Easy Crockpot Chicken Chili Recipe

This easy crockpot chicken chili recipe is a twist on traditional chili. It's full of flavor and loaded with chicken, sweet potatoes, and beans.

It's an easy-to-make recipe that's pure cold-weather comfort food. 

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best chicken chili recipe

This is the best chicken chili recipe that everyone will love. It doesn't require any hard work. It's perfect for busy weeknights because it's easy to make.

You throw everything in the crockpot, set it, and it's ready at dinner time. It is full of tender chicken, beans, sweet potatoes, and spices. It's one of those great easy recipes the whole family will love that you'll put in regular rotation.

ingredients for chicken chili

• chicken thighs
• kosher salt and black pepper
• paprika
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• yellow onion or sweet onion
• kidney beans
• cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• sweet corn
• fire-roasted tomatoes
• sweet potato
• green chile
• spicy brown mustard
• soy sauce
• honey
• chili powder
• chipotle powder
• white pepper
• oregano
• ground cumin
• cinnamon
• ground cloves

how to make chicken chili

Detailed instructions and measurements to make Easy Chicken Chili are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

1. Add the chicken thighs to the crockpot. Season them with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss to coat. 
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. 
3. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. 
4. Remove the lid, stir, and serve with your favorite toppings. 

what are the best toppings for this easy chicken chili?

• tortilla chips - you can use full tortilla chips or even buy the little tortilla strips, they both add a little crunch
• green onions - chopped green onions add flavor, and crunch
• jalapeño peppers - these will add spice to your chili. You can use pickled or fresh
• shredded cheese - Monterey jack and sharp cheddar are excellent cheese to top chili with
• avocado - cool avocado makes a great contrast to the spicy chili
• fresh cilantro - fresh chopped cilantro goes great over chili
• sour cream or Greek yogurt - a dollop of sour cream and plain greek yogurt can be used interchangeably. They'll add a cool touch to the spicy chili 

what is the best chicken to use for chicken chili?

Chicken thighs will give you the best results for chicken chili. They are more flavorful and tender than chicken breasts.

While chicken breasts can be substituted in this recipe, they may be a little dryer than chicken thighs. You can also use rotisserie chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and shredded chicken. 

recipe notes and tips

This recipe is for a thicker chili. If you'd like a little bit of a looser, broth-style chili, you can add low sodium chicken broth until your desired consistency. 

how to sear chicken

If you want to sear your chicken before adding it to the chili, you can do that in a skillet over medium-high heat. 

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add it to a skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.

Don't cook it through, just sear the exterior. Take the seared chicken and add it to the crockpot and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written. 

what to serve with chili

Crockpot Chicken Chili makes an excellent meal on its own, but we also like to serve it with cornbread or chili lime rice. 

Variations for easy chicken chili

• chicken thighs - if you don't want to use chicken thighs, you can substitute them with store-bought rotisserie chicken, boneless chicken breasts, or shredded chicken.
• garlic powder - you can use actual garlic cloves in place of garlic powder. Omit the garlic powder and add the garlic in with the remaining ingredients. 
• onion - some people don't like the taste of onion and that's okay! There are a few things you can do. You can omit the onion entirely, pulse it in a food processor, or replace it with dried onion. 
• kidney beans - kidney beans can be replaced with black beans or even pinto beans. Any hearty beans will work.  
• cannellini beans (white kidney beans) - instead of cannellini beans, you can use great northern beans. They work in this recipe really well. Any hearty white beans will work here. 
• corn - feel free to use frozen corn kernels, canned corn, or fresh corn in this recipe
• fire-roasted tomatoes - if you don't like chunks of tomato, you can use crushed fire-roasted tomatoes or add your tomatoes to a food processor and pulse until smooth. You could also use fresh diced tomatoes. 
• sweet potato - If you don't enjoy or want to use sweet potatoes, I'd recommend replacing them with red bell pepper. You'll still have the added sweet vegetable.
• lime juice - you can add lime juice when serving to add a fresh, vibrant flavor
• chipotle powder - if you're unable to find chipotle powder, you can replace this with canned chipotle chiles

spicy chicken chili

This chicken chili has a few spicy elements including green chiles, spicy brown mustard, chili powder, and chipotle pepper. If you find it to be too spicy, you can omit any of them or lower their amounts.

I'd recommend omitting the chili powder as the first option and then adjusting from there to your desired heat level.

How to store leftover chicken chili

To store crock pot chicken chili, allow it to cool completely and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

can chicken chili be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze chicken chili. It freezes really well.

Allow the chili to cool completely and add it to an airtight container or zip-top bag laid flat in the freezer. It will remain fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

how to reheat slow cooker chicken chili

To reheat slow cooker chicken chili, add it to a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Stir occasionally until it begins to simmer. 

You can also reheat chicken chili in the microwave, but it may overcook the chicken. 

chicken chili recipes

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Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It should only be used for estimation purposes and is not a guarantee of any kind. Nutritional information varies widely between brands and types of ingredients used. It is recommended that you calculate the nutritional information based on your own ingredients and brands used. Sweetly Splendid, LLC makes no guarantees as to the exact nutrition information.