Spicy Chicken Chili with Pumpkin Beer Biscuits.
We’re going there.
Wouldn’t be fall without another chili recipe! Come on. I know you want to try a new one. I can barely even use the same one each time. What is it about chili that just makes you want to do whatever the heck you want?
In this case, make a quick spicy chicken version.
Then cover it in beer biscuits. Not just any beer biscuits. PUMPKIN beer biscuits.
(Just be glad I didn’t make pumpkin spice latte biscuits or something.)
Steamy Monday shots. This is just the epitome of autumn for me. Right here. RIGHT HERE.
I’d cannonball in but I might burn my head off.
I’m on a quest. A quest right this second to find the best pumpkin beer. And if you didn’t think I was already basic enough, well… there you go. I want your pumpkin beer suggestions (or perfume beer, as my dad calls it) because it’s October and we can drink it for five minutes.
I’ve never been into pumpkin beer ever – but last year the fact that I couldn’t drink it made me dying to find one I love this year. So far, I’ve only done the leinenkugel harvest patch and the jack o’ traveler and both kind of left me with, like “hey, why doesn’t this taste like pie” questions.
Which yes, I realize is beyond ridiculous.
But is it too much to ask?? That my beer taste like pie?
Shhhhh. Don’t answer that.
Look at that though. Comfort food for the win. (I just wrote “for the WINE.”)
It’s kind of like a biscuit chili pot pie!
I didn’t even want to say that because I already made something similar. And I almost made that recipe because I was craving my biscuits dropped down in my chili, but I knew it needed a spin and needed to be in one big ass baking dish for mass consumption.
Think game day or Halloween weekend or something. Ooooh speaking of Halloween, since it’s on a Saturday are you going to make something fun? Please share because I’d like to make something, but apparently don’t want to put the work into looking for said thing. #millennial
The thing with chili is that it’s allllll about the toppings. At least for us. Right? I mean, the chili itself should be delicious of course but sometimes I wonder how much it even matters considering that we have cheese and red onion and and salsa verde and tortilla chips and cilantro and sour cream and cheese.
And did I mention cheese.
Not that it needs a mention, it’s a given. Especially since it’s in the biscuits too. Ooooooops.
My OTHER favorite thing about chili is how customizable is it. I used chicken but you could use ground beef, turkey or chicken, pulled pork or even short ribs. So much room for possibilities! I realize that I’m asking a lot to have you make soup and then essentially, bake soup with biscuits. So you totally don’t have to do all that – make the biscuits while the chili is simmering and pop ’em on top.
Oh yes. So how would you do it?!
Spicy Chicken Chili with Pumpkin Beer Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced (orange and red)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2/3 cup pumpkin beer
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
- 8 ounces tomato puree
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- for topping: queso fresco, sour cream or greek yogurt, green onions, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, crushed red pepper, avocado slices, lime wedges, tortilla strips or chips
cheesy pumpkin beer biscuits
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks, 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into tiny pieces
- 6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1 1/4 cups pumpkin beer
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. Add the chicken and cook until golden and deeply browned on both sides. I cover the pot while doing this and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and place on a plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive and butter. Stir in the onion, peppers and garlic. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes.
- In the meantime, shred or chop the chicken into pieces. I throw it in my stand mixer to shred! Add the chicken back into the skillet and stir. Add the crushed red pepper and tomato paste, stirring well to distribute. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 more minutes. Increase the heat slightly and pout in the pumpkin beer to deglaze the pot. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any flavored bits! Add in the whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, pinto beans and tomato puree. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar and nutmeg. Bring in a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, or until you’re ready to eat! Before eating, I like to taste and seasoning additionally if needed (more salt, pepper or chili powder).
cheesy pumpkin beer biscuits
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and whisk until combined. Using a fork, pastry blender or your hands, add butter pieces to the flour and mix until coarse little crumbles remain. Stir in the grated cheese. Make a well in the center and pour in beer, stirring with a large spoon until just combined, not overmixing. Use your hands if needed to bring the dough together – I did.
- Pat the dough into a circle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a biscuit/cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place on a nonstick baking sheet if baking aline. You may need to bring the dough together and flatten it more to get the last few biscuits. Additionally, you could also just drop large spoonfuls of batter on the baking sheet and form them that way. Baker for 10-12 minutes, or until golden on top.
- If you’d like to bake the biscuits ON the chili, scoop the chili in a large baking dish [9×13 inch at least] and place the dough rounds on top. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven and gently lift up on the biscuits. When they sit on the chili the bottoms can take longer to bake, so lift slightly (you can flip if you’d like, but it won’t be as pretty!) and lower back down. Cover the dish with foil and bake again for another 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are set. Make sure to check the bottoms before serving!
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to our facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!
this is exxxactly what I want to see on a Monday.
