This flavorful, mildly spiced, and creamy gradual cooker rooster chili is a favourite dinner recipe to make time and again. It freezes effectively, is tremendous customizable, and leftovers preserve for days! There’s no pre-cooking or sophisticated prep required, so it’s a real “set it and neglect it” crockpot meal.
I initially revealed this recipe in 2016 and have since added new images and extra useful success suggestions.

I do know I’m not alone once I sing the praises of the gradual cooker. I particularly love and respect a tasty gradual cooker dinner recipe, the place you may toss every part within the pot early within the day, push a button, and dinner is prepared if you end up! That’s how I make creamy rooster & corn soup, gradual cooker turkey meatballs, and honey teriyaki rooster, too.
Gradual Cooker Hen Chili: Recipe on Repeat
I can’t even inform you what number of occasions we’ve made this simple gradual cooker rooster chili previously 9 years. Each time a member of the family, neighbor, or buddy has a child, I take them a batch. (Who doesn’t discover consolation in home-cooked chili? Particularly new mother and father!) Each time we’ve pals over to observe a soccer recreation, I make this chili. And each time I wish to prep freezer meals, I make one other batch. It’s on the highest of my record of 30+ again to high school recipes and 30 fall dinner recipes.
This simple gradual cooker rooster chili makes a giant batch that reheats effectively, making it a handy and sensible possibility for busy schedules.

Right here’s Why You’ll Love It Too:
- Simple: No pre-cooking required, it is a “set it & neglect it” one-pot gradual cooker meal
- Flavorful: stuffed with conventional chili flavors and a bit of spice
- Satisfying: heat, cozy, and comforting
- Adaptable: swap out the rooster, beans, and veggies to fit your style
- Make-ahead & freezer pleasant: so handy!
Substances in Gradual Cooker Hen Chili
All the things goes into the gradual cooker directly. No pre-cooking!
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Use 2 standard-size cans (or 1 massive 28-ounce can) of diced or petite-diced tomatoes. Drain out the liquid first.
- Tomato Sauce: Use plain tomato sauce as the bottom of this chili. I normally choose up two 8-ounce cans of Hunts tomato sauce, or one 15-ounce can. You should utilize home made tomato sauce, too.
- Hen: You want about 2 massive boneless skinless rooster breasts. To make it vegetarian, skip the rooster and add one other can of beans and/or chopped candy potato.
- Hen Broth: Use 1 cup rooster broth. I normally use the reduced-sodium form. You probably have home made rooster inventory or broth, that works too!
- Onion & Bell Pepper: Let’s add a bit of freshness to the one-pot dinner with flavorful onion and diced bell pepper. I like the colour distinction inexperienced pepper offers, however you need to use purple, yellow, or orange bell pepper right here as a substitute.
- Black Beans & Corn: I like including these as a result of the duo brings a southwestern vibe to the entire dish. You should utilize canned or frozen corn. When you don’t have black beans, swap in kidney or pinto beans. Use what you get pleasure from and/or have within the pantry.
- Jalapeño: 1 jalapeño provides the right quantity of spice. Be at liberty to skip it if desired.
- Garlic, Salt, Dried Oregano, Chili Powder, & Cumin: Every ingredient provides key taste. I don’t suggest reducing any of them from the recipe. The truth is, I normally add a bit of extra of every after I style the completed chili.
- Cream Cheese: Belief me. See under!

This recipe cooks on low warmth within the gradual cooker for 7 hours. When you’re in search of a gradual cooker and want a advice, I’ve this one and this one, and each are implausible.
When you don’t have a gradual cooker, you may cook dinner this chili on the range. See detailed recipe Be aware under.

In addition to chopping some substances and utilizing a can opener, the one hands-on “work” is shredding the rooster.
Take away the cooked rooster breasts, shred them with two forks (it’s simple as a result of they’re so tender!), then stir the shredded rooster again into the crockpot and cook dinner for 15 extra minutes earlier than serving.

Finest Ingredient of All
You may make common rooster chili or you can also make the BEST CHICKEN CHILI. Which do you favor?
Stir in a bit of cream cheese once you add the shredded rooster. The cream cheese melts and creates a thick and creamy base for all these flavors and textures. It barely cuts the warmth, too. I’m not kidding—everybody I’ve made this chili for has requested me what my secret is—it’s the cream cheese!!
I normally add 4 ounces of cream cheese, however you need to use the entire 8-ounce brick should you prefer it additional creamy. You should utilize full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese. Whichever you utilize, simply just remember to don’t use cream cheese unfold. Choose up an 8-ounce brick of cream cheese, like the type you utilize to make cheesecake.
After you combine within the cream cheese, the chili will likely be creamy and lighter in shade. Style it. At this level you may add extra salt, chili powder, or further spices if desired.

