Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Posted Feb 12, 2025
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This slow cooker chicken chili is an easy dinner loaded with protein, fiber and vegetables. It’s freezer-friendly and gluten-free.
This slow cooker chicken chili is one of my favorite dinner recipes! It’s my mom’s recipe and it has won many first place awards at chili cook-offs!
This chicken chili recipe is flavorful and filling, made with vegetables, beans, chicken breasts and homemade chili seasoning. It’s a delicious meal loved by adults and kids alike.
I make this chicken chili recipe every time I bring a meal to a friend. I usually cook it the day before so I can drop it off in the early afternoon. It freezes really well, so if they don’t want to eat it right away they can freeze it for another day.
Chicken Chili: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are some possible substitutions to use in this recipe.
- Salsa. Use your favorite salsa with your preferred heat (mild, medium, or spicy).
- Green Pepper. I have tossed just about every vegetable into this recipe – carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, etc. Choose your favorites.
- Beans. Use your favorite beans. We usually choose black beans, kidney beans, great northern, or garbanzo beans.
- Brown Sugar. White sugar and honey are good substitutes. Or you can omit the sugar if you prefer, but it does bring out the flavor of the tomatoes nicely.
- Chili seasoning. I use a mild seasoning, but choose your favorite or make your own with this homemade chili seasoning recipe.
How to Make Chicken Chili
Begin by cooking the chicken in the container of your slow cooker until it’s tender and is easily shredded with a fork.
Cooking the chicken in salsa with onion and garlic tenderizes it and infuses it with flavor.
Once the chicken breasts are tender and fully cooked, shred them in the slow cooker with two forks into bite-sized pieces.
Using precooked chicken
If you’d like to speed up this recipe, you can use pre-cooked chicken (such as the meat from a rotisserie chicken). Then put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
After shredding the chicken, add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low or high (depending on your preference) until the peppers are soft.
This is a great recipe because you can cook it and keep it warm in the slow cooker for guests.
I often make this when we have guests visiting because it’s easy to adjust the serving time if flights are delayed or they’re running late!
Serve
Serve this crock pot chicken chili with your favorite toppings and sides. Here are some suggestions:
- Cornbread (or cornbread croutons, cornbread muffins)
- Pretzel bread or No Knead Bread.
- Green onions
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Crushed tortilla chips or homemade tortilla strips.
Store/Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to two months.
Reheat or thaw the crockpot chicken chili in the microwave or on the stovetop (preferred).
Chicken Chili Recipe FAQS
Absolutely, double the ingredients and cook in one large, or two regular-size crock pots.
This recipe uses chili seasoning, which contains paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Here are a few common mistakes when making this recipe:
– Not cooking the chicken properly. Make sure to cook it until it falls apart when shredded with a fork.
– Using frozen chicken. If you put frozen chicken in the crock pot, it will change temperature too fast and will likely be rubbery. If you want to use frozen chicken, thaw it first.
– Using store-bought seasoning. Use homemade chili seasoning instead, it’s the best.
If you’d like to thicken this chicken chili, mix 1 Tablespoon cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of water. Then, add the mixture to the chili and cook with the lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally until think.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 16 ounces salsa
- ½ onion (diced)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 large green pepper (diced)
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- ½ cup corn
- 14 ounces kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 ounce chili seasoning (4 Tablespoons, 1 packet)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add chicken breasts, salsa, onion and minced garlic to the container of a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is easy to shred with a fork.
- Shred the chicken in the crock pot with two forks.
- Next, add the green pepper, diced tomatoes, green chiles, corn, beans, brown sugar and chili seasoning and stir to combine.
- Cook for an additional 2-3 hours on low or 1-2 hours on high, or until the green peppers are soft.
- Serve warm with your favorite chili toppings like sour cream, cheese, chopped onion, crushed tortilla chips, etc.
Video
Notes
- Salsa. Hot or mild.
- Onions. red, yellow or white.
- Bell Pepper. carrots, zucchini, etc.
- Kidney Beans. black beans, great northern beans, garbanzo beans, etc.
- Sour cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Chips (tortilla chips or homemade tortilla strips)
- Green or Red Onions
- Cornbread Croutons
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
