Chipotle Cherry Chicken Chili

 Chipotle Cherry Chicken Chili. It’s quite the mouthful – figuratively and literally.
Serving the Cherry Chipotle Chicken Chili

Chipotle Cherry Chicken Chili. That’s a lot of alliteration. Besides being fun to say, it’s also fun to make. It’s a pretty basic recipe overall and the chili is a perfect to warm-up from those winter weather blues. You get a nice mix of smoky heat from the chipotle, balanced by the sweetness of cinnamon, brown sugar, and sweet black cherries.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit cherries aren’t the first thing one usually thinks of when talking chili, but you’d be surprised at how perfect they come into play in this recipe.

Time You’ll Need:

  • 20 minutes prep
  • 1 hour cooking
  • Yields about 6-8 servings

What You’ll Need:

Ingredients:

  • ~ ½ pound of ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 tbsp. diced garlic
  • 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups of pitted black cherries
  • 3 chipotle chilis from a can, diced
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • ~1 cup of water
  • ~1 cup of chicken broth
  • Kidney beans 1 can, drained
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced

Seasonings:

  • Salt / Garlic Salt (to taste)
  • Black Pepper (to taste)
  • Cumin 2 tsp
  • Turmeric 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder ½ tsp
  • Cinnamon ¼ tsp
  • Ground Ginger 1/4 tsp
  • Adobo sauce 1 tbsp

For Serving:

  • Cornbread* (Optional)
  • Plain Yogurt* (Optional)
  • Shredded cheese* (Optional)

Directions:

  • In a large pot over medium heat, heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil. Season the ground chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the chicken for about 5 to 10 minutes until completely browned.
  • Add carrots, onion, garlic, peppers to the meat and cook, stirring occasionally.  Cook until veggies are soft, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Stir in all your seasonings, and add salt and pepper  to taste.
  • Add tomatoes, cherries, chipotles, brown sugar, and your water and chicken broth. Stir everything together, and bring to a boil.
  • Cover and reduce to a low simmer; stirring occasionally. Cook for about ten more minutes, then add the kidney beans. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Then serve and enjoy! Flavor with adobo sauce/salt and pepper, and serve with a dollop of plain yogurt or shredded cheese.
  • Optional: Let simmer on low heat for an additional 30 minutes to let the flavors mix longer.
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