This creamy and mildly spicy slow cooker chicken chili is our family’s staple dinner recipe. It freezes well and leftovers keep for days! There’s no pre-cooking or complicated prep required, so it’s a true “set it and forget it” crockpot meal.
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili: Recipe on Repeat
I can’t even tell you how many times we’ve made this easy slow cooker chicken chili in the past few years. 100? 200? I think we’re in the 300s by now.
That’s not an exaggeration. Every time a family member, neighbor, or friend has a baby, I bring them over a batch to freeze. (Who doesn’t find comfort in home-cooked chili? Especially new parents!) Every time we have company over for a football game, I make this chili. And every time I want to prep freezer meals, I make another batch. And, finally, anytime we want an easy slow cooker dinner, slow cooker chicken chili is on the menu.
Here’s Why We Love It:
- Easy– a set it & forget it slow cooker meal
- Flavorful– filled with traditional chili flavors and a little spice
- Satisfying– warm, cozy, and comforting
- Adaptable– swap out the chicken, beans, etc
- Make-ahead & freezer friendly– so convenient!
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Everything goes into the slow cooker at once. No pre-cooking!
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Use 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Drain out the liquid first.
- Tomato Sauce: Use plain tomato sauce as the base of this chili. I usually pick up 2 8-ounce cans of Hunts tomato sauce.
- Chicken: You need about 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Chicken Broth: Use 1 standard can (about 2 cups) chicken broth. I stick with reduced sodium. If you have homemade chicken stock or broth, that works too!
- Onion & Bell Peppers: Let’s add a little freshness to the one pot dinner with flavorful onion and lots of diced bell pepper.
- Black Beans & Corn: I love adding these because the duo brings a southwestern vibe to the whole dish. If I don’t have corn, I swap in more black beans. If I don’t have black beans, I swap in kidney beans. Use what you enjoy and/or have in the pantry.
- Jalapeño: 1 jalapeño adds the perfect amount of spice.
- Garlic, Salt, Dried Oregano, Chili Powder, & Cumin: Each ingredient adds depth and flavor. I don’t recommend cutting any of them from the recipe. In fact, I usually add a little more of each after I taste the finished chili.
- Cream Cheese: Trust me. See below!
This is a set and forget it slow cooker dinner recipe. Besides chopping some ingredients and using a can opener, the only “work” is shredding the chicken. Remove the cooked chicken breasts, shred them with two forks (it’s easy because they’re so tender!), then add the shredded chicken back into the crockpot for 15 more minutes before serving.
Best Ingredient of All
You can make regular chicken chili or you can make the BEST CHICKEN CHILI. Stir in a touch of cream cheese after you shred the chicken. The cream cheese melts and creates a thick and creamy base for all these flavors and textures. It slightly cuts the heat, too. I’m not kidding– literally anyone I’ve made this chili for has asked me what my secret is– it’s the cream cheese!!!!
I usually add 4 ounces of cream cheese, but you can use the whole 8 ounce block if it’s easier. You can use light or full-fat cream cheese. Whichever amount or fat content you use, just make sure that you don’t use cream cheese spread. Pick up an 8 ounce block of cream cheese, like the kind you use for baking.
After you mix in the cream cheese, the chili will be creamy and lighter in color. Taste it. At this point you can add more salt, chili powder, or additional spices if desired.
Is This Chicken Chili Spicy?
No. I prefer mildly spicy chili and this has just enough heat to bring flavor without burning your tastebuds. (The cream cheese helps cut the spice, too!) The recipe written below is mild, so if you prefer spicier chili, add more chili powder and/or an extra jalapeño. You can adjust the spices in my pumpkin chili and cornbread chili casserole, too.
Adapt & Make it Your Own
This dinner recipe is adaptable! Sometimes I add more beans, less corn, an extra jalapeño, or more spices. This is a convenient base recipe where you can add/reduce pretty much anything in order to fit your family’s preferences. I’ve even turned it into slow cooker vegetarian chili by swapping the chicken for more beans and cubed sweet potato. See my recipe note.
However you make it, my #1 suggestion is to serve this 1 pot meal with cornbread.
You won’t regret it!
My Favorite Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Chili
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Here’s my family’s favorite slow cooker chicken chili recipe, a complete “set it and forget it” crockpot dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 (14 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes (drained)
- 2 (7 or 8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 and 1/2 pounds)
- 1 cups (240ml) chicken broth (I use reduced sodium)
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 (14 ounce) can corn (rinsed and drained) or 1 package of frozen corn
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 jalapeño, minced (remove seeds and ribs)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano or Italian seasoning blend
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (reduce to 1 teaspoon for less spicy chili)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 ounces (1/2 of a block) full-fat or light cream cheese* (see note)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the cream cheese to a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Give everything a big stir. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3 hours.
- Remove the chicken and chop into bite-sized pieces or use two forks to shred it. Return chicken to the slow cooker and add the cream cheese. Stir everything together until the cream cheese has melted. Taste, then add more salt or seasonings if desired. I usually add a little more chili powder and dried oregano/Italian seasoning blend. Cover the slow cooker and cook for about 10-15 more minutes.
