Southwest Chicken Chili is slow cooker comfort food with various types of beans, vegetables, and chunks of chicken all in a southwest broth.
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😊Why this is the recipe for you
- This great-tasting healthy chili is less than 300 calories, is gluten-free, and is low-fat.
- Great hardy, warm, you-to-the-bone taste with a mild heat.
- Easy to make in your crock pot.
- It uses raw chicken, so there is no need to buy a rotisserie chicken or precook.
- Thicken it to your taste.
- Everybody will want seconds—we did.
👨🍳How to make southwest chicken chili
- Trim and cube (about ¾ inch) about 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breasts.
- Cut your veggies and prep garlic (crushed or minced)
- Rinse and drain beans,
- Add all the ingredients except the optional thickening.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours, until the temperature of the chicken is 165°.
- Thickening if you want with masa harina or cornstarch.
🥣Ingredients
- Chicken—Use skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs. There is no need to precook the chicken. Just cut it into bite-size pieces. If you prefer shredded chicken, add the chicken breasts whole and remove them with one hour left in cooking and shred, then place back in the crock pot.
- Beans—Use cannellini beans, pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, or white beans like navy or great northern. All are rinsed and drained to help decrease the sodium and to help the appearance. Use any combination you want.
- Salsa/Rotel—Use 2 cups of salsa or a 10 oz can of Rotel. This will provide most of the spices. You can use a can of diced tomatoes and bump the spices up some.
- Vegetables—Two bell peppers—the color of your choice, a large onion, and jalapeno pepper. Optionally, you can add a can of drained corn.
- Optional Thickening—Start with two tablespoons of masa harina or cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of cool water, then mix into the chili. Add more in 10-15 minutes if needed.
❓FAQs
This is about a 4/10 heat level with the Rotel and jalapeno. If you use salsa, it will depend on your choice of salsa.
Top sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack. Other toppings like cilantro, chopped tomatoes, slices of green onion, or slices of jalapenos.
Serve with cornbread or corn tortilla chips on the side.
This will be good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 days.
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This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Trim and cube (about ¾ inch) about 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breasts.
Chop 1 large onion and 2 bell peppers—dice 1 jalapeno pepper.
Drain and rinse three cans of beans of your choice: cannellini, beans, black beans, kidney beans, or white beans like navy or great northern.
Add all the ingredients except the optional thickener to a 4 quart or larger crock pot. Cook on low until the chicken is 165° which should be 3-4 hours.
To thicken (optional), start with two tablespoons of masa harina or cornstarch whisked with an equal amount of cool water, then stir into the chili. Add more in 10-15 minutes if needed.
Recipe
Crock Pot Southwest Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - about
- 2 bell peppers - diced, various colors
- 1 onion - large
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 42 oz cannellini beans, black beans, kidney beans, or white beans - drained
- 2 cups salsa - or 10 oz RoTel
- 14 oz chicken broth - decrease for thicker
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- masa harina or cornstarch optional for thickening
Instructions
- Trim and cube (about ¾ inch) about 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breasts.
- Chop 1 large onion and 2 bell peppers—dice 1 jalapeno pepper.
- Drain and rinse three cans of beans of your choice: cannellini beans, black beans, kidney beans, or white beans like navy or great northern.
- Add all the ingredients except the optional thickener to a 4 quart or larger crock pot. Cook on low until the chicken is 165° which should be 3-4 hours.
- To thicken (optional), start with two tablespoons of masa harina or cornstarch whisked with an equal amount of cool water, then stir into the chili. Add more in 10-15 minutes if needed.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This needs a 4 quart or larger crock pot but please remember not to fill more than 75%.
- You can use chicken thighs.
- The beans can be varied to your taste.
- A serving size for nutrition is about 1 ½ cups.
- Most crockpot recipes way overcook chicken, and most recipes like this will be for 8 hours on low., way overcooked. I have 3-4 hours on low suggested but also an endpoint of 165° as the real endpoint.
- This is about a 4/10 heat level with the Rotel and jalapeno. Heat will vary with the salsa you choose if you use that.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published September 12, 2011. Updated with expanded instructions and discussion, along with updated photos.
Emma @ Savor the Flavour
This chili looks delicious, Dr. Dan! I love good soups that "warm you to the bone!" 😊
Charles
This turned out beautifully! thank you.
I went the low sodium route (low-s version of the ingredients, rinsed the beans, etc.) and the first bite or two were "Hmm, bland.. hmmm.. good..." After debating for a bit what spices I should add/change for the next try, and failing since the tastes were so balanced, I just added a tiny shake of salt to my bowl, and - the rest of the bowl was perfect! Next time, I might skip the bean rinse, or just use some reg-salt ingredients, but regardless, there *will* be a next time on this recipe.
Well done, Sir!
DrDan
Thanks for the note. A little salt does wonders to flavor sometimes.
DrDan
Charles
I redid this one today, using normal ingredients (i.e., no low sodium, no rinsing of the beans.)
It turned out perfectly. A bit of salt does wonders.
I wonder if a bit more heat - ie 1/8-1/4t cayenne would allow the low sodium version to shine. Maybe next time. Maybe not - why mess with a good thing.
Thanks again, Sir.
P.S. I agree with your assessment - it's a 4. really good, but not quite as good as say, a steak, or a really good stew, or anything less "healthy." Compared to other healthy-ish recipes, this is a 5. Compared to actual carnivore food, 4 seems fair.
Chris
The weather turned cold here last week so I'll be keeping this one in mind for someday soon. Nice trick with the masa harina.
Mary
I really like this recipe. I'm new to your blog and decided to spend some extra time browsing through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that. I really love the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
Jeffrey and Juli
We're still waiting for colder weather here in Iowa, but I'm definitely going to try this out soon. Gotta love those crock pot meals! Or, as the snobby cooking magazines now call them, "slow cookers". :)
Juli
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Beautiful photo... just wanted to stop and say thanks for being such an active part of erecipecards... Love your recipes...