During cold winter months all I can think of are warm hearty meals.  What’s better than some chili on a dark winter afternoon!  For this recipe I incorporated a smoking technique making an over the top white chicken chili.  By spatchcocking a whole chicken and smoking it above the chili mix, it brings a new twist to a traditional recipe.  The combined taste of smoked meat and enhanced chili flavor from the meat drippings make for an over the top white chicken chili recipe!

Prepare the chili mix.

As any traditional chili mix, in a dutch oven add the basic ingredients.  This includes diced onions, diced green chilies, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, oregano, taco seasoning, minced garlic and chicken stock.

Mix all the ingredients together and get started on prepping the meat.

How to spatchcock a chicken.

Next, it’s time to prepare the chicken. The secret to this recipe is smoking a spatchcock chicken over the chili.  As the fat renders, the drippings add additional flavor to the dish. 

To start, cut out the backbone from the chicken with sheers or a sharp knife. Press down hard on the breast bone to break it so the chicken will lay nice and flat. I like to use a little olive oil or cooking spray for the binder. This will allow the seasoning to stick better to the chicken. Cover the outside generously with your choice of all purpose seasoning and pat it in. I used soon to be released Dad’s All Purpose rub by yours truly.  

Place the spatchcock chicken onto a wire rack and place it on top of the filled dutch oven

Grill time.

Set up the grill for indirect heat at 350 degrees.  Slowly smoke the chili and meat until the chicken reaches 165 degrees internally. The drippings from the meat above will add another layer of amazing flavors that you cannot replicate if cooked directly in the chili.

Time to add the meat.

Before shredding the chicken, remove the wire rack from the grill and let the chicken rest.

In the chili, add a drained can of cannellini beans, corn and cream cheese.  Next, add another can of cannellini beans and a little bit of chicken stock into a blender, mix it together until in liquid form and pour it into the chili. Cook for 15 minutes and it’s time to finally add in the meat.

Shred up the whole chicken, including the crispy seasoned skin and add it into the chili as the final step. Add freshly squeezed lime juice and mix everything together and let it cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve the over the top white chicken chili with some Frito chips, avocado, cheese and enjoy!

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