My Favorite Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe

• servings: 10 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 (14.5-ounce/411g) cans petite diced tomatoes (or 1 28-ounce/794g can)

1 (15-ounce/425g) can tomato sauce

2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs/680g)-cubed while slightly frozen

2 cup (480g/ml) chicken broth

1/2 cup (130g) diced yellow onion*

1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 (15-ounce/425g) can corn (rinsed and drained) or 1 package of frozen corn

2 (15-ounce/425g) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeño, minced (remove seeds and ribs)

2 teaspoon salt +

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced or 1 TBS

4 ounces (113g) full-fat or light brick-style cream cheese*, at room temperature

Directions

To make in IP: Add all ingredients except tomato sauce. Cook HP 17 min with 10 min NR, then QR. Add tomato sauce and select sauté. Warm cream cheese in microwave. Then add abt 1 cup broth to cream cheese and whisk. Then add the cream cheese mixture back to the soup and stir. Adjust salt if needed. (I have adjusted this recipe to her first posting plus added an extra can of beans. I also cook it in IP though she has no directions for that.)

Slow cooker:

Add all the ingredients except the cream cheese to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir everything together until combined. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer it to a large plate or cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred the tender chicken. You could also just cut it into bite-size pieces. Return the 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.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 10–15 more minutes.

Serve warm topped with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream. And serve alongside cornbread or cornbread muffins. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

Notes

Freezing Instructions: Freeze in a freezer-safe container or a few smaller containers for up to 3 months. 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): 6-quart or Larger Slow Cooker (like this one or this one)

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 very large pot or Dutch ovenon 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: I find 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.