Best Chicken Chili Recipe

Looking for a delicious and comforting chili recipe? Try this Easy Chicken Chili Recipe and you will come back and thank me for this recipe. Full of flavor and loaded with protein from the chicken and beans. It makes for the perfect comforting meal for that cold winter night!

You may also like my crockpot chili recipe with ground beef or my sloppy Joe Casserole.

Chili for chilly weather! 😁 Cold weather always calls for hearty soup recipes, and this simple and easy Chicken Chili Recipe has been our go-to recipe recently. It is so comforting and filling, and even my kids love it and ask me to make it all the time. It is bursting with flavor and doesn’t take much time to make.

I use fresh vegetables like onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn to make this chili extra hearty and packed with flavor. And with the chicken (or turkey if you’d prefer!) and black beans, it’s sure to fill you up and warm your belly at the same time.

Chili is a great way to get both protein and veggies into your diet with one dish! Not to mention, it warms you right to the soul on those cold nights.

Ingredients needed

Here is a list of ingredients you will need for this easy homemade chicken chili. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.

• Shredded chicken: If you like ground turkey more or you have leftover turkey, feel free to use that instead. It’s a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! You can also use already-cooked chicken like Rotisserie chicken thats store-bought and you save so much time! Grab that costco chicken next time you are there and make this recipe.
• Olive oil: or you can use avocado oil.
• Sweet onion: I love the flavor a nice sweet onion provides to a chili like this one.
• Red bell pepper: Bell peppers also add a nice crunch and perfect flavor. You can use any color that you’d like, including yellow, green, or orange.
• Garlic cloves: Can you ever have too much garlic? Minced garlic adds so much to the flavor profile of this chili, but feel free to add more if you’re a total garlic lover.
• Diced tomatoes: I love the flavor that diced tomatoes add to a chili. They have just enough acidity to balance out all of the other flavors nicely.
• Chicken broth: If my protein is chicken, I will use chicken broth. You could substitute vegetable or turkey broth if that’s what you have on hand.
• Black beans: add some extra protein to your chili recipe. You can use different types of beans-like pinto beans, Great Northern beans, or Cannellini white beans if you prefer.
• Sweet corn: Feel free to use either fresh, canned, or frozen corn for your chili. If using frozen, just make sure it is thawed before adding it in.
• Seasoning: A blend of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, chili flakes, sea salt, and pepper takes the flavor of this chili to the next level.

Best toppings for chili

We all have our favorite toppings for chili, here’s some of the most popular toppings you can add to your chili.

• Lemon or lime wedges
• Shredded cheese – jack or jalapeno cheddar works great.
• Cubed or sliced avocado
• Chopped or sliced Jalapenos
• Tortilla chips or strips
• Fresh Chopped Cilantro
• Sliced Green onions
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Green chiles
• Sliced jalapenos (remove the seeds and ribs if you don’t want a lot of heat)
• Salsa verde

More chili recipes

• Turkey Pumpkin Chili
• Ground Turkey Chili
• Sweet Potato Chili
• White Bean Turkey Chili
• Easy Homemade Beef Chili
• Vegetarian Bean Chili
• Easy White Chicken Chili Recipe
• Keto Beef Chili Recipe

Frequently asked questions

How to make it in a crockpot

If using cooked or leftover chicken, place all the ingredients listed into the slow cooker or crockpot. Stir to combine, cover, and set it to cook on either Low or High. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

Using raw chicken breast? Add the chicken, onion, veggies, spices, and broth. Mix and then close the lid. Set it on High for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours. The Chicken should be tender enough to shred with a fork. This is the step where you will add cream cheese if you plan on using it for a creamy version. Then add the beans and corn. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Close the lid again and set it on LOW for 2 hours or on HIGH for one hour.

Tips and substitutions

• To save time, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand.
• You can, of course, roast or pan-fry the chicken and shred it if you wish.
• Feel free to use different proteins if you’d like. You can substitute chicken for ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground beef.
• For a robust chili flavor consider adding 4 ounces of green chilis or salsa verde.
• To make a creamy version: Add in some cream cheese. In a small bowl, mix about 1/4 cup of cream cheese with warm water mix it as best as you can, and add them to the chili as it boils, about halfway through or 10 minutes before it’s done.
• If you are watching your salt intake, opt for low-sodium chicken broth and low-sodium canned beans.
• Skip the cheese and other dairy toppings for a lactose-free option. The recipe is dairy-free as written.
• For a vegan option, use vegetable broth and skip the chicken. You can add in extra veggies or beans for more protein.
• If topping with shredded cheese, ideally shred your own. Also, pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt that well.
• Increase or decrease the chili flakes, depending on the spice level you’d like. You can always make things a little spicier if you’d like and add in some cayenne pepper.

You may also like

• Citrus Garlic Butter Shrimps
• Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Creamy Wild Mushroom Pasta
• Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken
• Shrimp Taco Bowls
• Baked Balsamic Cranberry Chicken
• Chicken Cabbage Soup

More Chili Recipes

• White Bean Pumpkin Chili
• White Bean Turkey Chili
• Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
• Sweet Potato Chili
• Keto Beef Chili