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This Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipe Turns Weeknights Into “Set It & Forget It” Legend Status

This easy chicken chili crockpot recipe is your weeknight savior. It’s smoky, hearty, and packed with tender shredded chicken, beans, and bold spices — all with minimal prep and total slow cooker ease.
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Southwestern
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 29 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes (2 cans)
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 1 cup chicken broth (adjust to consistency)
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1.5 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp chipotle in adobo or cayenne (optional heat)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 4 oz cream cheese or 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (optional creamy finish)

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Cutting board
  • Chef's knife
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • mixing spoon
  • forks (for shredding chicken)

Method
 

  1. Add diced onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the crockpot as the base layer. This helps them soften and flavor the chili evenly.
  2. Place chicken breasts or thighs on top of the vegetables. Keep them whole for shredding later.
  3. Pour in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 cup of chicken broth. Add beans and corn.
  4. Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and optional chipotle or cayenne. Make sure spices mix into the liquid.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender.
  6. Remove the chicken, shred with two forks, and return to the pot. Stir. Adjust thickness with extra broth if needed.
  7. Stir in fresh lime juice. For a creamy version, add cream cheese or Greek yogurt now and stir until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  8. Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite toppings like cheese, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, or tortilla chips.

Notes

Start with 1 cup of broth — you can always add more later. Add lime juice and adjust seasoning at the end for the perfect finish. For creaminess, stir in cream cheese or Greek yogurt after cooking. Freezes well without dairy.