This Crockpot Chicken Chili is so easy to put together, and made completely in the slow cooker! Plus, this easy chicken chili recipe is packed with protein, fiber, and so much good flavor!
If you love crockpot chicken recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Check out our: Crockpot Chicken Fajitas, Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup, and Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken.
Best Chicken Chili Recipe!
I like to call myself a chili connoisseur because I make it at least once a week. Some of my favorites from FFF are: beef chili recipe, white bean chicken chili, and vegetarian chili.
I’ve been making chili since college because it’s something my midwestern mom made for my family often growing up and if you know how to open a can and measure spices, it’s the easiest thing to make for the masses.
One of the most famous chili recipes on Fit Foodie Finds is this chicken chili. It’s made with chicken breast, a few types of beans, diced tomatoes, and a variety of chili spices. Best part? It’s all done in the slow cooker so it’s super hands-off!
Red Chicken Chili vs. White Chicken Chili
There are 2 types of chicken chili that you’ll find all over the internet. Classic chicken chili made with a tomato-based (just like this one) and a creamy white chicken chili recipe is oftentimes made with cream cheese and/or heavy cream.
While we love white chicken chili, we prefer ours with a red sauce!
What does chicken chili taste like?
Chicken chili is a savory dish made with chicken, beans, tomato products, and warm spices such as chili powder, pepper, onion powder, ground cumin, oregano, and garlic powder.
Crockpot Chicken Chili Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salsa (any kind will work! we recommend using your favorite kind!)
- Black beans
- Great northern beans
- Diced tomatoes
- Green chiles
- Minced garlic
- Spices
- Apple cider vinegar (if you like the heat, swap for hot sauce!)
- Chicken broth (any kind of broth or water will do!)
Ingredient Swaps
Chicken: hoping to use different meat or no meat at all? Feel free to swap boneless, skinless chicken thighs or omit the chicken altogether. PS: you can even add rotisserie chicken at the end, too!
Beans: there are 2 cans of beans in this recipe, use whatever kind you want! Cannellini beans or garbanzo beans would be delicious substitutions!
Green Chiles: hoping for something a little spicier? Swap in canned jalapeños instead.
Crockpot Chicken Chili Toppings
Never skip the toppings! We love jazzing up our chili with any of the following:
- Tortilla chips
- Sliced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Diced bell peppers
- Lime wedges
homemade chili seasoning
We love keeping our homemade chili seasoning on hand at all times because it’s the perfect blend for chilis just like this. So, feel free to swap all of the spices in this recipe for 3-4 tablespoons of homemade chili seasoning.
How to Make Crockpot Chicken Chili
It’s a fact that this chili is the best of the best when it comes to crockpot chicken recipes. Why? Because the flavor can’t be beat, and you don’t need the stove. Here’s how to do it:
- Place all ingredients into your crockpot and make sure that the chicken is submerged under the liquid.
- Place the lid on your crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove and use 2 forks to shred. Then, place it back in your slow cooker and stir. Let simmer on warm until you’re ready to serve.
How do you make chicken chili thicker?
To make chicken chili thicker, remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid from your slow cooker. Then, dissolve about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the liquid by whisking.
Pour the cornstarch slurry back into the slow cooker and mix to combine. Then, let it cook on high for 10-15 more minutes to activate the cornstarch.
Is chili healthy to eat?
Chili is a healthy meal option because it’s packed with protein and fiber. This chicken chili recipe packs in veggies, too…all while tasting delicious!
Check it out!
6 Crockpot Chicken Recipes
Looking for more crockpot chicken recipes? Look no further! Check out 6 similar recipes below. And for an added bonus, check out our Crockpot Freezer Meals post where we teach you how to turn all of these slow cooker recipes into freezer meals.
This easy chicken chili recipe is such an excellent meal-prep recipe or freezer meal that you can stock up on. Here are some storage tips and tricks:
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Storage
Refrigerator: Transfer chili into a glass container and seal tightly. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
How to Freeze Slow Cooker Chicken Chili: Let your crockpot chicken chili cool completely before transferring into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag or Tupperware. Seal and then place in the freezer. Will last for up to 3 months.
To reheat, let thaw on the counter and then transfer into a large pot, back into your slow cooker or microwave to heat up.
Crockpot Chicken Chili (+More Crockpot Chicken Recipes)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts we used 2 large breasts
- 12 oz. salsa any kind
- 1 15-oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz. can white northern beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Place all ingredients minus the chicken breasts into your slow cooker. Mix until combined. Then, place chicken breasts on top and cover.
- Turn crockpot to high and cook for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours, stirring periodically.
- Then, remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred using two forks. Place shredded chicken back in the crockpot and mix until combined.
- Serve with all of your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, and avocado.
Tips & Notes
- Spices- option to use 3-4 tablespoons homemade chili seasoning.
- Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- This is an excellent freezer meal! Let cool completely and then transfer into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag and place into the freezer. Will stay for up to 3 months.
- If you like a little bit more heat, feel free to swap hot sauce for the apple cider vinegar.
Watch It
Nutrition facts
Similar recipes:
Top 6 Crockpot Chicken Recipes
Love crockpot chicken? Here are our favorite crockpot chicken recipes that you’re sure to love!
Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
Our Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is perfect for any weeknight meal, is kid-friendly, and made with only 5 ingredients! So? Make your grocery list, head to the store, and cook up this amazing slow cooker honey garlic chicken.
Easy Crockpot CHicken Tacos
The most tender, flavorful Crockpot Chicken Tacos made with just 4-ingredients! Season chicken breasts with taco seasoning and then cook them in a slow cooker with a jar of salsa and taco night is ready in no time.
Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Chicken
All you need are five ingredients to make this delicious, clean-eating, slow cooker honey sriracha chicken that’s made with whole ingredients!
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
No matter the time of year BBQ Pulled Chicken is the way to go for any gathering. So, take out that crock pot and let’s make the easiest Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken recipe of all time.
Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken
The most flavorful Coconut Curry Chicken made with Thai green curry, full-fat coconut milk, and fresh lime juice!
Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
This Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup is a *delicious* fan favorite. This chicken soup is made in the slow cooker with chicken breast, egg noodles, hearty vegetables, and chicken broth.
This recipe was amazing. I’ll confess to slight mods due to on-hand ingredients. Used two can of black beans, one can mild Rotel tomatoes, and 16 ounces mild Herdez salsa. Other than that, everything else according to recipe. Yummy! (Oops, I forgot, I threw in a handful of quinoa as it was cooking – my hubby never knew!). Also topped with dollop of non-fat Greek yogurt.
It would taste great to put red and yellow bell peppers if you wanted. Something I might try in the future.
Delicious and very easy to make! I didn’t have Chilli peppers, so I substituted a green pepper and I added an onion!
I’ve made this recipe twice. I always have the ingredients on hand, because it is such a classic, cozy meal for these frigid minnesota winters.
Very easy and delicious recipe.
Will definitely make again.
Love this, gotta try it! I’m also struggling for a healthier me, I’ve even start running with SportMe marathon training app and I can say I’m on the right track now. Nutrition is an important part of my losing weight plan, and your blog posts are a true inspiration!
I made this today and it was amazing. I accidentally put a 7 oz can of green chili’s in and was worried it would mess it up but I thought it was super yummy! I thought it tasted great without toppings. I will try with toppings tomorrow. Thanks!
Luckily green chiles aren’t that spicy! Glad you loved it!
I made this tonight for my parents, they loved it! Will definitely make again 😀
So glad you loved this! We’d love it if you could give us a star rating when you get a chance!
Are you supposed to drain the beans before adding to the crockpot?
Yes!
Tried this recipe and it was okay. Not sure what I would do to it to make it pop. Possibly more heat with spices or put over corn chips?
Do you cook the chicken first or put in crockpot thawed but raw?
Thawed and raw!
This was amazing! We are finishing up a kitchen renovation and I needed one last crock-pot meal to get us through. This recipe was so quick and I honestly couldn’t believe how good it was. Sometimes, I think crock-pot meals are difficult to get the seasonings right. I think this was like baby bear’s porridge: just right! Can’t wait for the leftovers tonight!
YAY!!! So glad you guys loved it!
Servings 1/6 is inept for ppl who care about having correct portion sizes
Weigh it all in on a food scale in grams & then divide by 6 – then you will have the weight for 1 serving in grams. There are also many nutritional/calorie counters online that are not only free, but will also calculate the calories for you by typing in any changes that you make in the recipe. My favorite is myfitnesspal.com
Would you happen to know if this recipe will double well?
I don’t see why not! You just need to make sure your crock pot is large enough!
Good recipe but you could be more in depth on nutritional value such as is it in percent, grams, miligrams and add sodium to the list.
Loved this recipe! All the flavors were on point, so good and easy!
Any suggestions on ways to thicken up the chili? We prefer beanless and im afraid the chili will turn out soupy..
You can replace with veggies if you want! Honestly, the chili will thicken in the fridge, so on day 2 it will be perfect!
This looks delicious. I cant wait to try it this week.
Is this made with boneless breast chicken or bone in chicken breast?
This is seriously the best chili I’ve ever had! Homemade or in a restaurant, I highly recommend it!
YAY!! So glad you loved it!
did you update the recipe? where can I find the old one with the milk??? I loved it and made it lots of times!!
The old recipie was a family favorite. I went ahead and tried this new version and it was not bad, but not a hit. Is there somewhere I can find the old way? Please 🙏???
Hi guys! We, unfortunately, do not have the old recipe. We made updates and forgot to save the old one. So sorry!
UPDATE: We no longer have access to the old recipe.
Here’s the old recipe:
CrockPot Chicken Chili
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours 15 mins
Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts, thawed
1 cup salsa, mild
1 cup water
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 15 oz. can white northern beans
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons canned/fresh jalapeños, diced (or more if you like it spicy!)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1⁄2 tablespoon cumin powder
1⁄2 tablespoon garlic powder
1⁄2 tablespoon onion powder
1⁄2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1⁄2 tablespoon lemon or ground black pepper
1 cup milk
1⁄4 cup flour, any kind
Instructions
1. Place all ingredients up to the black pepper into a crock pot. Make sure that the chicken breasts are the first to go in, laying flat on the surface. Place everything else on top.
2. Turn crockpot on high and cook for 3 hours, stirring periodically. Then, remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred using two forks (the chicken should be fully cooked by now). Place chicken back in crockpot.
3. Next, in a small bowl, mix 1 cup milk with 1⁄4 cup of flour. This will act as a thickening agent. Once most of the flour is dissolved, pour mixture into chili and stir.
4. Let simmer on high for an additional 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Serve warm with corn tortilla chips, Greek yogurt, sour cream, salsa, or avocado!
Recipe by Fit Foodie Finds at http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2013/09/crockpotchickenchili/
Thank you soooo much! I love the old recipe and was disappointed that it changed.
I want to make this but I don’t have salsa! Do you think adding an extra can of diced tomatoes and some onion will be a good substitute?
I think that’ll work just fine! You can adjust the spices a little bit to add more flavor, too! Maybe 2 more teaspoons of chili powder.