Is This Hen Chili Spicy?
No. The recipe written under makes a mildly spicy chili that has simply sufficient warmth to carry taste with out burning your tastebuds. (The cream cheese helps reduce the spice, too!)
However the warmth stage right here is absolutely as much as you! Add extra jalapeño should you like your chili with a kick, or omit it fully for a really gentle chili. The kind of chili powder you utilize makes a distinction, too. Have you ever heard of the Scoville scale? It’s a measurement of how sizzling/spicy totally different chili peppers are, rated in SHU (Scoville warmth items). It’s a wide array! Test the label of your chili powder for a warmth ranking. Among the most typical ones you’ll discover within the spice aisle of the grocery retailer are ancho chili powder (gentle), chipotle chili powder (medium), and cayenne pepper (sizzling). I usually make this gradual cooker rooster chili with a gentle chili powder.
You may modify the spices in my pumpkin chili, candy potato turkey chili, and cornbread chili casserole, too.

Adapt & Make It Your Personal
This gradual cooker dinner recipe is infinitely adaptable. It is a handy base recipe the place you may add/scale back just about something so as to match your loved ones’s preferences. Omit the corn, or add additional if you want. When you don’t have black beans, swap in kidney or pinto beans. I’ve even turned it into gradual cooker vegetarian chili by swapping the rooster for extra beans and cubed candy potato.
For serving, toppings similar to shredded cheese, contemporary cilantro, avocado, and/or bitter cream pair fantastically with this rooster chili. I additionally love scooping it up with tortilla chips.
Nevertheless you make it, my #1 suggestion is to serve this one-pot meal with cornbread or cornbread muffins. You gained’t remorse it!

My Favourite Gradual Cooker Hen Chili Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Prepare dinner Time: 8 hours
Whole Time: 8 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: serves 10
Class: Chili
Methodology: Gradual Cooker
Delicacies: American
Description
This flavorful, mildly spiced, and creamy gradual cooker rooster chili is a favourite dinner recipe to make time and again. It freezes effectively, is tremendous customizable, and leftovers preserve for days! There’s no pre-cooking or sophisticated prep required, so it’s a real “set it and neglect it” crockpot meal. See recipe Notes should you’d prefer to make it on the range.
Directions
- Add all of the substances besides the cream cheese to a 6-quart or bigger gradual cooker. Stir every part collectively till mixed. Cowl and cook dinner on low for 7 hours or on excessive for 3 hours.
- Take away the rooster from the gradual cooker and switch it to a big plate or reducing board. Utilizing 2 forks, shred the tender rooster. You can additionally simply reduce it into bite-size items. Return the rooster to the gradual cooker and add the cream cheese. Stir every part collectively till the cream cheese has melted. Style, then add extra salt or seasonings if desired.
- Cowl the gradual cooker and cook dinner for 10–15 extra minutes.
- Serve heat topped with contemporary cilantro, shredded cheese, and/or bitter cream. And serve alongside cornbread or cornbread muffins. Cowl and retailer leftovers within the fridge for as much as 1 week. Reheat within the microwave or on the range.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Freeze in a freezer-safe container or a couple of smaller containers for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge or place the container/bag within the sink stuffed with heat water. As soon as thawed, cook dinner in a big pot on medium warmth for half-hour, or reheat within the microwave till warmed all through.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlink): 6-quart or Bigger Gradual Cooker (like this one or this one)
- Substitutions: The spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano/Italian seasoning mix are essential to the style. Nevertheless, the next adaptions work effectively if wanted. Selfmade tomato sauce works splendidly as a substitute of canned. You should utilize floor turkey or floor beef as a substitute of rooster. Brown on the range first (medium-high warmth for 8 minutes), then add to the gradual cooker with the remainder of the substances. You can too use vegetable or beef broth as a substitute of rooster broth. You may add extra peppers, onions, or beans in order for you (generally I do!). You should utilize kidney beans or white beans as a substitute of black beans. Add extra garlic or jalapeño if desired. And, lastly, for vegetarian chili, you may add 1 extra can of beans and swap the rooster for 3 cups raw diced and peeled candy potato.
- No Gradual Cooker? No Downside! Chop the uncooked rooster into bite-sized items. Warmth 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a really massive pot or Dutch oven on the range over medium warmth. Add the diced onion, chopped bell pepper, jalapeño, salt, dried oregano, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Stir and cook dinner till the peppers have softened and the rooster is cooked. Add the remainder of the substances, apart from the cream cheese, to the pot. Cowl and cook dinner for half-hour on medium warmth, stirring often. After about half-hour, stir within the cream cheese till melted and cook dinner, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes. Serve.
- Cream Cheese: I discover that it’s useful to barely heat the cream cheese earlier than including to the new chili in step 2. Unwrap it, place on a plate, and easily microwave it for 15–20 seconds earlier than stirring into the chili. This helps it mix a lot simpler into the new chili.