Healthy slow cooker chicken chili

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Healthy slow cooker chicken chili is easy to prep and loaded with peppers, beans, tender chunks of chicken and plenty of delicious spices. Add your favorite toppings, grab a spoon and dig into a warm bowl of this chili!

Just a quick hi today, as I’m actually in California right now for a conference.

It’s a long trip from N.C. for just a short stay, but I think the packed agenda and all the fun friendly faces will make it more than worth it! ❤️

So, not-so-secret secret… I’m a huge chili lover.

White turkey chili has been made dozens of times in our family, vegetarian quinoa chili is perfect for a light (but hearty) option and my 30-minute vegetarian pumpkin chili is a fall favorite.

I also perfected my Super Bowl chili this year and I’ll be sure to bring that one to you as well.

But today, it’s all about the healthy slow cooker chicken chili.

This loaded chili is full of veggies, beans and chunks of chicken, plus a blend of spices that give it such great flavor.

It’s easy to throw together in the morning — just 10 minutes — or at lunch or mid-afternoon if you want to cook it on high. And you’ll be so happy to have this waiting for you at dinnertime.

You’ll also start getting hungry once you start smelling the aroma of this delicious chili wafting through your house! Mmmm ☺️

This crock pot chicken chili is budget-friendly and relies mainly on pantry ingredients.

It’ll warm you up on a chilly day and give you all the cozy vibes. ❤️ It would also be great for entertaining on game day since it’s so easy and hands off.

A few notes on this healthy slow cooker chicken chili:

• I add a jalapeño and some cayenne for a little kick. You can reduce or omit those if you want to tone down the spiciness.
• I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
• After it’s cooked, I like to slice the chicken so there are chunks throughout the chili, but you can also shred it.
• The recipe calls for black beans and pinto beans – they’re my favorites. However, you could substitute light or dark kidney beans or use all of one type of bean.
• I prefer to add the beans at the end of the cooking time to just get them warmed through, so they don’t get too soft. (This is especially important if you’re using home cooked beans.) But I’ve also added canned beans in the beginning and while they softened, they weren’t mushy.
• You can add 1 cup of corn (or a small can, well-drained) if you love corn in your chili.

Also, an update: A couple of people have said this turned out a bit soupy for them. All slow cookers are different, but I’ve added a note in the recipe card to start with less broth and add extra if you need it.

Hopefully that will take care of the issue!

As always, lots of ways to make this your own if you want to play with it a bit, and of course, you know I want you to add ALL the toppings your little heart desires. ❤️

I hope you give this healthy slow cooker chicken chili a try the next time you’ve got a chilly day, a rainy day, a busy day or just a day when dinner needs to fix itself.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. Stay tuned on those Parmesan herb drop biscuits from the photos above. I’ll be bringing you that recipe soon! You can sign up for my free e-newsletter so you never miss a recipe and I’ll send you my free e-cookbook, Easy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!

In the meantime, any chili is also great with my easy cheesy cornbread muffins. 👍

Healthy slow cooker chicken chili

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Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 3 hours Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Serves 6     adjust servings

Healthy slow cooker chicken chili is easy to prep and makes a delicious family dinner that's sure to satisfy!

Ingredients

• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional; can sub 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, undrained
• 1-2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Optional toppings

• shredded cheese, diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, hot sauce, crackers or chips, etc.

Instructions

Add chopped pepper and onion to the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add chopped jalapeño if using.

Combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and cayenne in a small bowl and mix well.

Season the chicken breasts with half of the seasoning mixture the place on top of the peppers and onions in the slow cooker.

Add tomatoes, chilies, beans and 1 cup of the broth to the slow cooker, then sprinkle with remaining seasoning.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

When the cook time is up, transfer the chicken breasts from the slow cooker to a cutting board and add the beans to the slow cooker. If the chili is too thick, add extra broth to get it to the right consistency.

Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces (or alternatively, you can shred it). Return chicken to slow cooker and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I add a jalapeño and some cayenne for a little kick, but you can reduce or omit those if you want to tone down the level of spiciness.

I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.

I like to slice the chicken once it’s cooked so there are chunks throughout the chili, but you can also shred it.

I use black beans and pinto beans here, but you could substitute light or dark kidney beans or use all of one type of bean.

I prefer to add the beans at the end of the cooking time to just get them warmed through, so they don’t get too soft. (This is especially important if you’re using home cooked beans.) But I’ve also added canned beans in the beginning and while they softened, they weren’t mushy.

A couple of people have said this came out soupy for them so I've revised the recipe to start with just 1 cup of broth. All slow cookers are different but hopefully that change will help prevent it from being too soupy. You can always stir in extra broth at the end if needed.

You can add 1 cup of corn (or a small can, well-drained) if you love corn in your chili.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 359kcal Calories from fat 55
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6g	9%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Transfat 0g
Cholesterol 112mg	37%
Sodium 682mg	28%
Carbohydrate 31g	10%
Dietary Fiber 11g	44%
Sugars 6g
Protein 45g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g