutes, and serve warm.
TIP: Fine salt is saltier than coarse salt per pinch. If you're using fine salt instead of coarse salt half the amount in this recipe.
What to Serve with This Chicken Chili Recipe
Some warm cornbread, beer bread, or tortilla chips would be a nice addition to serve with this chili.
And of course, we can't forget about the toppings... chopped cilantro, diced green onions, chopped tomatoes, diced jalapeños, sliced avocado, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, or sour cream.
Storing and Freezing Chicken Chili
One of the great benefits of making a big pot of this chili is that you can enjoy the leftovers for lunches and dinners throughout the week.
Store any leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
This chicken chili freezes perfectly. You could use it to meal prep and store it all together or in individual portions in freezer bags for a quick lunch or dinner. The chili will be good for up to 2-3 months.
To thaw and reheat the chili just place it in the fridge the night before, then reheat in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.
This hearty chicken chili recipe is so nourishing and delicious!
Whether you smoke your chicken or buy one precooked… you and your family will love this pot of cozy goodness!
More Cozy Chili and Soup Recipes
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Ultimate Beef Stew with Mushrooms
- Italian Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Beef Pot Pie Soup
Smoky Chicken Chili
This Smoky Chicken Chili recipe is a delicious pot of smoky goodness! With instructions to smoke the chicken right in your oven! Full of healthy yumminess: beans, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions, and zesty spices.
Ingredients
For the smoked chicken:
- 3 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1 whole raw chicken, organs discarded, rinsed, and patted dry
- 2 teaspoons coarse smoked salt, plus more to season the chicken
- pepper to taste (If you're using fine salt instead of coarse salt use only 1 teaspoon since fine salt is saltier than coarse salt per pinch.)
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- Roasting pan with a rack and lid
For the chili:
- 1 whole smoked chicken, meat pulled
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, seeds, and membranes removed and chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, seeds, and membranes removed and chopped
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds, and membranes removed and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, (plus more for garnish)
- 14 ounces canned small white beans (navy or Great Northern), drained and rinsed
- 14 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 ounces canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 10-ounce can of Rotel Original (Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies)
- 4 cups chicken stock (Use only 3 cups if adding the pan juices from the smoked chicken.)
- 1 cup juices from the smoked chicken pan, (if you're not smoking your own chicken use regular chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke.)
- 2 teaspoons coarse smoked salt (If you're using fine salt instead of coarse salt use only 1 teaspoon since fine salt is saltier than coarse salt per pinch.)
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon coriander
Instructions
For the smoked chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a roasting pan that has a rack and a lid. Mix the chicken stock, 3 tablespoons of liquid smoke, and 2 teaspoons of smoked salt in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the rack in the pan, then put the chicken on top. Season the chicken with more smoked salt and pepper, close the lid, and cook for 90 minutes. (Temp the chicken to be sure it has reached 165 degrees with a digital meat thermometer.)
- Allow the chicken to cool for 15-20 minutes, remove the skin and discard, then shred it using two forks. Add a ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the shredded chicken.
For the chili:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions, poblano peppers, red peppers, jalapeño peppers, and season with 1 teaspoon of the smoked salt. Sauté for 6 minutes
- Mix in the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add in all the spices and another teaspoon of smoked salt, and cook for another minute.
- Mix in the cilantro, beans, tomatoes, Rotel, and stock (substitute 1 cup of the stock for the chicken cooking liquid when it's finished roasting if cooking your chicken). then bring it up to a boil.
- Turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Gently fold in the shredded chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm with your favorite toppings... chopped cilantro, diced green onions, chopped tomatoes, diced jalapeños, pico de Gallo, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, or sour cream.
Notes
You can skip the first step if you buy a pre-cooked BBQ or Rotisserie cooked chicken.
Fine salt is saltier than coarse salt per pinch. If you're using fine salt instead of coarse salt you can half the amount in this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
10 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 554Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 171mgSodium varies on usagemgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 8gSugar 6gProtein 45g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
Cleveland
Made this recipe and it was awesome. I tweaked just a little by just addind 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken just a little
Bryan
So glad you enjoyed it - thanks for your comment!! 🙂 - H&B
G
Another one for January!!!
Carol Borchardt
This looks soooo delicious! I love that the "smoky" is right down to the chicken! Awesome post!
holly
Thanks Carol - very kind of you! I'm all about the smoke!?
Lisa
Out of curiosity, would the chicken "smoke" in a pressure cooker? With all of the kitchen gadgets I have, a roasting pan with rack simply isn't one of them! And I'm seriously excited to make this recipe so I'm trying to figure out the best way to do so 🙂 Thanks for mouth watering photos and what I'm sure will be a delightful meal. I'll be sharing a link to this post on my blog for my list of meals in my next menu plan!
holly
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your kind words! I love your excitement!? I believe a pressure cooker would work well for smoking the chicken as long as you have a rack for it. Personally, I'm not super familiar with pressure cookers but I did find an article on eHow about using a pressure cooker to smoke a chicken. Here it is: https://www.ehow.com/how_7790785_smoke-pressure-cooker.html I'll have to check out your menu plans - I can use all the help I can get! Thanks for reaching out and for sharing!?