I am finding this on and off cold weather really challenging. Sometimes I feel like making a grilled chicken breast or salmon for dinner and then other days, I crave a warm bowl of deliciousness. Often I don’t feel like cooking at all! Truth! This Chipotle Chicken Chili is my go-to-when-I-don’t-feel-like-cooking dinner. If you have made a big batch ahead of time and frozen it, then you are truly in business but even if you haven’t…it is the perfect weeknight meal. It comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s full of protein, warming spices, and is totally satisfying. Serve it up with a little rice or quinoa and a salad and you have a perfect meal! I have been known to make this into burritos or even burrito bowls. Serve it up with several different accompaniments and you’ve made a party! My kids love the assortment and love choosing their toppings. For vegetarians, you can replace the chicken with 1-2 lbs. of extra firm tofu, mashed and crumbled.

Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Chili – Fast and Easy

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Ingredients

1½ pound ground chicken or 1-2 packages of extra firm tofu – for vegetarian version
3 19-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-ounce can of tomatoes chopped or ½ 28-oz can
1-2 small chipotle chillies from the can with the adobo sauce
½ red onion finely chopped
1½ tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt to taste

For Serving

Tortilla chips
Finely chopped red onion
Cilantro roughly chopped
2 2 limes sliced in wedges
1 ripe avocado diced
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

Instructions

In a large heavy bottomed pot, brown chicken, add about ½ tsp. salt. Using a wooden spoon, break up the meat as you brown it. Brown until it is no longer pink – about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, in a blender or food processor, puree the tomatoes, chipotle chilies and half the black beans.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot to a bowl (leaving the oil behind).Add the red onion to the pot and a little more salt and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the chili powder and cumin, toast for 30 seconds or so.
Add the contents of the blender, to the pot. Put 1 cup water in the dirty blender, swish it around and add that water to the pot. Add the remaining black beans and the cooked chicken to the pot as well.
Cook for about 10-15 minutes.
Serve with a squeeze of lime, minced red onion, avocado, cilantro and tortillas (and shredded cheese if you like).

Notes

If you want to make this a complete meal, serve over brown rice or quinoa.
Freezes well
If you want it a little thinner, add a little more water.