Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Chili

One of my favorite chicken chili recipes is from The Cheesecake Factory. A great copycat recipe packed full of flavor.

I love a good chili but I especially love a good Chicken Chili and this Copycat recipe from the Cheesecake Factory sure doesn't disappoint!

The first thing I noticed when making this chili recipe was how similar it reminded me of a Chili Verde. Yes I realize Chili Verde I made with pork but if you look at all the ingredients for this recipe you will see the resemblance.

You can use whatever kind of white beans you have on hand. Personally I prefer Great Northern Beans for my chili but Navy Beans or Cannellini also work great with this chili recipe.

The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.

Pepper Type	Scoville Rating (Heat)
Bell Pepper	0-0
Banana Pepper	0-500
Poblano Pepper	1000-1500
Jalapeño Pepper	2500-8000
Serrano Peppers	10,000-25,000
Manzano Pepper	12,000-30,000
Tabasco & Cayenne	30,000-50,000
Habanero Pepper	100,000-300,000
Ghost Pepper	855,000-1,000,000
Carolina Reaper	1,500,000-2,300,000

🔥 How to Roast Poblano Peppers

Roasting Poblano Peppers might be a challenge for some especially if you've never done it before. But don't stress, I wrote an article on 3 different ways on How to Roast Poblano Peppers.

💭 Recipe Tip

After removing the chicken from the post from step #1, you may find you already have enough liquid to proceed to step #2. If this is the case there is no need to add more oil to the post before cooking the onions.

⭐ Copycat Rating

Since the goal of a Copycat Recipe is for it to taste exactly like the original, it's only natural to rate this recipe against the original. I've never had the Chili from the Cheesecake Factory but some close friends rates this chili a solid 7 out of 10.

📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Copycat Chicken Chili recipe from the Cheesecake Factory (see recipe card for quantities): Canola Oil, Chicken Breasts, Ground Cumin, Chili Powder, Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Unsalted Butter, Yellow Onion, Garlic Cloves, Poblanos, All Purpose Flour, Chicken Broth, Salsa Verde, Chili Garlic Sauce, Tabasco Sauce, Dried Oregano, Brown Sugar, White Beans and Sour Cream.

You can optionally serve this chicken chili with: Flour Tortillas, Pico de Gallo and/or diced Green Onions.

🥣 How to make Cheesecake Factory Chicken Chili

MAKE THE CHICKEN
In a large pot, heat the canola oil.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cubed chicken and the spices.
Add the chicken to the pot and cook until lightly brown.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.
MAKE THE CHILI
If needed, add the oil to the existing pot. Add the onions and cook until tender.
Add the minced garlic and the poblano chilies and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth a little at a time whisking constantly until smooth and no clumps of flour remain.
Add the salsa verde, chili garlic sauce, tabasco sauce, oregano, brown sugar and ground cumin. Let the mixture come back to a simmer.
Add the chicken and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Fold in the sour cream and the white beans.
Serve with warmed flour tortillas and optionally garnish with pico de gallo and green onions.

📖 Recipe