This chicken chili recipe is smoky and a little spicy and like a big hug in a bowl. Chunks of tender, juicy chicken thighs are slowly cooked with beans, tomatoes, chipotles, and seasonings for one of the must-have chicken chilis of the season.

Serve this Slow Cooker Chicken Chili with some Cilantro Lime Rice, Grilled Mexican Street Corn, or Easy Homemade Guacamole

A slow cooker turns juicy chicken thighs and pureed chipotles in adobo sauce into a very satisfying crock pot chicken chili.

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

One of the greatest “secret weapon” cooking appliances of all time is the slow cooker, or Crock-Pot, which, for many of us, takes up a permanent place of residence on the counter during the colder months. The unparalleled pleasure of walking into your home at the end of a long day to be greeted with the scent of a cooked dinner is hard to overstate.

This chili recipe is a definite weeknight keeper, but on a cold weekend morning, before you head out to do whatever wintery things you are doing, you might want to crank up a pot of this. And if you are being really smart and good to yourself, have those toppings ready in a small bowl in the fridge.

Ingredients

• Onions – Adds a nice sweetness that balances out the flavors.
• Carrots – For variations of texture and sweetness.
• Garlic – For a savory chili base.
• Pureed chipotles in adobo sauce – My most flavorful secret ingredient. Read more about it below.
• Diced tomatoes with their juice – For a slightly thinner and more chunky base than your classic chili.
• Chili powder and cumin– For a bit of spice and savoriness.
• Kosher salt – To enhance all the flavors.
• Beans – I like to use black or kidney beans, but you can really use any bean you like.
• Chicken thighs – Boneless and skinless chicken thighs work best, in my experience.
• Scallions trimmed and chopped – For freshness.
• Lime juice – For a pop of brightness and acid.

Toppings for Chicken Chili

You can use any toppings you like with any kind of chili, of course. I like the combo of shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend), sour cream, avocados, and chopped scallions. Red onions are also nice, and if you have guacamole around and want to serve that up instead of the avocados, go for it.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

1. Combine the ingredients: In a large slow cooker, combine the onions, carrots, garlic, pureed chipotles in adobo, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, salt, beans, and chicken.
2. Cook: Cook in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours.

3. Serve: When you are ready to serve, stir in the chopped scallions and the lime juice. Serve with the toppings of your choice.

Storage and Leftovers

You can keep the chili in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftovers would be awesome on top of some nachos!

The chili can be frozen in freezer-weight zipper-top bags or freezer-proof containers for up to 6 months. Make sure the chili is cool before you put it in the containers, and allow for about 1/2-inch of space between the chili and the top of the bag or container. The chili will expand a little as it freezes, and you don’t want it to pop open the container. These Stasher bags are reusable and sturdy and pretty awesome (pricey, but they last!).

Defrost in the fridge overnight, and then reheat in a pot over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring until it’s hot.

Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

One of the greatest “secret weapon” ingredients I know is chipotles in adobo sauce. These are smoked jalapeño peppers stewed in a sauce with tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and various spices such as cumin, oregano, and paprika, and then canned and available for your cooking pleasure. (Imagine doing all that yourself!) 

I puree up a can of the peppers in their sauce by just dumping the contents of the whole can right into the food processor and then putting it in a sealed container in the fridge (check out the video).

Whenever a soup or a stew or a chili or a dip or anything calls for a little touch of smoky heat, in goes a tablespoon or two of the puree. Try it in Chipotle Mayo or add it to dressings (Iike in Smoky Chipotle Chicken Salad), burgers (try Chipotle Barbecue Turkey Burgers), and deviled eggs (Chipotle Deviled Eggs), to name a few uses.

What to Serve With Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Herby Brown Rice

Pico de Gallo

Grilled Corn Salad

More Great Slow Cooker Recipes

• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef Tip Steaks
• Slow Cooker Barbecue Beer Beef Stew
• 2-Ingredient Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Pimento Cheese Dip