- Serve warm topped with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, or crackers. And serve alongside my favorite cornbread or dinner rolls. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze up to 3-4 months. Freeze in 1 big container or a few smaller containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or place the container/bag in the sink filled with warm water. Once thawed, cook in a large pot on medium heat for 30 minutes. Or reheat in the microwave until warmed throughout.
- Substitutions: The spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano/Italian seasoning blend are crucial to the taste. However, the following adaptions work well if needed. Homemade tomato sauce works wonderfully instead of canned. You can use ground turkey or ground beef instead of chicken. Brown on the stove first (medium-high heat for 8 minutes), then add to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. You can also use vegetable or beef broth instead of chicken broth. You can add more peppers, onions, or beans if you want (sometimes I do!). You can use kidney beans or white beans instead of black beans. Add more garlic or jalapeño if desired. And, finally, for vegetarian chili, you can add 1 more can of beans and swap the chicken for 3 cups uncooked diced and peeled sweet potato.
- Slow Cooker: You’ll need a 4 quart or larger slow cooker.
- No Slow Cooker? No Problem! Chop the raw chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a 4 quart or larger pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the diced onion, chopped bell pepper, jalapeño, salt, dried oregano, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Stir and cook until the peppers have softened and the chicken is cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the cream cheese, to the pot. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 30 minutes, stir in the cream cheese until melted and cook, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes. Serve.
- Cream Cheese: Over the years, I’ve found that it’s helpful to slightly warm the cream cheese before adding to the hot chili in step 2. Unwrap it, place on a plate, and simply microwave it for 15-20 seconds before stirring into the chili. This helps it combine much easier into the hot chili.
Keywords: slow cooker chicken chili
Ok, so I never write reviews but I just had to for this recipe. I was looking for a good chicken chili recipe and decided to go with this one ( I never made chicken chili before). It was amazing, also kids approved. Not sure why people give less than 5 stars because to me it’s 10 stars. The only thing I would change is add more jalapeños and garlic, I like a little more kick to it. Loved it.
I have made chili many times and I found this not to be that great.
I made the recipe as written and if I make it again this is what I would do differently.
Add more chili powder and cumin.
Omit the chicken broth. It made the chili too watery.
Use half the amount of corn.
Skip the cream cheese. The flavor was pretty good until I added the cream cheese. Even though I heated it in the microwave, it still curdled when I added it to the hot chili. It took away most of the flavor. Would rather topped it with a little sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese instead.
I would use boneless thicken next time.
Sorry Sally, I do like most of your recipes, but this is my honest review of this recipe.
★★
Can I make it with ground chicken?
Definitely!
This was so great! At a glance I was hesitant about adding the cream cheese but since we had it on hand I figured why not. That she tweaking the spices at the end really brought it together! So excited to eat this over the next week!!!
★★★★★
The first time that I made this I was disappointed– it’s not chili, it’s soup! But I liked the flavors so I tried again and used canned crushed tomatoes instead of diced, 1/4 cup tomato paste, extra chili powder and other spices, and 2 cans of black beans. Much better, but still not a thick chili. But after 2 attempts I feel as though I owe the recipe a third attempt to make it even better, so I will try again and use half less chicken broth.
★★★
This was awesome! Perfect when working from home, put it in the slow cooker in the morning and ate some for lunch. I like options so I made cornbread, got crackers, and topped it over a salad. Thanks so much
★★★★★
Hello! I’m currently making this right now. What would you suggest the cool times should be for a stainless steel Dutch oven?
Hi Kevin, see the recipe note titled “No Slow Cooker? No Problem!” for details on cooking this chicken chili recipe on the stovetop!
This is amazing! Will be a new staple in our home, for sure! We had this with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese before heading out for Halloween festivities tonight . . . and then came home and had more! So easy and delicious!
★★★★★
The cream cheese trick is brilliant! Partner observed that between the tomatoes, rich dairy, and cumin, it’s a bit reminiscent of butter chicken in the best way. Considering serving this over rice just to see how far we can take it!
★★★★★
Thank you for this recipe, Sally! Like all the recipes I’ve tried of yours, this is true to your instructions, easy and Delisch! ❤️
I love this recipe and modify it as follows:
Heat the chicken broth to boil, rehydrate 5 or 6 dried ancho chilis in the stock and let cool
Add all spices + stock with peppers to a blender, blend
One can of black beans and one can of cannellini beans, no corn (I dont like corn)
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
★★★★★
I’m so happy I stumbled upon this recipe. It made the perfect bowl of chili, seriously. People who didn’t even like vegetables (I also added carrots) loved it! I honestly recommend doubling the seasonings, just a personal opinion
*I cooked mine in a Instant Pot on the “Slow cook” setting*
★★★★★
If I use ground beef how long do I leave it on slow cooker
Hi Teresa, if using ground beef, we recommend cooking it first before adding to the chili. You can leave it on the slow cooker for the same amount of time in order to allow the vegetables to soften and the flavors to full incorporate.
