This Poblano Chicken and Sausage Chili has a smokey flavor and creamy texture that is truly unique. Fall and winter weather invites this main course for Sunday night dinner or a casual gathering with friends. This recipe evolved from a chili that our cousin, an excellent chef, made for our family shortly after our son was born. So, the vibe of this dish is rooted in love and will always be cherished as a Gnarly Roots favorite.
Poblano Chicken and Sausage Chili Ingredients
As its title suggests, you will need fresh poblano peppers for this recipe. Additional fresh ingredients include, yellow onion, and garlic. For the protein, this recipe calls for two boneless skinless chicken breasts and 5-8 ounces of preferred sausage (chorizo if you like it spicy or mild Italian). From the spice rack, aniseed is the main attraction, adding a subtle yet unique sweetness. Cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, also play their roles. Pantry items include chicken broth and cannellini beans. This chili also calls for a bit of heavy cream, in its final cooking stages.
The garnish list can be made to your preference; however, our favorites are cilantro, green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and avocado chunks. We serve with tortilla chips, typically, however Fritos work too!
The Process
Roasting the Poblanos
First, you will want to roast your poblano peppers, allowing time for skins to separate, making them easy to peel. To do this, set your oven to broil. Line a metal baking sheet with foil, wash and dry off the peppers, and then put them on the baking sheet and in the oven. You will want to keep an eye on them, turning them every 1-2 minutes approximately, as each side bubbles and browns a bit. Once all sides are bubbled and brown, remove them from the oven. Then place them in a saucepan with a lid. Allow them to cool inside the closed pan while you are preparing the other parts of the chili.
The Chili Prep
Next, you will dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic. Add these to a stock pot with olive oil, warming over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic, adding the aniseed, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Then remove these from the pot and set aside in a dish.
Now you can cut the chicken breast into small, bite size pieces. Add them to the warm pot and season with salt and pepper, while cooking them until opaque but not browned. Now, remove these from the pan and set aside. At this point, you will add sausage to the warm pot, removing from casings if you purchased links. Crumble the sausage as it cooks through in the pot. If the sausage seems extra greasy, remove it and drain excess fat.
Once all of these separate parts are cooked, add them all back together in the same pot, adding 2 cups of the chicken broth. Cook on medium heat while you drain the cannellini beans. Add 1 cup of the drained beans to a small food processor with 3/4- 1 cup chicken broth. Purée the beans until smooth. Next, add this purée to the chili pot, with the remainder of the cannellini beans. Bring the chili to a low simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.
While the chili is cooking, remove the poblano peppers from the pot. The skin should peel off, easily, for the most part. Next, cut off the stems and slice the pepper lengthwise to remove the seeds. First cut the pepper into long strips, then divide each strip into short, chunky sections. Set these aside until the chili as been simmering for about 30 minutes.
Final Phases
At this point, you can wash and chop the garnishes, including but not limited to cilantro, green onion, and avocado. We like this dish with shredded cheddar cheese as well.
Now you can add cream and poblano chili pieces to the pot and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Serve with garnishes on top, such as avocado chunks, cilantro, shredded cheese, and with a side of tortilla chips. My husband often puts a dab of sour cream on top as well!
Tips and Variations
- For a spicier chili: use chorizo sausage and add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and some dried crushed red pepper to the spice list.
- I have used chicken thighs in this recipe instead of breast and it is delicious, if you like the dark, tender chicken meat from thighs,
- Kid tip: You can make the chili up to the point of adding the roasted peppers, then separate some of the chili into a small sauce pan before adding the Poblano peppers. Sometimes they can add a kick, other times they are smokey and mild! If your kids are young or not into the surprise spice factor, try this separation method to please everyone!
Poblano Chicken and Sausage Chili
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/2 chopped yellow onion
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp aniseed
- 1 T cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt, with a little extra to season chicken
- 1/4 tsp pepper, with a little extra to season chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3–4 ounces of sausage (chorizo for spicier chili or sweet Italian or mild sausage for less spicy)
- 2, 14.5 cans cannellini beans
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium sized poblano or pasilla peppers, roasted, skinned, seeded, and sliced into rough chunks
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
For Garnish
- chopped cilantro
- chopped green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
- avocado chunks
- favorite tortilla chips or Fritos
Instructions
Roasting the Poblanos
- First, you will want to roast your poblano peppers, allowing time for skins to separate, making them easy to peel.
- To do this, set your oven to broil. Line a metal baking sheet with foil, wash and dry off the peppers, and then put them on the baking sheet and in the oven.
- You will want to keep an eye on them, turning them every 1-2 minutes approximately, as each side bubbles and browns a bit.
- Once all sides are bubbled and brown, remove them from the oven.
- Then, place them in a sauce pan with a lid. Allow them to cool inside the closed pan while you are preparing the other parts of the chili.
The Chili Prep
- Next, you will dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic. Add these to a stock pot with olive oil, warming over medium heat.
- Sauté the onions and garlic, adding the 1/2 tsp aniseed, 1 T cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Then remove these from the pot and set aside in a dish.
- Now you can cut the chicken breast into small, bite size pieces. Add them to the warm pot and season with salt and pepper, while cooking them until opaque but not browned.
- Now, remove these from the pan and set aside.
- At this point, you will add sausage to the warm pot, removing from casings if you purchased links.
- Crumble the sausage as it cooks through in the pot. If the sausage seems extra greasy, remove it and drain excess fat.
- Once all of these separate parts are cooked, add them all back together in the same pot, adding 3 cups of the chicken broth.
- Cook on medium heat while you drain the cannellini beans.
- Add 1 cup of the drained beans to a small food processor with 3/4- 1 cup chicken broth. Purée the beans until smooth.
- Next, add this purée to the chili pot, with the remainder of the cannellini beans.
- Bring the chili to a low simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.
- While the chili is cooking, remove the poblano peppers from the pot. The skin should peel off, easily, for the most part.
- Next, cut off the stems and slice the pepper lengthwise to remove the seeds.
- First cut the pepper into long strips, then divide each strip into short, chunky sections. Set these aside until the chili as been simmering for about 30 minutes.
Final Phases
- At this point, you can wash and chop the garnishes, including but not limited to cilantro, green onion, and avocado. We like this dish with shredded cheddar cheese as well.
- Now you can add cream and poblano chili pieces to the pot and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Serve with garnishes on top and with a side of tortilla chips.
Notes
- For a spicier chili- use chorizo sausage and add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and some dried crushed red pepper to the spice list.
- Kid tip: You can make the chili up to the point of adding the roasted peppers, then separate some of the chili into a small sauce pan before adding the Poblano peppers. Sometimes they can add a kick, other times they are smokey and mild! If your kids are young or not into the surprise spice factor, try this separation method to please everyone!
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
One Comment