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.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- Liquid Integration: Pour low-sodium chicken broth over the mixture, ensuring complete ingredient submersion for optimal moisture and taste infusion.
- 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.
- Final Additions: Thirty minutes before completion, incorporate black beans and corn kernels, adjusting seasonings to personal preference and enhancing overall taste profile.
- Meat Transformation: Extract chicken breasts, expertly shred into delicate pieces using two forks, then return to the slow cooker after discarding the bay leaf.
- 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