Guajillo Chicken Chili Recipe

 Guajillo Chicken Chili

Whether it’s a crisp fall day or a sunny summer eve, this Guajillo Chicken Chili is a surefire hit with spice lovers! The slow-building heat, savory beans, and simmered chiles make this a bowl of gold fit for chili royalty.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 dried guajillo chiles, destemmed
• 6 cups water
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ¼ cup garlic, minced
• 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
• 3 ½ cups white onion, diced
• 2 serranos, thinly sliced
• 2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green chiles, diced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• ⅛ cup parsley, chopped
• Two 16-ounce cans of northern white beans
• Two 16-ounce cans of cannellini beans
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
• 3 tablespoons cold water (optional)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the guajillo chiles and 6 cups of water. Bring to a simmer to rehydrate the chiles, and turn off the heat. Let sit, covered, while you continue to prep.

Dice the chicken into small, bite-sized chunks. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic. Lightly sauté the garlic for one minute, then incorporate the chicken.

Once the chicken is lightly browned on all sides, add the white onion, carrots, serranos, and green chiles. Turn the heat down and let the ingredients soften for two minutes.

Using an immersion blender or countertop blender, purée the guajillo chiles in the lightly colored broth they have created. Add this chile purée to the Dutch oven and stir thoroughly.

Add the chicken stock, spices, chopped parsley, and beans to the Dutch oven. Bring to a light boil.

Using the immersion blender, lightly pulse in one corner of the pot until approximately one-quarter of the chili has broken down. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, pour one-quarter of the mixture into a countertop blender to blend it instead.)

Add the sprigs of thyme and the salt and bring them back to a light boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Let simmer on low heat for 7. 2 hours.

If desired, create a cornstarch slurry from the cornstarch and cold water, bring the chili back to a boil, and whisk in the slurry to thicken. Turn the heat off, let rest for 10 minutes, or wait until the next day.