This Slow Cooker Chicken Chili is our family's go to slow cooker recipe when we want something easy to prepare, yummy and ready to eat at the end of a long work day. Topped with fresh onions, cilantro, and cheddar, there’s no pre-cooking or complicated prep required, so it’s a true “set it and forget it” slow cooker meal.
There are so many varieties of chili out there. This Slow Cooker Chicken Chili is our family’s go to slow cooker recipe when we want something easy to prepare, yummy, and ready to eat at the end of a long work day. Topped with fresh onions, cilantro, and cheddar, there’s no pre-cooking or complicated prep required, so it’s a true “set it and forget it” slow cooker meal.
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
This easy slow cooker chicken chili is relatively light and low-calorie compared to the classic beef or pork chili. Boneless chicken breasts and a variety of canned beans make the chili super easy and convenient. We used cannellini beans for their fluffy texture and a slightly nutty, mild flavor. We added the obvious kidney beans too. These add not only fiber and protein but also a good hit of antioxidants.
Just dump everything in the slow cooker and close the lid. It literally takes about 5 minutes to prepare. Use just enough liquid to cover the ingredients, but no more than that. Liquid tends to double in a slow cooker meal. For thicker chili, add a few tablespoons of cornmeal about thirty minutes before it’s done.
What if I’m vegetarian?
We always encourage you to play with our recipes and adjust them however you feel necessary! Sometimes I will add more garlic if I’m sick, an extra jalapeño, or more beans if I’m extra hungry. This recipe serves as a convenient base recipe where you can add or reduce pretty much anything in order to fit your family’s preferences. If you’re vegetarian, feel free to swap out the chicken for more beans and cubed sweet potato. All you need is some homemade Old-Fashioned Cornbread and you’re ready to eat!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion diced
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces (optional skinless, boneless thighs or a combination of breasts & thighs)
- 14 1/2 ounce fire roasted tomatoes can - with liquid
- 6 ounce tomato paste can
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth fat free, low sodium (optional vegetable broth or water)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- kosher or sea salt to taste
- 15 1/2 ounce cannellini or navy beans can - drained and rinsed
- 15 1/2 ounce kidney beans can - drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all the above ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Spoon into bowls and garnish with a little cheddar cheese and diced onion, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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This is a family favorite because it combines my husband’s love of chili with something te whole family enjoys
This is one of our favorites!
I doubled this recipe but did not double up on the chicken stock. On that I only put in 2 cups (instead of 3). Cooked it for 2 hours on high and then 10 on low. Also put in one each chopped red and green bell peppers. Tastes incredible. Thank you!
Great! Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
Great recipe. It's fail proof and tastes great!!!
I made this tonight except I used regular organic diced tomatoes as I am not big on spicy. It was really good but still a little spicy to me. Well I brought the crockpot to my husband's work because they all had to stay late and the few that ate it raved about it :-). One of the guys said I should have entered it in the Chili cook off as it was better than his chili.
Michele, lol, that’s so cool! You should enter it, keep us posted… 🙂 We could then say, “Award Winning Chili”!!!
Great recipe. Easy and quick to make. Just had it for dinner last night.
This looks AWESOME! Just what I feel like for lunch today.
I have it in the Crock Pot for tonights Dinner! I added 2 Jalepeno peppers and 1/2 a Green Bell pepper and I used Black beans and Kidney beans and I made a Yogurt Garlic Sauce to top the Chili and passed on the cheese!
Peter, Please be sure to let us know how you like it!
This is a delicious chili recipe and a welcome change from our typical beef chili. Thank you!! For those that have questioned… the chicken is put in the crock pot raw. I ended up shredding it before serving so it thickened up the chili nicely.
BAP, You're welcome:)!
Can I use ground chicken?
Marie Dehne, Yes you certainly could use ground chicken instead.
I'm using ground chicken in it tonight. Just added 1 cup more chicken broth, 1/2 can more of paste….a pinch extra of all seasonings so it's the right thickness with the ground chicken.
Recipe shows a yield of 10 servings & a serving size of 1 1/2 cups. That doesn't seem correct. would have to yield 15 cups.
Ronnie, The serving size is about 1-3/4 cups. We have fixed the typo. Thank you.
Has anyone added white wine to it or other veggies like corn? I have been using this recipe for soooo long and I loooove it! Hubby does too. We live in a cold climate state so its the perfect ending to a cold rough day of working outside for my husband!
can I cook on high for 4 hours instead of low for 8?
Lisa, Yes you can cook on high for 4 hours, rather than low for 8.
Made this tonight and it was a big hit. Do you get 10 servings out of this? I measured out the 1 3/4 cup servings as suggested and think I'd need to double it to get close to 10 servings. Will make again!
stargazingblog, That is great!
When I put the nutritional information in my points calculator, as you have them listed, it is 6 points plus a serving. FYI