131 Comments on “Spicy Chicken Chili with Pumpkin Beer Biscuits.”
This looks DELicious! Last weekend I came up with a chili, full of lots of toppings, that was super yummy. I ground some chuck, roasted some poblanos, jalapeños and a couple ears of corn, used three beans, fire roasted tomatoes, el pato tomato sauce and lots of my favorite spices.(lots more detail, including a 2-1/2 hr low simmer) It had such depth of flavor. I served mine with corn cake. I love a great chili I’ve never thought of putting biscuits on top, I’ll be trying your recipe very soon. One question, I’ve never seen tomato puree in my store, navy commissary, what can I do to sub? More tomato sauce or puree a can of tomatoes?
As I was making mine, I thought of making a turkey chili using a pumpkin ale and maybe butternut squash. I love that chili is so versatile. I can’t wait to try your version with the biscuits.
If you want a beer that tastes (and smells!) like pumpkin pie, go with the “Elysian Night Owl”. Elysian Brewery is based out of Seattle, but you should be able to get their beer in your neck of the woods.
Pumpkin beer is a tricky thing to do right but both my partner and I feel in love immediately and have been recommending to everyone! It’s a must try :)
Thanks for the awesome recipe, I’ll be adding it to the meal plan soon!
YES!! Elysian Night Owl is the best pumpkin beer! I tried it for the first time 2 weeks ago and have bought multiple 6-packs since.
Pingback: Tuesday Things. | How Sweet It Is
Yum! looks really delicious. Thanks.
Simon
I don’t believe that a more perfect fall meal has ever existed!!
I’ve also been spending the month of September and so far October trying to find the perfect pumpkin beer! So far, my favorites are Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and Mendocino Brewing Engine 45 (not sure if they’ll be selling that one in your neck of the woods since it is a smaller CA brewery, but I found it at TJ’s.) If you try any, let me know what you think!
Oh. My. Goodness. This is genius. And sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try.
Lancaster Brewing Company Pumpkin Pie Ale! It is AMAZING and you can likely get it near you
In this neck of the woods (Maine), Shipyard Pumpkinhead is the most-loved pumpkin beer – its not my favorite precisely because it DOES taste like a pie!! Bars often serve it with a cinnamon sugar rim, though, which I can totally get on board with. This chili looks awesome!
I second the Shipyard Pumpkinhead, but I am also biased because I am from the Pine Tree state as well. (They make Melonhead that is really tasty during summertime.) Leinenkugel’s Harvest Patch Shandy is good, too .
The Shipyard is pretty good. My favorite is Alewerks Pumpkin Ale based out of Williamsburg, VA though. Tastes like bottled pie. :)
Blue Moon makes a great pumpkin beer and Leinenkugel has a “Harvest Patch Shandy” that tastes like pumpkin pie!
YES!! I will so be making this this weekend!! I love chili, my husband rarely eats it because he doesn’t eat pork or beef, but this, THIS we will be devouring!!. Thanks Jess! Oh, and I have no pumpkin beer suggestions for you, sorry love. I prefer wheat beers like hoegaarden which are mellow, savory, and have a slightly sweet undertone. I know it’s not what you’re after, but I totally recommend it if you haven’t tried it before!
I LOVE pumpkin beers (pumpkin anything, really) and this looks like the perfect recipe to combine all things fall into one beautifully tasty dish. YUM!
For pumpkin beers – I agree with the commenter who said Pumpking is overrated. It IS good, but it has too strong of a vanilla flavor for me and not enough pie. Elysian Night Owl is great and probably the most pumpkin pie-y beer I’ve tried. Elysian also makes a beer called Punkuccino that tastes like a pumpkin latte. Rogue Pumpkin Patch is delicious (Rogue also has a spring pumpkin beer called Pumpkin Savior Ale that is amazing). Annnnd Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale is actually quite good and pie-y! Oh and if you come across Ballast Point’s pumpkin beer, I have been dying to try that! I love all of their other beers and can’t imagine anything but a party of pumpkin in your mouth with their pumpkin beer. :) ENJOY!!!
omg I LOVE pumpkin beer!
The best stuff by far is Schlafly Pumpkin Ale – it actually tastes like pumpkin and not just “pumpkin spice” like so many of the other pumpkin beers. They’re out of St. Louis and sadly don’t distribute that widely, but if you ever come across some, seriously buy a whole case.
The other beer I’d HIGHLY recommend is Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale, which is aged in bourbon ale and so magically delicious.
Pumpking by Southern Tier is also a great option – I’d put it at third on my list right now, but then again I haven’t had it yet this season. I should probably fix that, huh? ;D
Def going to make this chili asap, thanks for the recipe!
I’m in St Louis and my favorite pumpkin beer is Schlafly Pumpkin Ale – it does seriously taste like pumpkin pie!!! It’s local to St Louis, but they may distribute to you…?
I just tried Flying Dog’s pumpkin IPA and it’s now my new favorite pumpkin beer, a good IPA with a hint of pumpkin and spice flavor. Southampton’s Pumpkin Ale is definitely a close runner up too.
I am also on a quest to find the best pumpkin beer! So far I’ve tried, Shipyard Pumpkinhead, Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, Grumpy Pumpkin by Stark Brewing Company (a top 2 fave), Sam Adams Pumpkin Ale, and last night I had Harpoons UFO pumpkin which is my favorite, so far!!! Although, the second one I had was a little more bitter than sweet, I’m wondering if it was just the bottom of the barrel. Could I ramble any more?
