Soul-Warming Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe for Cozy Nights

Chilly evenings call for a hearty slow cooker chicken chili that warms both body and soul.

This comforting meal bursts with rich, robust flavors that dance across your taste buds.

Tender chicken mingles with bold spices and colorful vegetables, creating a delightful symphony of textures and tastes.

Each spoonful promises a satisfying blend of protein and zesty seasonings that make dinner exciting.

The slow cooker works its magic, melding ingredients into a perfectly balanced dish that requires minimal effort.

Simple yet sophisticated, this chili delivers maximum flavor with minimal preparation.

Grab a bowl and savor every delicious bite of this crowd-pleasing meal that turns an ordinary night into a culinary celebration.

Serving Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Warm and Comforting

• Party Platter Presentation: Create a vibrant chili bar where guests can customize their bowls with an array of colorful toppings like diced avocados, crispy tortilla strips, and pickled jalapeños.
• Comfort Meal Companion: Pair this hearty chili with warm, buttery cornbread or crispy buttermilk biscuits to soak up the delicious spicy broth and add a delightful texture contrast.
• Movie Night Crowd-Pleaser: Serve in individual bread bowls or deep mugs for an cozy winter gathering, making it perfect for game day or a relaxed weekend movie marathon with friends.
• Leftover Magic: Transform remaining chili into enchiladas, stuffed peppers, or a zesty topping for nachos, ensuring no delicious morsel goes to waste and providing exciting meal variety.

Smart Storage for Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Leftovers

• Meal Planning & Storage Wisdom
• Batch Cooking Magic: Prepare a double batch and freeze individual portions in airtight containers for quick weeknight meals that save time and reduce daily cooking stress.
• Refrigerator Freshness Strategy: Store leftover chili in sealed containers for up to 4 days, ensuring the flavors continue to develop and intensify with each passing day.
• Smart Reheating Technique: Warm refrigerated chili slowly in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth to restore moisture and prevent drying out.
• Freezer-Friendly Champion: Freeze chili without cheese or fresh toppings for up to 3 months, thawing overnight in the refrigerator and refreshing with new garnishes when serving.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Calories: 250 kcal

Servings: 7

What You’ll Need for Chicken Chili in the Slow Cooker

• Chicken Breasts, Chicken Thighs: Tender, juicy meat that provides the hearty foundation of the chili, choose fresh cuts with minimal fat for a lean protein source.

• Onion, Garlic, Celery: Classic aromatic trio that creates a deep, robust flavor base, select firm and bright vegetables without blemishes.
• Green Chili Peppers: Adds subtle heat and smoky undertones, fire-roasted varieties offer richer, more complex flavor profile.
• Corn Kernels: Brings sweet crunch and vibrant color, frozen corn ensures consistent texture and freshness.

• Chicken Broth: Creates silky, rich liquid base, low-sodium option allows better control of overall dish saltiness.
• Cannellini Beans, Navy Beans: Provides creamy texture and additional protein, rinse thoroughly to reduce sodium content.
• Cumin, Coriander, Oregano: Warm, earthy spices that deliver authentic southwestern depth, use freshly ground spices for maximum flavor intensity.
• Bay Leaf: Introduces subtle herbal undertone, enhances overall complexity of the dish.
• Kosher Salt: Balances and amplifies all other flavors, adjust according to personal preference and broth sodium level.

Kitchen Tools to Cook Chicken Chili Slowly

• Slow Cooker: 6-quart size, essential for making the entire chicken chili dish.
• Two Forks: Perfect for easily shredding cooked chicken into tender pieces.
• Cutting Board: Needed for chopping onions, celery, and preparing ingredients.
• Sharp Knife: Helps chop vegetables quickly and precisely.
• Measuring Spoons: Ensures accurate seasoning with cumin, salt, coriander, and oregano.
• Wooden Spoon or Spatula: Great for stirring ingredients in the slow cooker.
• Ladle: Helpful for serving the finished chili into bowls.

Steps to Prepare Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

• Kitchen Setup

Select a spacious slow cooker with enough room for all ingredients. Gather fresh chicken, vibrant vegetables, and aromatic spices for a hearty meal.

• Protein and Vegetable Foundation

Layer tender chicken pieces with crisp onions, delicate celery, and zesty green chilis. Sprinkle a blend of warm spices like cumin and oregano to create a rich flavor profile.

• Liquid Magic

Pour savory chicken broth over the ingredients, ensuring everything is gently submerged. Cover and let the slow cooker transform simple ingredients into a comforting meal.

• Final Flavor Boost

Introduce colorful beans and sweet corn during the last half hour of cooking. Shred the perfectly cooked chicken and fold it back into the chili.

• Delightful Garnishes

Top your chili with creamy cheese, bright lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream. Add a splash of hot sauce for an extra kick of excitement.

How to Adjust the Heat or Creaminess of Chicken Chili

• Adjust heat levels by choosing mild or hot green chilis. Want more kick? Add diced jalapeños or a dash of cayenne pepper for extra warmth.
• Replace chicken with turkey, beef, or plant-based alternatives like shredded jackfruit for different flavor profiles and dietary preferences.
• For thicker chili, mash some beans against the slow cooker's side or stir in a cornstarch slurry during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• Portion cooled chili into meal-prep containers. Freeze up to 3 months for quick, delicious future dinners that taste just as good as freshly made.

Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe

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• Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 7 1x

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Description

Comforting slow cooker chicken chili delivers hearty southwestern flavors with minimal prep work. Simple ingredients combine for a satisfying meal home cooks can easily prepare and enjoy together.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1.5 to 2 lbs (680 to 907 g) chicken breasts, thighs, or mix, boneless and skinless
• 4 cups (946 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (4 oz/113 g) cans diced green chili peppers, fire-roasted, drained
• 1 cup (150 g) frozen corn kernels
• 1 (15 oz/425 g) can cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tsps ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 to 2 tsps kosher salt

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Instructions

1. Preparation: Combine chicken breasts, onion, celery, green chiles, garlic, cumin, kosher salt, coriander, oregano, and bay leaf in a 6-quart slow cooker, thoroughly mixing all ingredients to create a robust flavor base.
2. Liquid Integration: Pour low-sodium chicken broth over the mixture, ensuring complete ingredient submersion for optimal moisture and taste infusion.
3. Cooking Process: Cover and set slow cooker to HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours, allowing ingredients to meld and chicken to become exceptionally tender.
4. Final Additions: Thirty minutes before completion, incorporate black beans and corn kernels, adjusting seasonings to personal preference and enhancing overall taste profile.
5. Meat Transformation: Extract chicken breasts, expertly shred into delicate pieces using two forks, then return to the slow cooker after discarding the bay leaf.
6. Serving Presentation: Ladle the aromatic chili into serving bowls, artfully garnishing with cheddar cheese, fresh lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, and optional hot sauce for a personalized culinary experience.

Notes

• Chicken Prep Trick: Pat chicken breasts dry before adding to slow cooker to prevent excess moisture and ensure better seasoning absorption.
• Liquid Level Matters: Always ensure ingredients are completely submerged in broth for even cooking and maximum flavor development.
• Seasoning Strategy: Allow spices like cumin and oregano to bloom in slow cooker for deeper, more robust taste profile.
• Shredding Secret: Use two forks pulled in opposite directions for perfectly tender, evenly shredded chicken without clumping.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 hours
• Category: Dinner, Lunch
• Method: Slow Cooking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 7
• Calories: 250
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 400 mg
• Fat: 5 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Fiber: 6 g
• Protein: 25 g
• Cholesterol: 70 mg