Paleo Chicken Chili

Healthy paleo chicken chili full of protein, veggies, and a unique spice combination. Every bite is a hearty helping of nutrients your body will love. It’s even better as leftovers the next day!

I’m so excited about this paleo chicken chili! The juicy chicken, yummy veggies, and perfect mix of spices make this a go-to fall chili in our house.

A little secret between you and me… this is the perfect way to eat a bunch of nutritious veggies without even realizing it!

I mean, just stop and take a look at all of your veggies after you've chopped them. You’ll see just how many colorful veggies are packed in this paleo chicken chili!

Since you’ll most likely be making a trip to the grocery store to grab all of these paleo chicken chili ingredients, let me help you and your wallet out a bit. I know the cost of buying everything organic can really add up.

There’s good news, though! Not all of your produce has to be organic and there are guides to help you make smart choices.

Organic doesn’t have to break the bank

A resource that I love is the Environmental Working Group (EWG). They created a guide that ranks a long list of produce from most to least contaminated with pesticides.

"The Dirty Dozen" lists the produce most contaminated that you should buy organic. "The Clean 15" are the fruits and veggies that have little or no pesticide residue that you can safely buy non-organic.

EWG.org also has a full "Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce" that ranks produce from most toxic to least toxic (1 being the most toxic and 47 being the least).

Here are the organic veggies that I chose to use in this paleo chicken chili with their respective placing on the "Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce" list:

Bell peppers (#13)
Fire roasted tomatoes (#10)
Tomato sauce (#10)
Jalapeños (#18)

Here are the non organic veggies I used in this recipe:

Sweet potato (#30)
Red onion (#44)
Mushrooms (#36)
Avocado for garnish (#47)

The easiest way to shred chicken

Did you know that you can use a handheld mixer to shred your chicken? Just cut the cooked chicken breasts into a few big chunks, toss them in a mixing bowl, and mix to shred. Pro tip: Use the biggest mixing bowl you have to avoid a mess. The bigger the bowl, the less chicken will incidentally fly out the sides when using the mixer.

Use this shredded chicken method for other soups, stews, chicken salad, or eat it plain with your favorite sauce!

My favorite place to buy organic veggies

Get your organic produce from Misfits Market! They help reduce food waste by selling “ugly” organic produce at discounted prices. Use my discount code for 25% off your first box: COOKWME-GB2RAR

Full disclosure: I also receive a 25% discount when someone uses my code. So, if you choose to use it, I'll be so grateful. Thank you!

Make the chili your way

Chop the veggies according to your paleo chicken chili preference. Chop into larger pieces for chunky chili; smaller pieces for a more smooth/consistent texture.

Spice Level

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being mild and 10 being spicy), I would put this paleo chicken chili at a 3. If you want more heat, leave the seeds and veins in the jalapeños or add a couple more jalapeños. If you’re not a spicy person at all, leave out the jalapeños altogether! The fire roasted tomatoes provide a small kick in themselves.

Can this be made vegan or vegetarian?

Absolutely! Double the mushrooms in place of the chicken and use vegetable stock instead of bone broth for a vegan/vegetarian chili option!

How to save time on clean up

Did you know it’s actually easier and saves time to leave the peel on your garlic when putting it in the garlic press? Give it a try!

What the heck is nutritional yeast & why use it as a garnish? It's a unique vegan/vegetarian food that comes in the form of powder or flakes. It has a cheesy flavor and is rich in B vitamins! I sprinkle it over salads, eggs, veggies, popcorn, and over this paleo chicken chili! It's a nutritious (duh. get it?) cheese alternative!

Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp avocado oil
1 large sweet potato, cut into small chunks (about 2 heaping cups)
1 large red onion, roughly chopped
2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
2 jalapeños, finely chopped (remove seeds and veins unless you want a spicier chili)
10 oz baby bella/crimini mushrooms (double the mushrooms in place of the chicken for a meatless option)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
SECRET INGREDIENT: 1 tsp cacao powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups chicken bone broth (try to get fresh as opposed to boxed, if possible)
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 (15-ounce) cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes in tomato juice (do not drain juice)
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
½ tsp salt + more to taste
Pepper
Water

Directions

Heat a 5 or 6-quart pot over medium heat, add the avocado oil, and heat until simmering.
Add the sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, jalapeños, and mushrooms. While stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are translucent and the other vegetables start to get soft, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, cumin, cacao powder, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and stir well.
Add the bone broth, apple cider vinegar, fire roasted diced tomatoes (including juice), and tomato sauce. Stir, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the chili has reduced and thickened, about 35-40 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid chili sticking to the bottom of the pan.
While the chili is simmering, place the 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the bottom of a separate large pot and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper (to taste).
Cover the chicken completely with water (the water should be about 1 inch above the chicken).
Bring the chicken to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Make sure you check the temperature of the chicken often starting at the 10 minute mark so the chicken doesn’t overcook and become dry. The chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Immediately remove chicken from pan. At this point, you can either shred or dice the chicken into cubes, depending on your preference. I prefer shredded chicken in this recipe!
Shred chicken using two forks or a hand mixer.
Once chili has reduced and thickened, add the cubed or shredded chicken to the pot. Stir and serve!