Made it, loved it! I did the biscuits separately and used chipotle instead of Cayenne. My family loved and was very glad there was a bit of leftovers :)
It is AMAZING and you can likely get it near you. Thank you.
Pingback: Love Lately - Raising Chaos
Shocktop has a good pumpkin beer!
This looks good. Like *crazy* good. I think it’s a sign that when I was typing “good” it kept coming out as “god” – probably because this is the god of all chili. Haven’t tried it yet, but definitely judging a book by its cover, and going with it. Adding this to my recipe list immediately.
g.
Pingback: Stills of My Week | Kayla
Pingback: #pumpkineverything | Buoy.
Pingback: weekend reading 8.0 | Urban Wife Diaries
I am so going to make this even though I am the only person on the planet (apparently) who hates pumpkin. The American obsession with it has always fascinated and mystified me in equal measures, but I must say you guys really know how to make the most of them! I’m eagerly waiting for you to recycle pumpkin skin into building bricks and pumpkin pulp into bio-fuel, but in the meantime…pumpkin BEER? My mind is boggling so much I’d actually love to try it! We don’t have pumpkin beer, or pumpkin spice, or canned pumpkin or pumpkin lollipops (although I’d happily try those too if Sees postage rates to Australia weren’t criminally insane…ah, Sees…I miss you) we just have…pumpkin. Do you think I could substitute the pumpkin beer for normal beer, 1/8 teaspoon of mixed spice and a tablespoon of finely sieved pumpkin puree?
haha this might be the best comment ever! if you don’t like the pumpkin, you can def sub all normal beer, no spice or pumpkin puree needed. i think the other version you mentioned will probably work too with the pumpkin, but i can’t say for sure since i haven’t tried it!
Basically threw all the chili ingredients in a crockpot and hoped for the best while I was at work yesterday…turned out to be one of the best chilis I’ve ever tasted. More one pot recipes please!
Pingback: Friday Favorites | A Tasty Life
I know I’m late to the party, but I just wanted to say that I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO. GOOD! The biscuits were fabulous, the chili was fabulous and together with some avocado and cheese = perfection! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Pingback: 35 Pumpkin Recipes to Make Before December 1st
I already posted once to recommend Pumking and few Michigan beers (although I took other commenters’ advice to try Schafly’s pumpkin beer and it might be the best yet). Commenting again to say how yummy this recipe is. I baked the biscuits separately and everything came together really easily. Definitely having an extra biscuit for dessert right now. Thanks for the new chili recipe!
Pingback: 7 Weeknight Fall Dinners That You Can Make Ahead Of Time | Woman Blog | Fashion | Make up | Health | Fitness
Pingback: 7 Weeknight Fall Dinners That You Can Make Ahead Of Time | PintVerse
Pingback: 7 Weeknight Fall Dinners That You Can Make Ahead Of Time | Roumor
Pingback: 7 Weeknight Fall Dinners That You Can Make Ahead Of Time « GOBTUBE.COM
Pingback: Here are 7 Easy Fall Dinners To Make This Week | Dana Hender
Pingback: Here are 7 Easy Fall Dinners To Make This Week | Save for the Day
Pingback: Here are 7 Easy Fall Dinners To Make This Week | Slugline.io
Pingback: Here are 7 Easy Fall Dinners To Make This Week | Health ,Beauty and Lifestyle
Leinenkugel’s is a shandy rather than beer but nonetheless their’s and Traveler’s are pretty high on the flavor scale. The strongest pie flavor I’ve had is Souther Tier Pumking. I loved it and got a vanilla or caramel effect, maybe not pie exactly. The connoisseur reviews I’ve seen are love/hate. Some say it’s too artificial tasting, or even nasty, like candy or chemicals. I thought it was a pretty natural flavor, if a bit strong.
Pingback: 7 Easy Dinners To Make This Autumn | WORLD Warotter
Pingback: Here are 7 Easy Fall Dinners To Make This Week | iNews Roundup
Pingback: 101 Warming Winter Recipes - LuxPad
I made this last night with a few modifications (I used a rotisserie chicken but still seasoned it per the instructions; no beer so used chicken broth to deglaze; husband hates beans so I used corn) and it was fantastic! Just absolutely delicious and bursting with flavor. I omitted the crushed red pepper because I thought it’d be too spicy for my 2.5 year old, and he loved it. For the biscuits, I just made a regular buttermilk biscuit with cheddar and bacon and man was it good. We are always so happy with the recipes and ideas we get from you! Thank you!
Pingback: Menu Planning for the New Year: 154 Lightened Up Meal Ideas. (22 Weeks Worth!) | How Sweet It Is
Pingback: Game Day Beer Chili. | How Sweet It Is
Pingback: my favorite chilis from around the web - healing whole nutrition
How would you adapt this to make it in the crockpot?
How would you adapt this for the crockpot? Thanks!
Very delicious <3 yumm
Pingback: Spicy Chicken Chili with Cheesy Pumpkin Beer Biscuits – Appeasing a Food Geek