Paula Deen Chicken Chili Stew

Paula Deen chicken chili stew takes 40 minutes and leftover roasted chicken, sweet potato and salsa verde to make a brothy, hearty soup that feeds 6. This easy leftover chicken dinner fits weeknight dinner, game day and Sunday dinner, since it all simmers together in one big pot.

Cook the sweet potato until it's just tender in the salsa verde broth, because that's what keeps the cubes soft but still whole. Let it go too long and it falls apart into the broth and turns the stew mushy.

Paula keeps the chicken in large shredded pieces instead of fine strands, so every spoonful has real bites of meat. Stirring in the cilantro right at the end also keeps its flavor bright, and the cool avocado and sour cream balance the jalapeño heat.

Paula Deen Chicken Chili Stew

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Course: SoupCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

330

kcal

Tender sweet potato, big pieces of shredded chicken and pinto beans swim in a tangy, mildly spicy salsa verde broth. A cool topping of diced avocado and sour cream rounds out each bowl.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Canola oil
  

• 1 medium chopped onion
  

• 1 chopped yellow bell pepper
  

• 3 cloves chopped garlic
  

• 1 small seeds removed and chopped jalapeño
  

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
  

• 4 cups chicken broth
  

• 1 medium peeled and cubed sweet potato
  

• 2 cups store bought salsa verde
  

• 12 oz leftover roasted skinned and shredded into large pieces chicken
  

• 1 (15 oz) can drained and rinsed pinto beans
  

• 1/2 cup chopped and packed fresh cilantro
  

• 1 diced, for garnish Avocado
  

• for garnish Sour cream
  

Directions

• Sauté the vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped yellow bell pepper, 3 chopped garlic cloves and 1 chopped jalapeño, then sauté for about 4 minutes until soft. Stir in 1 tablespoon chili powder and season with salt.
• Simmer the broth: Stir in 4 cups chicken broth, 1 cubed sweet potato and 2 cups salsa verde, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring now and then, for 10 to 12 minutes until the sweet potato is just tender.
• Add chicken and beans: Stir in 12 ounces shredded roasted chicken and 1 drained and rinsed can of pinto beans. Reduce the heat to moderately low, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes so everything heats through.
• Finish with cilantro: Stir in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro at the very end of cooking. That way it stays fresh and green instead of fading into the broth.
• Ladle and top: Ladle the stew into soup bowls and top each one with some diced avocado. Add a dollop of sour cream so the creaminess cools the heat.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, OXO wooden spoon set. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Where do I find salsa verde at the grocery store?

Paula says to look in the Latin foods section of your grocery store. It's usually sold in jars near the other salsas and the canned chiles.

Can I use a rotisserie chicken?

Yes, a store-bought rotisserie chicken works great here. Pull off the skin and shred the meat into large pieces, since the recipe calls for 12 ounces.

How long does leftover chicken chili stew keep?

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Keep the avocado and sour cream off until you serve, because they don't hold up well once stored.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

I'd still sauté the onion, pepper, garlic and jalapeño on the stovetop first, since that builds the flavor. After that, everything can finish in a slow cooker, just add the cilantro right before serving.

How do I make it less spicy?

Leave the jalapeño seeds out completely, which the recipe already does, or skip the jalapeño altogether. A bigger dollop of sour cream on top also mellows each bite.