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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

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It’s slow cooker season! Then again, when is it not slow cooker season? It’s great on those hot summer days when you don’t want to heat the house up with your oven, and it’s wonderful during those chilly fall days when you want something warm and comforting for dinner.

Instead of soup, I decided to make chili, but I didn’t want anything too heavy. Chicken chili is the perfect balance of filling, but not as rich as a beef chili. This particular chili is not very thick so it’s almost like a hearty soup.

Warning! This chili has beans. I’m not going to engage in a beans versus no beans debate. I’m from California. We do whatever we want out here.

Measure out your spices.

There’s a little prep work. If you have a slow cooker with a saute setting, even better, but you can do all of this in a skillet and it works just as well.

Brown ground chicken and set aside.

Chop up your garlic and onions, and saute them .

Add your spices and stir. Your kitchen will smell really good about now.

Add the browned chicken and rest of your ingredients, including those ever so controversial beans.

Cook for 6 hours on low. Dinner is served!

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 1/8 cup chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 15 ounces canned pinto beans undrained
  • 15 ounces canned cannellini beans undrained
  • 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons molasses
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • cheese, onions, etc. for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat 2 teaspoon of the oil in a slow cooker on the saute setting (or complete the following 3 steps in a large nonstick skillet over high heat). Add ground chicken and 1 teaspoon salt, cook, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
  • In the slow cooker, add 1 teaspoon of oil, and then add garlic and onions, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir constantly for 1 minute to cook the spices. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan.
  • Add browned chicken to the slow cooker along with beans and liquid, canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper (to taste).
  • Cover and cook on the low setting for 6 hours. Garnish with cheese, onions, or your favorite chili toppings.

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