Description
This Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Chili is a hearty, flavorful dish made with tender chicken, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and salsa, seasoned with cumin, garlic, and salt. It’s a perfect dump-and-go meal that requires minimal prep and slow cooking to develop deep, comforting flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Beans and Sauce
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 (15-oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (alternatively chili, black, or pinto beans can be used)
- 1 (15-oz) jar chunky salsa, divided
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Drain and rinse the kidney beans thoroughly. Measure out all seasonings and have the tomato sauce and salsa ready.
- Combine Ingredients: In the slow cooker pot, place the chicken breasts or thighs at the bottom. Pour tomato sauce over the chicken.
- Add Beans and Salsa: Add the drained kidney beans and half of the chunky salsa on top of the chicken and tomato sauce mixture.
- Season the Chili: Sprinkle the ground cumin, granulated garlic, and kosher salt evenly over all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Cook Low and Slow: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on low for approximately 4 hours (240 minutes) until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Shred Chicken and Stir: Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts or thighs and shred them using two forks. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stir in the remaining salsa to incorporate.
- Final Simmer: Let the chili continue cooking with the shredded chicken and salsa for an additional 10-15 minutes to blend flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the chili into bowls and enjoy as is or with your favorite toppings such as cheese, sour cream, or cilantro.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken thighs for breasts for juicier chili.
- Adjust the salsa quantity based on your preferred spice and chunkiness level.
- For thicker chili, cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes to reduce excess liquid.
- To make it gluten-free, ensure salsa and seasoning do not contain gluten additives.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and freeze well for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 372 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 758 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
