Try this flavorful, delicious, creamy, hearty Chicken Barley Chili. Cold weather comfort food goodness.

Hearty & Delicious Comfort Food
This Chicken Barley Chili is one of my favorite cold weather comfort foods!
This stuff gets devoured whenever I make a batch! Friends, family, events – everyone loves it!
This chili is delicious, nutritious, filling & it’s so easy to make! This makes a ton of chili – I’d say about 10 large servings. You’ll love the leftovers too – soups, stews and chili always have a way of tasting better the next day.
Looking for some more hearty, comforting soup & chili recipes? Check out these recipes : Buffalo Chicken Chili, Sauerkraut Sausage Soup & Cowboy Soup
Ingredients & Instructions
This chili really isn’t much more than sauteing an onion and some garlic, cooking some chicken and throwing a bunch of canned ingredients together in a pot. As always, there’s always room for your own touches.
You’ll notice “1 1/2 pounds of cooked chicken” is listed as an ingredient. I recommend poaching the chicken in a heavily seasoned broth. There’s absolutely no reason you should add bland chicken to this chili. Take it up a notch. Create layers of flavor – you’ll appreciate every bite.
Poaching is such a simple technique and results in foolproof tender & flavorful chicken breasts. I use a large Dutch oven where all chicken breast tenders fit in without too much crowding. I added 1 1/2 cup of broth made from a tomato/chicken bouillon, 1 heaping tablespoon Adobo seasoning (Goya brand), 1/4 teaspoon pepper and a pinch of oregano. The chicken goes into the chili towards the end of cooking. So get the chili going then poach the chicken and shred it.
You can used fresh corn, frozen corn, canned corn or add another layer of flavor with this Smoked Corn !
I make this recipe with black beans, but you can use any bean you like. Red, white – whatever you prefer.
Sour cream is an absolute must!
Serve this chili with a big spoonful of sour cream and shredded cheese. This chili is delicious as is – but the sour cream and cheese take it to a whole other level. It’s so thick, creamy, delicious – it’s almost like a dip.
Don’t forget a bowl of tortilla chips for dipping or crushing on top. If you feel the need for a little heat, add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce.
Hope you enjoy this Chicken Barley Chili as much as we do!
Amanda ♥
Recipe adapted from the back of a Quaker Oats Barley Box
Chicken Barley Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can diced tomatoes undrained (14.5 oz can)
- 1 can chicken broth 14.5 oz or 1 3/4 cup broth
- 1 jar/can salsa 15 oz – 20 oz
- 4 cup water
- 1 cup Quaker Medium Barley
- 3 tablespoon sofrito optional
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder optional
- pinch of pepper
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed (15 oz)
- 1 can corn undrained (15 oz)
- 1 1/2 – 2 pound chicken breast cooked and shredded (I recommend poaching in a heavily seasoned broth)
- 1 tablespoon shredded cheese each serving
- 1 tablespoon sour cream each serving
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a LARGE dutch oven or stockpot, heat up oil and add onions. Saute for about 10 minutes or until onions are golden.
- Add minced garlic, saute for a minute.
- Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce (or salsa), broth, water, barley, sofrito, chili powder, salt, cumin, chipotle powder and pepper.
- Over medium-high heat, stirring often, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add beans, corn and chicken. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Check that barley is tender. Remove from heat.
- Season to taste with salt & pepper if necessary.
- Top with a spoonful of shredded cheese and sour cream and mix it all up. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy : )
- Recipe adapted from Quaker Oats
This looks amazing – I love to use barley in our house, and this looks like a definite winner for us this winter!
(And I agree – leftovers are always sooo much tastier!)
Thanks for contributing to The Sunday Brunch Magazine!
All the best,
Eliza & Bel.
Thanks Eliza! This chili is a family favorite – everyone looks so sad when there are no more leftovers : ). Thanks so much for sharing my recipe in The Sunday Brunch Magazine! The magazine looks great!
I love a thick bowl of chili. YUM
This looks and sounds delicious! I love that you used sofrito in it! <3 P~
Mmmm…so hearty and filling!! I love the use of chicken and barley in this chili! Pinned!!
This chili looks so creamy and totally yummy! I’ve never seen the Quaker barley recipe, but I think it’s a terrific and must-try idea!
I love different twists on chili!