Description

This Slow Cooker Chicken Chili is a comforting, creamy, and flavorful recipe perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Combining tender shredded chicken, vibrant vegetables, beans, and a touch of cream cheese, it offers a mildly spiced, rich chili that cooks effortlessly in your slow cooker. Serve it warm with your favorite toppings and a side of cornbread for a hearty, crowd-pleasing meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Chili Base

2 (14.5-ounce/411g) cans petite diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 28-ounce/794g can)
1 (15-ounce/425g) can tomato sauce
2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs/680g)
1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth (reduced-sodium preferred)
1 cup (130g) diced yellow onion
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 (15-ounce/425g) can corn, rinsed and drained (or 1 package frozen corn)
1 (15-ounce/425g) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeño, minced (seeds and ribs removed)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano or Italian seasoning blend
2 teaspoons chili powder (reduce to 1 teaspoon for less spicy)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced

Creamy Finishing

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

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Instructions

Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Place all ingredients except the cream cheese into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir everything together until well combined to ensure even cooking and seasoning.
Cook: Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 3 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to become tender.
Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and transfer to a large plate or cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces for a perfect chili texture.
Combine and Melt Cream Cheese: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and add the cream cheese. Stir thoroughly until the cream cheese melts completely, creating a creamy and rich chili base. Taste and adjust salt or seasonings as desired.
Final Cook: Cover the slow cooker again and cook for an additional 10–15 minutes to fully incorporate the flavors and heat the cream cheese mixture.
Serve: Ladle the chili warm, topped with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream if desired. Serve alongside cornbread or cornbread muffins for a complete meal.
Store Leftovers: Allow leftovers to cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop gently before serving.

Notes

This dish is a flavorful, mildly spiced, and creamy chili that is perfect for easy crowd-pleasing dinners and freezes well.
It is highly customizable; you can adjust the spice level by modifying the chili powder amount or omit jalapeño if preferred.
There’s no need for pre-cooking ingredients before adding to the slow cooker, making it a true “set it and forget it” meal.
If you want to make this chili on the stove, combine all ingredients except cream cheese in a large pot, simmer gently until chicken is cooked through (about 45 minutes), then shred chicken and stir in cream cheese until melted.
Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to one week and can also be frozen for longer storage.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup (approximate)
Calories: 280
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 480mg
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 20g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 28g
Cholesterol: 70mg