We love this recipe but have made a few changes. We added Chili beans not rinsed, kidney beans rinsed and pinto beans rinsed and a small can of diced green chilis.
Can I use plain Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese?
Thank you
Hi MG, for best results, we recommend sticking with the cream cheese. You can certainly try using Greek yogurt, but it won’t thicken in the broth quite as much.
Delicious. It definitely is not spicy if one follows the recipe.
The bonus was I could make it in my 5 quart slow cooker.
Thank you!
★★★★★
What is the nutrition info on this dish?
Hi Julie, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made this with a few substitutions purely based on what I had in my pantry/fridge. It was SO DELICIOUS. I left out the jalapeno because I have two little boys and a huge pregnant belly who do not currently appreciate spiciness. This will be a staple throughout the fall and winter.
★★★★★
this is good, but it’s not chili imo, it’s more like tortilla soup without the tortillas. Not sure why I ended up with so much liquid, I drained tomatoes and beans. I ended up adding another can of beans.
★★★
First thing I thought too. It’s chicken
tortilla soup! I did enjoy it though .
Can I leave the cream cheese out or is there a substitute?
Hi Rebecca! You can leave it out if necessary. It will be slightly thinner.
So delicious, I used leftover chicken thighs. Also used two cans of kidney beans instead of black beans and corn. I was totally skeptical about the cream cheese but it made it so yummy. Thanks for recipe.
★★★★★
Can the chicken breast go in frozen?
Hi Diana, we recommend thawed, but have used frozen before with no issue.
Made this last night using boneless chicken thighs in a slow cooker. It was good but I had to do a bunch of stuff to it. It was too soupy so I had to add a cornstarch mixture. It also needed more flavor, more chicken, and more beans.
I’ll make it again using these adjustments.
Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★
I make this chili about once a month we love it so much. I appreciate how flexible it is allowing you to use whatever beans you have in the pantry and how spicy you want to make it (or not). (We prefer it spicier, so add more chili powder and two chopped jalapeños.) I’ve made the vegetarian version and it is also fantastic. Sometimes I add the squash to the chicken recipe. I have been asked for the recipe when serving it to guests. One suggestion, if you are making it for a “mixed” group, is to make the veggie version and serve shredded chicken on the side to be added by the meat eaters. While the chicken won’t pick up the flavor so much, it’s a nice option to offer. I cannot thank you enough Sally for truly the BEST chicken chili recipe ever!!
★★★★★
So thrilled to hear how much you love this recipe, Kat! It’s a favorite of mine too. Enjoy!
It is too Watery. I used one less cup of chicken broth, one less can of tomato sauce and replaced one can of diced tomatoes with a can of fire roasted tomatoes with diced chili’s . Gave it a nice kick of flavor, not too much heat from the whole chili and much less liquid. Perfect!
★★★
I’m not much of a chili person but I like this recipe. My husband likes it also.
★★★★★
I don’t have a slow cooker, so I use the replacement stovetop version. This is a great recipe, with lots of good flavor, but it’s also very simple. The cream cheese tip was amazing! Never making chili any other way.
★★★★★
So glad you loved it!
It was just ok for me. Not enough flavor. I won’t be making this one again.
I love Sally’s 20 Minute Honey Garlic Shrimp!
★★★
Hi Sally,
Do you think I could used cooked chicken?
Hi Tamara, that should be fine — just add the fully cooked chicken in towards the end of the recipe (when you add in the cream cheese) so that it has some time to take on the flavors of the chili. Enjoy!
Highly recommend this recipe – it was super easy and delicious. This makes fantastic leftovers too! Only swaps I did was did only 1 can of diced tomatoes, not include the corn (personal preference) and used around 3oz of Neufchâtel cream cheese instead to lighten it up a bit. After cooking, I cut up the chicken into chunks vs I normally shred for crockpot meals – it turned out great. I called it Southwestern Chicken Soup for my husband who says he doesn’t like chicken chili, and he loved it!!
★★★★★
I am so excited to try this recipe this week! I have two quick questions before I do. Do you think this would work as well with thighs instead of breasts? We just prefer thighs but they do have a stronger flavor so not sure if they would go as well. Second, I’m wanting to half the recipe. Is it okay to exactly half everything or are there any adjustments you recommend to ensure there is enough liquid? Thanks so much and look forward to trying this!
Hi Susan! Yes, you can use thighs instead of breasts and also halve all of the ingredients for a smaller batch. But it might just be easier to make the whole batch and freeze extras.
I made this for a group of about 15 people. I cooked it on the stovetop the night before and reheated on low in a crock pot the next morning to be ready for lunch. It was a huge hit! One person in the group is gluten intolerant and this fit that requirement. (I made sure the chicken broth was gluten-free). If I were making this for more than 15 people I would suggest tripling the recipe. Thanks for a tasty dish!
★★★★★