I’ve got another healthy recipe for you! This month I am focusing on making time to hit the gym, and eating food loaded with protein and vegetables. January is a slow month in the food blogging world, there are fewer menu tastings, festivals, and other events, meaning that I can cook almost all of my meals myself. I have been creating recipes like this Crockpot Chicken Chili that can be made in big batches so that I have plenty of healthy food at home.
I want sticking to my modified paleo diet (no carbs, no sugar, very limited amounts of dairy) to be the most convenient option. This is where this Crockpot Chicken Chili comes in. Since this chili is made in big batches, and only requires 10 minutes of prep time, and it means less time spent in the kitchen and less fuss. When people think of healthy recipes, they can think of bland flavorless food, but often spicy foods are healthy. This chili has 693 calories per serving (about 2 cups), 8.6 grams of fat, and is loaded with 58 grams of protein. Adding a tablespoon of cheddar cheese to each serving to cut the spice increases the calories to 722, the total fat to 10.9 grams, and to protein to 60 grams. Sliced avocado also helps to relieve the spice, and using one avocado per eight servings will increase the calories to 744, the fat to 13.5 grams.
The great thing about chili is that you can add your favorite vegetables, and adjust the spice level. Plus, since this recipe is prepared in a slow cooker, the active preparation time is just 10 minutes. Eight servings in exchange for just 10 minutes of work is a big win. I used two jars of salsa in this recipe, one was hot and one was chunky mild. The salsa combined with the poblano peppers made for a hot and spicy chili – hot enough that I didn’t need to add cayenne or chili powder. Charles requested a spicy chili, and even he was sweating a little. I would recommend against using only hot salsa since the poblanos add heat too. It is easy to make a milder chili spicy by adding spices; it is hard to make a spicy chili milder.
And a note on poblano peppers. I love them and have chopped them many times without protecting my hands, but this time my hand was throbbing from the spice. I tried many remedies – soaking my hands in laundry detergent, scrubbing them with soap and a toothbrush, soaking them in vodka (yes, really), lotion, aloe, lemon and salt, before going to sleep with an ice pack on my hand. I recommend using gloves or putting a plastic bag over your hands. This is especially important if you wear contact lenses.
Ingredients
- 1 1/5 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs or breasts
- 2 16- ounce jars of Salsa
- 2 Poblano Peppers
- 3 small or 2 large Bell Peppers
- 2 cans of Black Beans
- 1 can of Kidney Beans
- 1 can of Diced Tomatoes
- 2 cups of Chicken Stock
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the beans in cold water. Chop the peppers, removing the seeds and the membranes. Pour the beans and chopped peppers into the slow cooker.
- Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour the salsa, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock over.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. Then remove the chicken, chop it, and return it to the slow cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chili powder and cayenne pepper if you want to add more spice.
- Serve with avocado and/or shredded cheddar.
