Crockpot Chicken Chili

Tender and juicy chicken with hearty beans, rich tomatoes and tender veggies make this hearty crockpot chicken chili is a must-make dinner. The slow cooker gives this healthy chili a deep and complex flavor, but it’s super easy to make with just 5 minutes of prep!

Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Chicken Chili Recipe

Here’s why we know you’re going to love this comforting protein-packed dinner:

• Flavorful: This comforting crockpot chicken chili has a rich and savory broth with hearty beans, tender chicken, green chilis and just the right amount of chili seasoning give it a kick of heat. Two kinds of beans and lots of vegetables add depth and lots of savory flavor to each bite.
• Easy: If you can open cans, add ingredients to a crockpot, and shred chicken breasts, then you can definitely make this easy dinner. The slow cooker does all the hard work for you!
• Healthy: People don’t usually think of chili as a healthy food, but this slow cooker chicken chili recipe is low in calories and packed full of fiber, vitamins, and nutrients. This chili recipe uses lean chicken breasts instead of red meat, and the rest of the ingredients are just beans, veggies, chicken broth, and seasonings.
• Crowd Pleaser: This is a great recipe to make for a potluck, party, or any other event where you’ll need to serve food to large groups for an extended period of time. After the chili is done cooking, you can keep it warm in the crockpot for hours. Set up a bar with all the toppings and we bet you won’t have any leftovers!

If you are looking for a white chicken chili recipe instead of a red broth chili like this one, we highly recommend this flavorful crock pot Mexican white chicken chili or this quick instant pot white chicken chili. Or if you are craving a traditional beef chili, we love this beefy crockpot chili and this 30-minute easy beef chili!

Ingredients Needed

You only need a handful of common ingredients to make this hearty and healthy chicken chili in the crockpot. For full ingredient amounts and directions, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Chicken Breasts: You can use boneless, skinless breasts or thighs.
• Chili Beans in Chili Sauce: We really love Bush’s pinto chili beans as they have a great flavor, but feel free to use another brand. Do not drain the beans.
• Canned Black Beans: You’ll need to drain and rinse the black beans. If you do not like black beans, you can use any other kind of canned beans you prefer.
• Rotel: Do not drain the Rotel, also commonly referred to diced chilis and tomatoes.
• Diced Green Chilis: Do not drain, these canned green chilis are not spicy, but they add good flavor.
• Corn: You can use fresh, frozen or canned corn.
• Chicken Broth
• Chili Seasoning: You can use a store-bought chili seasoning, but we highly recommend trying our easy homemade chili seasoning!

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

The slow cooker does all the work in making this meaty, spicy, and hearty comfort meal! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full detailed instructions.

• Cook: Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours, until chicken is cooked through and easily shredded.
• Shred: Shred the chicken, stir it into the chili, and serve hot with all your favorite toppings!

Tips and Variations

It’s so easy to make this spicy and savory chili, but here are a few tips to guarantee success:

• Make Your Own Seasoning: Homemade seasonings and spice rubs are a great way to add more flavor to your cooking and control the amount of salt and heat. When you make your own spice blends, you get so much more flavor than what you’d buy at the store. Our easy chili seasoning recipe will take this hearty crockpot chicken chili to a whole new level of flavor!
• Adjust The Heat: You can easily adjust the amount of heat in this recipe in a few different ways. Rotel is available in a ton of different spice levels and can add a little or a lot of heat. Since we have young kids, we usually use the mild Rotel, but for more heat you can use original, hot, or even extra hot versions. You can also add additional cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes, for more heat.
• Toppings: No chili is complete without some flavorful toppings. Make sure to put any combination of shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh or pickled jalapeños, diced red onions, cilantro, or fresh avocado on top of your slow cooker chicken chili.
• Ground Turkey: If you prefer to use ground turkey in this recipe, follow our directions for browning the turkey in our crockpot turkey chili recipe, and then add the rest of the ingredients listed and cook as directed.

What to Serve With Chicken Chili

Anytime you eat chili, we think it’s a necessity to have a hunk of warm cornbread on the side. We recommend our classic cornbread, or you can go the easy route and dress up a box of jiffy with our cheesy jiffy cornbread.

Since crockpot chicken chili is so rich, hearty, and filling, we usually prefer to serve it with a light and fresh side dish or side salad, like this light cucumber tomato salad or a refreshing strawberry and spinach salad.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Any leftover slow cooker chicken chili can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the chili in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or on the stove over medium heat until warmed through.

Can You Freeze Chicken Chili?

This is a great meal for freezing, so you can have cozy and comforting chili anytime you don’t feel like cooking. Just let the chili cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, transfer the frozen chili to the fridge to thaw for 24 hours before reheating.

More Easy Crockpot Recipes

• Crockpot Minestrone Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Marsala
• Crockpot Cabbage and Sausage
• Crockpot Pasta Fagioli Soup
• Crockpot Beef Stew
• Crockpot Chicken and Gravy