This Christmas Chili recipe is perfect for the holiday season. It’s a warm, festive bowl of comfort that is sure to bring joy to your dinner table. It’s made with a bottle of porter, canned pumpkin, honey, beans, ground chicken, and dried sweetened cranberries. Fire-roasted tomatoes and pickled jalapeños are added in for extra spice. It’s the perfect meal to cozy up with on a cold winter night.
My work had a chili cook-off last week. I lost. This didn’t surprise me. Even though I added a little bit of spice to my chili, it wasn’t nearly enough heat to satisfy the fire-breathing dragons that are my co-workers. I love working for a company that has so many fun events to help build teamwork, or in this case, an event to make each entrant fight to be the one true champion and king or queen of chili. Competition in this event was blatantly evident, and the many different varieties of chili that entered into the cook-off were all extremely mouth-watering. Although most of the competing dishes were on the hot and spicy side of the chili heat spectrum, I did hear a lot of good comments about my mild and unique chili. I can live with that. I was just happy to finally get back into the kitchen and cook something that would be enjoyed by other people. Next year though, I’m going to have to kick up the heat.
Make a batch of this chili over the weekend; in between Christmas shopping, trimming the tree, or hiding catnip presents from the cat in a place where they won’t be able to find and completely destroy them before Santa can put them in their stocking. You’ll get to enjoy this chili for several days, which will give you even more time to appreciate doing the things you actually want to do throughout the holidays. Need some suggestions? Drive around your town to look at all of the Christmas lights and displays. People stood outside in the cold to put those lights up, most likely cursing under their breaths the entire time. Do them the courtesy of actually noticing. Bake a batch of cookies. Keep 1/3 of them for yourself, because cookies make everything better. Hand the other 2/3 of the cookies out to your neighbors. It’s a great way to say Happy Holidays, and you probably won’t be seeing much of them till spring, because it’s way too cold to be hanging outside shooting the shit. Don’t forget that it’s the holidays and your animals want to celebrate too. Let your kitty play with that leftover piece of ribbon, or that bow that’s kind of squished, that you would never even dream of putting on a beautifully wrapped gift. Maybe it will keep them from searching for that catnip-stuffed Christmas present, but don’t count on it, because catnip is crack, and cats can’t help but sniff that shit out.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Sweet Yellow Onions, Finely Diced
- 2 Pounds of Ground Chicken
- 8 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
- 4 (15-oz.) Cans Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 1 (29-oz.) Can Pure Pumpkin
- 1 (32-oz.) Carton Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 2 (15-oz.) Cans Dark Red Kidney Beans
- 2 (15-oz.) Cans Great Northern Beans
- 1 Bottle of Porter
- 1 Cup Dried Sweetened Cranberries
- 4 Tablespoons Honey
- 3 Tablespoons Pickled Jalapeños, Finely Diced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 4 Teaspoons Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Directions:
- Sauté the onions and ground chicken in the olive oil, over medium-high heat, just until browned.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir together.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Cook covered for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Uncover and continue cooking for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Suggestions:
- I used Saranac Caramel Porter in this recipe, which is a perfect beer to cook with during the cold winter months.
- Chili always tastes better on the second day. Make this a day ahead of time and reheat it on the stove or in a crock pot.
- This recipe makes a lot of chili, but you won’t give a flying fig, because it’s great for lunch the next day.
Improvements:
- Serve with this Christmas Cornbread with Eggnog.
- Sprinkle with chives before serving.
- Replace the ground chicken with stew meat, and the chicken broth with beef broth.
- Add more heat, either with hot sauce, fresh jalapeños, or additional chili powder.
- CLICK HERE to see all of our other amazing past soup, chili, stew, and chowder recipes.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Sweet Yellow Onions, Finely Diced
- 2 Pounds of Ground Chicken
- 8 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
- 4 (15-oz.) Cans Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 1 (29-oz.) Can Pure Pumpkin
- 1 (32-oz.) Carton Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 2 (15-oz.) Cans Dark Red Kidney Beans
- 2 (15-oz.) Cans Great Northern Beans
- 1 Bottle of Porter
- 1 Cup Dried Sweetened Cranberries
- 4 Tablespoons Honey
- 3 Tablespoons Pickled Jalapeños, Finely Diced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 4 Teaspoons Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Directions:
- Sauté the onions and ground chicken in the olive oil, over medium-high heat, just until browned.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir together.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Cook covered for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Uncover and continue cooking for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
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MORE GREAT CHILI RECIPES
Homemade “Better Than Canned” One-Pot Chili
Tomato-Free Ground Chicken & Red Lentil Chili
Turkey, Stout, & Sweet Potato Cincinnati Chili
Chili is a hearty, comforting, and delicious meal that can easily be adapted to suit any taste. From classic homemade chili to chili seasoned with canned pumpkin or fresh pineapple, here are “10 Must-Make Unique & Delicious Chili Recipes” to enjoy all year long. No matter which chili recipe you choose, you can serve it as is, topped with your favorite chili toppings, spooned over rice or pasta, scooped up with tortilla or corn chips, or even alongside a perfectly melty grilled cheese sandwich for a delicious and comforting meal. CLICK HERE for the recipes.
