The 10 Best Upgrades For Chicken Chili

When the temperatures drop, and you just want to feel cozy and satisfied, the best thing you can do is make a big batch of chicken chili. We love chicken chili for so many reasons. It's hearty, filling, and comforting, just like traditional beef-based chili. But unlike its heavier counterpart, chicken chili tends to offer both lightness and warmth that's easy to eat every night of the week. When a richer, meatier chili seems like too much, chicken chili seems like the obvious choice.

But if you're still following the same old chicken chili recipe you've used for years, then you may be missing out on just how delicious — and versatile — this popular dish can be. And it doesn't have to be something basic. With a few simple upgrades, you can easily make a chicken chili that feels so gourmet, your friends and family will be surprised it's not from a restaurant. Before you start chopping up that chicken and adding in your other ingredients, check out these delicious upgrades for your chicken chili.

Whether you're going out to a dive bar or you're just snacking at home while watching a game, there's nothing like buffalo wings. They're small, so it's easy to eat a lot of them, and they pack a zingy flavor that keeps you going back for wing after wing, even after you're technically full. If you're like most of us, you probably don't associate chicken wings with chicken chili at all, but what if we told you that you could combine flavors from both dishes in one delicious recipe? That's exactly the case when you add some buffalo sauce to your chicken chili.

You already know that buffalo sauce and chicken pair well, so this is a combo that just makes sense. It gives the chili that tanginess and slight heat you love in wings but is delivered in chili form. Once you add in your other ingredients, like fire-roasted corn, diced tomatoes, fresh parsley, and whatever else you have on hand, you'll realize that every chicken chili you've had until this point was just preparing you for this moment.

We love white chicken chili, but sometimes, recipes for chicken chili can be, well, bland. That's probably the last thing you want, which is why you should consider different ways to add flavor to your chili. One of the best ways to infuse chili with flavor is by adding some sort of spicy element, and when it comes to chicken chili, jalapeño are an excellent way to do just that.

We love using jalapeño because you can somewhat control the level of heat they provide. Remove the seeds if you want a less spicy chili, or leave them in if you really want to harness that heat. Plus, jalapeños generally aren't too spicy, and because of that, they lend a green, fresh flavor to the dish along with their signature heat. You can use pickled jalapeño if you're going for a milder flavor profile and want an extra touch of acidity, or choose fresh if you want more intensity of spice in the dish.

One of the reasons we love chicken chili so much is the fact that it's so much lighter than beef-based chili. However, that doesn't mean you don't want to add any richness to the mix. When you want to make your chicken chili feel a bit more indulgent, consider adding bacon for a fuller, fattier flavor profile.

If you prefer to keep things simple, you can always use prepared bacon bits. Just stir a small amount of them into your chili as it's cooking, and you'll have a more decadent chili with basically no effort on your part. On the other hand, if you're willing to do a bit more work, you can fry or bake your bacon from scratch, break it up into small pieces, and add that to your chili. That bit of extra work results in fresher bacon and larger pieces to scoop up on your spoon. Whichever way you choose to add bacon to your chicken chili, though, it's bound to be delicious.

Go to the canned section of the grocery store, and you'll see hominy, which is similar to corn but not quite the same thing. Technically, it's corn that's been nixtamalized or soaked in an alkaline solution. It's the ingredient that's at the heart of foods like posole, tamales, grits, and more. And it turns out that it also makes a delicious addition to your chicken chili.

The main appeal of this ingredient is its texture. It has a somewhat fluffy, gummy texture that is both deeply enjoyable and deeply bulky, which makes your chicken chili heartier without having to add any extra meat or creamy ingredients. But it's not just the texture of hominy that makes it appealing for chicken chili. It also has a mild, slightly nutty flavor that can add complexity and depth to an otherwise simple chicken chili. It's an easy, affordable upgrade, so give it a try the next time you're making chicken chili from scratch.

There are probably several ingredients you can think of that you've never added to chicken chili before that nonetheless seem like reasonable additions. You're not alone, though, if you think that dark chocolate isn't one of them. Turns out, though, that dark chocolate can give your chicken chili a beautiful depth of flavor that would be impossible to replicate any other way. And if you're feeling adventurous, it's absolutely worth a try.

