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.
How Hot Are the Peppers
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. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- 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
- 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.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
Chicken
- ¼ Cup Canola Oil
- 4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
- 1 ½ Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 ½ Tsp Chili Powder
- 1 ½ Tsp Kosher Salt
- ¾ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
Chili
- 2 Tbsp Canola Oil
- ¾ Cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Cloves, minced
- ½ Cup Poblano Pepper, roasted, seeded and diced
- ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Quart Chicken Broth
- 2 Tbsp Salsa Verde
- 1 ½ Tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
- 1 ½ Tsp Tabasco Sauce
- ¾ Tsp Dried Oregano
- ¾ Tsp Brown Sugar
- ¼ Ground Cumin
- 2 Cups Navy Beans / White Beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 Tbsp Sour Cream
Garnish (Optional)
- Flour Tortillas, warmed
- Pico de Gallo
- Green Onions, diced
Instructions
MAKE THE CHICKEN
- In a large pot, heat the canola oil.1/4 Cup Canola Oil
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cubed chicken and the spices.4 Chicken Breasts, 1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin, 1 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder, 1 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt, 3/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- Add the chicken to the pot and cook until lightly brown.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
MAKE THE CHILI
- If needed, add the oil to the existing pot. Add the onions and cook until tender.2 Tbsp Canola Oil, 3/4 Cup Yellow Onion
- Add the minced garlic and the poblano chilies and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes.1 Tbsp Garlic Cloves, 1/2 Cup Poblano Pepper, 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
- Pour in the chicken broth a little at a time whisking constantly until smooth and no clumps of flour remain.1 Quart Chicken Broth
- Add the salsa verde, chili garlic sauce, tabasco sauce, oregano, brown sugar and ground cumin. Let the mixture come back to a simmer.2 Tbsp Salsa Verde, 1 1/2 Tsp Chili Garlic Sauce, 1 1/2 Tsp Tabasco Sauce, 3/4 Tsp Dried Oregano, 3/4 Tsp Brown Sugar, 1/4 Ground Cumin
- Add the chicken and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Fold in the sour cream and the white beans.2 Cups Navy Beans / White Beans, 3 Tbsp Sour Cream
- Serve with warmed flour tortillas and optionally garnish with pico de gallo and green onions.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
This Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Chili is incredible. It is so tasty you want to have more than one serving. It is a great recipe.