Chunky Chicken Chili

Directions

1. Dice 1 onion as finely as possible. Chop the other in larger, ½-inch or so chunks. Dice 2 poblanos as finely as possible. Chop the remaining 3 in larger, ½-inch or so chunks. We’ll come back to these soon.
2. Chop chicken into 1-inch chunks. (Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be sort of wonky and misshapen, so don’t worry about perfect cubes—just try to get them as even as possible.)
3. Add 2 tablespoons butter to a large, wide pot and set over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the pan is very hot, add the chicken. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, until the bottoms are beginning to brown.
4. Give the chicken a toss with a wooden spoon, then add the chili powder. Stir to coat and cook for about 30 seconds, just to toast the chili powder.
5. Lower the heat to medium and add the finely diced onion and poblanos to the pan. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding small splashes of water as needed to prevent any scorching, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
6. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan and season with another 1 teaspoon salt. Cook in the same way (stirring and watering as needed), for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
7. Add 1 ¼ cups water to the pan, then the can of tomatoes and their juices, crushing each tomato in your fist before you drop it in. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the consistency is as thick as you like it.
8. Serve hot with whatever toppings you want.