America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

White Chicken Chili for Two

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 18, 2020

Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

White Chicken Chili for Two

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can white or yellow hominy, rinsed2 cups chicken broth 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped1 small onion, chopped fine2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmedSalt and pepper ½ cup jarred tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Before You Begin

To make this dish spicier, add the chile seeds. Be careful not to overcook the chicken in step 4 or it will taste dry. Serve with your favorite chili garnishes.

Instructions

  1.  Process 1 cup hominy and ½ cup broth in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds.
  2.  Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add poblanos, onion, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened and spices are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
  3.  Slowly whisk in remaining 1½ cups broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in pureed hominy mixture and remaining hominy.
  4.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to chili mixture, and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
  5.  Return chili to simmer, stir in shredded chicken and tomatillo salsa, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
White Chicken Chili for Two
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

White Chicken Chili for Two

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can white or yellow hominy, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
½ cup jarred tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can white or yellow hominy, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
½ cup jarred tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can white or yellow hominy, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
½ cup jarred tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

To achieve the right consistency for our chili, we used two thickeners: flour and pureed hominy. Cooking the flour briefly with the aromatics and spices—poblano chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, and coriander—created a mixture that not only thickened the chili but also built deep flavor. Pureeing a portion of the hominy with some chicken broth gave our chili a luxuriously thick texture. And stirring in ½ cup of store-bought tomatillo salsa—also known as salsa verde—was a quick and easy way to brighten up our chili's flavor at the end of cooking. Both white hominy and yellow hominy will work in this chili; however, we prefer the deeper flavor of white hominy here.

Before You Begin

To make this dish spicier, add the chile seeds. Be careful not to overcook the chicken in step 4 or it will taste dry. Serve with your favorite chili garnishes.

Instructions

  1.  Process 1 cup hominy and ½ cup broth in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds.
  2.  Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add poblanos, onion, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened and spices are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
  3.  Slowly whisk in remaining 1½ cups broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in pureed hominy mixture and remaining hominy.
  4.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to chili mixture, and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
  5.  Return chili to simmer, stir in shredded chicken and tomatillo salsa, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.