White Chicken Chili with Beans and Bacon
This white bean and chicken chili, a Mexican-inspired meal that's made with smoky bacon, onions, carrots, celery (called mirepoix), peppers, and spices, is hearty, healthy, and completely doable on a weeknight.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 6 ounces pearl onions, peeled, or 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup peeled, shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 Anaheim, poblano, or jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and finely diced, or more to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock, or low-sodium canned chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, (I always use rotisserie chicken)
- Two (15-ounce) cans Cannellini beans, or Great Northern Beans or Navy Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Fry the 1/2 pound bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, turning once or twice, until browned and crisp. Move the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve 3 tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
- When the bacon has cooled enough to handle, crumble it into small pieces.
- Heat the reserved bacon drippings over medium heat. Add the mirepoix of 6 ounces pearl onions, 1 cup peeled, shredded carrots, and 1/2 cup diced celery, and 1 Anaheim, poblano, or jalapeño chile pepper, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the crumbled bacon, 4 cups homemade chicken stock or broth, 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, Two (15-ounce) cans Cannellini beans, 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to the pot and stir to combine.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you fancy a thicker chili, mash some of the beans with the back of a fork prior to adding them to the pot.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Brown that bacon—This develops a depth of flavor via the Maillard reaction—that beautiful bit of kitchen science where heat makes the food’s proteins and sugars brown and create tons of new savory, roasty flavor compounds—which is why we don’t skip the browning, kids.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1082mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g