Dark chocolate, with its dark richness, traditionally works well with the kinds of spices you'll find in most chicken chili recipes, so it's a pairing that's based on precedent. It also serves to cut down on any extra acidity in your chicken chili, which might come from diced tomatoes or any pickled elements you decide to include. You won't use a lot — just enough to balance those flavors — but the result is more delicious than you could ever imagine without giving it a try for yourself.

Sometimes, you may want to infuse a dish like chicken chili with a rich smokiness that gives every bite some added complexity. However, the idea of smoking your meat before even adding it to the chili probably doesn't sound super exciting, especially if you're just trying to make a simple pot of chili to enjoy on a weeknight. Luckily, there's an easier way to capture that smoky flavor profile you love, and it doesn't involve turning on a smoker a full 12 hours before you plan to eat. Rather, it comes in a bottle you can buy at the grocery store.

It's called liquid smoke, and it's perhaps the easiest way to add that smoky flavor to dishes without actually requiring you to smoke anything at all. Just keep in mind that this stuff is powerful, so you don't want to add too much to your chili, as it may overwhelm the other flavors you're working with. Start by adding it slowly, tasting it as you go along until you reach your desired level of smokiness.

We love chicken soup, but chicken chili is decidedly not a soup. Rather, you're probably going for a thicker consistency and trying to avoid making the dish too thin or brothy. There are countless ways to thicken a dish like chicken chili, but perhaps none is simpler than adding in some cornstarch. This shelf-stable ingredient is easy to keep on hand, which makes it a go-to when we need to thicken chicken chili at the last minute.

For best results, you shouldn't just sprinkle the cornstarch into the chicken chili mixture. This might result in lumps in the broth that are difficult to break apart. Rather, mix the cornstarch with a small amount of water so it creates a thick slurry, then pour that mixture into the chili. Stir everything together well, and you'll have a thicker chili in a matter of seconds. This makes for a heartier, more filling chili without a bunch of extra work.

Don't have any cornstarch on hand? No worries. There are other ways to thicken your chicken chili, and one of them is particularly easy. If you have some mashed potato flakes on hand, you can simply sprinkle some into your chicken chili. Just a small amount of potato flakes can result in a much thicker chili, and this ingredient is less likely to result in clumps that you'll have to pick out of your chili later.

However, there is one thing you'll have to keep in mind if you decide to use mashed potato flakes to thicken your chicken chili. If you use too much, you'll end up with a mess of mashed potatoes and chicken — not really a chili at all. You really don't need much at all to thicken your chili, so make sure to start with a small amount and stir it in completely before you continue to add more.

We're all looking for ways to add more vegetables to our diets, and if those vegetables can make a dish more delicious, then why wouldn't we? That's just what you'll get when you decide to add pumpkin puree to your chicken chili. First of all, this is an incredibly easy way to add more vegetables to your meal. You don't have to cook the pumpkin from scratch at all. Just open up a can of pumpkin puree, dump it into the chili, and stir it all together, salting as necessary. In one simple step, you've added a ton of nutrients to your meal.

But adding pumpkin puree isn't for the health benefits alone. It's also a great ingredient to use in your chicken chili because it makes for a creamier consistency. Pumpkin can also serve to thicken the broth as well, making for a heartier dish. Whether you're making your chicken chili in the autumn or any other time of the year, pumpkin puree is the upgrade you need to try.

Different cuts of meat offer different pros and cons and may be appropriate for different types of dishes. For example, if you plan on making a dish that calls for shredded chicken, you may decide to use chicken breast. However, when you're making a chicken dish that demands moisture and richness — which is certainly the case for chicken chili — you'll likely want to choose a cut of chicken with a higher fat content. Therefore, instead of selecting chicken breasts to use in your chicken chili, you may want to opt for chicken thighs.

Dark meat, including chicken thighs, is generally considered a better option when you want to include more fat into a dish. More fat will render a more flavorful chicken chili that's likely to be more satiating than a leaner version of the same dish. If you want to harness all the benefits of dark meat but don't feel like contending with bones, you can always opt for boneless thighs.