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. It’s on the top of my list of 30+ back to school recipes and 30 fall dinner recipes. 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 cup (240ml) 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 brick 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 brick 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, sweet potato turkey 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!
For another slow cooker favorite, try these slow cooker turkey meatballs next!
Print
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 cup (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 (113g) full-fat or light brick 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate link): Slow Cooker (4 quarts or larger)
- 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.
- 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.
Quick question. Recipe calls for jalapeño, minced. Can you estimate the amount of minced jalapeño (1/2 cup, 2 Tablespoons), etc? Thank you.
Hi Carole, we use one small jalapeno, so a few Tablespoons, but you can use more or less to your preferred taste.
So we LOVE this recipe and make it all the time in the cooler weather! Unfortunately I have out of tomato sauce and was wondering if I could just not drain the diced tomatoes on lue of the sauce. Thanks!
Hi Kate, the tomato sauce is a bit thicker than the diced tomato liquid, so you’ll lose both flavor and some thickness without it. We’d recommend grabbing a few cans before you make it!
I have probably been making this recipe for at least 5 or 6 years, at the first sign of chilly fall weather in MIchigan and throughout winter. We make it at least twice/month, it’s a great gift to bring to a friend or shut-in or fall tailgate or ski trip up north for apres ski! I have probably shared the recipe with at least a dozen friends. It never disappoints and is SOOOO easy and delicious! Thank you Sally!
Hi! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Will refrigerating or freezing leftovers make the texture of the cream cheese grainy? Thanks.
Hi PH, we’ve never found that to be an issue. We hope you enjoy the chili!
This was great! Made a batch for my Wednesday night Bible study and everyone loved it and one person asked for the recipe. I used a can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes + green chiles instead of putting in a fresh jalapeno. Also used medium heat chili beans and threw in some chipotle seasoning in addition to the other seasonings. VERY easy to make! Good tip about putting the cream cheese in the microwave for a bit so that it blends into the chili better. I’ll be making this again for sure!
This recipe was so delicious. I have tried chicken chili before and did not like it but my husband and I loved this recipe !
Loving all your baking recipes I’ve tried, I thought “bet this is yummy”. Wow!! Great recipe!!!! I used 2 cups of the broth and it was just fine. Love this chilli!!
Is this recipe gluten free?
I was super excited to make this since my family eats a lot of chicken but I forgot to “drain” the diced tomatoes so I added sweet potatoes hoping I would get the thicker consistency as a chili should be. I loved all of the flavors but was disappointed bec it wound up being a little soupy and the potatoes weren’t fully cooked which I couldn’t figure out why. I cooked it on slow for 9hrs and I cut to the potatoes bite size. I’d like to make this again but I want more of a thicker consistency, could you tell me why the potatoes didn’t cook and can I use cherry tomatoes halved instead of the diced from a can ? I do have an older crock pot but it works just fine so I’m confused as to what happened?
Hi Lucy, the extra liquid from the diced tomatoes are likely contributing to the extra liquidy consistency. In the future, if it’s too liquidy you can try cooking for longer – uncovered – so that some of the liquid evaporates out. This will also help ensure the potatoes bake through. You can also add more of any other ingredients you wish. If you try this again, you can try reducing the chicken broth and/or using cherry tomatoes. Thanks for giving this one a try!
We love this recipe so much! We’ve been making it every year after our big family day pumpkin/apple picking and it’s always a hit. I was thinking of doubling the recipe this year so we don’t run out again. Any issues or changes with doubling it? Thanks!
does it really take 6 hours on low to cook?
Great recipe! Delicious and not too spicy. I sometimes have trouble blending the cream cheese with soup. I have found pouring out some broth and blending with cream cheese in blender works well. I have also made this soup with leftover rotisserie chicken as a shortcut!
That’s a great tip about integrating the cream cheese. Thanks! I’m going to make this for my Bible study group this Wednesday night!
can we use chicken thighs?? I dont see any recipes on your website using them…? theyre cheaper & more flavorful.
Hi Terri, you can use chicken thighs if you prefer!
My family loved this chili! We ate it for several days. Next time I make it, I’ll freeze it for the cold days. I’m so glad I made this. Thanks, Sally!
This one of the tastiest chicken dishes I’ve ever made. I used three chicken breasts instead of the two and what an absolute hit. Super simple and super tasty. Thanks very much for another recipe card.
Excellent recipe. The family loved it. Will be making again.
I’ve made plenty of chicken chili recipes before, but THIS ONE was by far the best I’ve ever made….and super easy too! The only alteration I made was to sauté the onions, peppers and jalapeños before adding to the crock pot and I used the fire roasted canned diced tomatoes.
DELICIOUS!
I had some leftover store bought cooked chicken i shredded, fire roasted diced canned tomatoes(Trader Joes, dont’cha know), and added an extra pinch of chipotle chili powder—but otherwise stuck to the recipe fairly close. I was a little dubious about the cream cheese but it does add a nice creaminess and perhaps a bit of a thickening agent. Very tasty.
Yes, I’m going to try the chili very soon but my REAL question is: Where did you get those BOWLS and where can I find them or something similar??
Hi Lynn, thank you! I bought them from Anthropologie several years ago. I have not seen them there in a long time, unfortunately.
Can you use leftover cooked chicken breast in this recipe?
Hi Robin, yes, 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!
WOW, WOW, WOW! Best chili recipe I’ve ever made. We served it over baked potatoes. It’ll be on repeat in our house. Thank you, Sally!
Can you make this without the cream cheese?
Hi Melissa, yes you can. The chili won’t be quite as creamy. Hope you like the recipe!
SALLEY, i TOOK MY VERY OLD RECIPE TO THE STORE WITH ME TO BUY INGREDIENTS AND SOMEHOW LOST IT, WHILE I REMEMBERED 3/4 OF THE INGREDIENTS, I COULD NOT REMEMBER THE SPICE AMOUNTS. I FSEARCHED FOR AN HOUR AND FINALLY FOUND YOUR RECEIPE, WHICH IS EXACTLY THE SAME. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING!
My family went back for seconds! I chose milder chicken chili so one tsp of chili powder but I used green chili instead of red chili.
Making this right now and know it will turn out delicious ~ but just want to clarify that you really meant 1 TABLESPOON of cumin? That’s a lot of cumin! 😉 (I do love cumin though!) 🙂
That’s correct! Enjoy!
There is a discrepancy between the paragraph explaining the ingredients and the “jump to” recipe section. The paragraph explaining the ingredients says 1 cups chicken broth, where the jump to section says 2 cups. Can you tell us which is should be?
Sorry about that; you need 1 cup (240ml).
Great recipe. I modified it a little but stuck to the idea. Loving the results. I added extra spice and jalapeños and the cream cheese complimented the flavors perfectly.
This is one of my favorite recipes!
I am currently making it again and don’t want to make a run to the store for missing ingredients how should I substitute dried beans for canned beans?
Also, can I use butter instead of cream cheese somehow? Maybe with a combination of a few other ingredients as well?
Hi Maya, you can prepare the dried beans according to their package before adding to the chili—same amount. We don’t recommend butter in place of the cream cheese, but you can just omit it. The chili won’t be quite as creamy. Hope you enjoy it!
I used sour cream instead of cream cheese, it’s still delicious. This is a great recipe. I’m going to try sweet potatoes and adding 1 can red beans next time I make it. This recipe should win more awards as it’s extremely versatile and impressive.
Thanks for this question! I want to make this but all I have in the house is sour cream!
I’ve been making this since I first saw it and love it, it’s easy, quick, and healthy, it also tastes great
I make with cornbread or Fritos