The whole family will love this slow-cooked chicken chili, and so will you because it’s incredibly easy to make! Each bite is filled with tender chicken, spicy spices, and hearty beans. It’s just delicious and so welcoming!
Winter soups are my favorite, and so is this slow-cooked chicken chili!
Not only is it easy to make with your “set it and forget it” cooking instructions, but the flavors are delicious, especially when paired with the fresh avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chip ingredients!
We love making this soup for game-day chili (not like I watch football haha!) or as a comforting winter meal. It’s a staple in our house, and I hope it becomes a staple in yours too!
What you’ll need: ingredients and substitutes Before
cooking, let’s first talk about what ingredients we’ll need. This soup contains 7 main ingredients and 3 spices for flavor.
Chicken
- thighs: Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs over chicken breasts, as they are very tender and will not dry out while cooking
- Diced tomatoes roasted on fire: Use tomatoes cut into regular cubes or roasted over fire for added depth of flavor
- Use a high-quality chicken broth or vegetable broth for the liquid in this recipe. Tomato paste
- Use this to help thicken the consistency of the chili
- Garlic: I like to use both fresh garlic and garlic powder to cover the flavors
- Onion: I recommend using yellow onion
- Beans: I chose cannellini and black beans, see the notes for additional beans you can use!
- Spices: The only three spices for this chili: chili powder, cumin and dried oregano. Also a pinch of cayenne for a little heat!
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. Chicken broth:
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How to Make Slow Cooker Chili
First, add all the ingredients to a slow cooker. Stir and set to LOW for 5-8 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.
When the soup is ready, separate the chicken and season with salt to taste or additional spices. Serve with toppings and enjoy!
<img src="https://asimplepalate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/slow-cooker-chicken-chili-process-1.jpg" alt="A slow cooker with raw
ingredients for chicken chili.” />
How
to store and freeze
Storage tips: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container and store for up to 3-4 cold days in a refrigerator.
Freezing tips: Store in an airtight container or freezer bag – freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then reheat on the stove until hot.
Tips for success
Chicken breasts or thighs work! For this recipe, I like to use boneless/skinless chicken thighs because when cooked low and slow they become very tender and add a little more flavor. You can use chicken breasts instead if you prefer!
Adjust the heat to your liking
– Since I don’t like super hot chili, I only recommend using a small amount of heat for this recipe. You can also adjust that to your liking and add even more spices!
Best Beans for Chili
– Skies the limit for the types of beans you can use in chili. I love using different ones every time I do it, some of my favorite beans to make chili are kidney, navy blue, cannellini, black beans and chickpeas.
Use fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes
: A small step to adding more flavor to your chili is to use fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular ones. They’re not spicy at all, but they just add a little smoky flavor that’s perfect for chili!
What to serve chicken chili with – along with the delicious ingredients (avocado, tortilla chips and cilantro) I love serving this chicken chili with homemade cornbread, our naan pizzas or this homemade cranberry nut bread. If you want a salad to go with it, our vegetarian taco salad pairs perfectly with this recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I thicken my chili more? Add more tomato paste! This is the fastest way to get a thicker consistency. You can also cook the soup for longer so that the liquid gradually reduces. Chili is meant to be thick and not soup, as it is a more filling soup. If you don’t have tomato paste, you can also remove about 1 to 2 cups of chili (beans and liquid only) from the soup and mix them separately, then add it back to the chili. This is a simple and natural way to thicken chili!
Do I add sugar to my chili? Only if you need it! If you feel like you’ve overdone it with a spicy ingredient, you can add a tablespoon of sugar at a time to soothe the heat. You can also add sugar if you feel that the tomato tastes too acidic. The natural sweeteners you can use would be maple sugar or coconut sugar, you can also use white or brown sugar.
More chili
recipes to try
If you like chili
, you can also be a fan of our sweet potato black bean chili or this vegetarian bean chili! And a similar soup that is also equally delicious and similar to chili, would be our vegetarian tortilla soup. All three are sure to be welcoming and delicious!
