Crockpot Quinoa Chili: Simple (dump it all in and forget about it) slow cooker dinner! No veggie chopping or pre-cooking required—just open cans and throw it all in.
Pair this Crockpot Quinoa Chili with homemade dinner rolls, easy cucumber salad, or Italian salad.
The Best Crockpot Quinoa Chili
I’m all about quick-prep dinners, especially when the slow cooker does the work! This recipe couldn’t be easier—just open cans and toss them in.
The best part? It’s filled with wholesome ingredients, unlike the usual cream of mushroom soup and BBQ sauce. I’m excited to share this recipe because it’s easy to make, and my kids love it! My 6-year-old even asked for it (with extra cheese) for breakfast the next day. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does!
Ingredients in Crockpot Quinoa Chili
- Seasoning blend: This chili has a great mix of spices. Adjust to personal preferences.
- Quinoa: This forms the base, making the chili thicker and absorbing flavors from the ingredients.
- Chicken: I prefer chicken breasts in this but thighs work as well.
- Chicken stock: Salted chicken stock adds more flavor, but chicken broth works.
- Black beans: Use instead of chili beans or kidney beans if preferred.
- Chili beans: I use mild chili beans, but pick how spicy you want it.
- Frozen corn: Fresh corn off the cob is a great option.
- Petite diced tomatoes: Choose fire-roasted tomatoes for more flavor.
Crockpot Quinoa Chili toppings
Whatever you enjoy on a typical bowl of chili will be great on Crockpot Quinoa Chili. Truly, the toppings make this meal, so don’t forget about them! Below are some of our favorites. (And if we had to pick just 3, lime juice, Cheddar cheese, and sour cream would always make the list).
- Fresh lime juice
- Freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream (fat-free, reduced-fat, or full-fat)
- Crushed corn chips (like Fritos®), crushed tortilla chips, saltine crackers, or tortilla strips
- Fresh chives or chopped cilantro
- Freshly sliced avocado/guacamole
- A spoonful of salsa or pico de gallo
Quick Tips
Quick Tips- Chop the chicken into small chunks (2-3 inches) so it cooks evenly. A quick chop is fine; just make sure the chicken is covered in the liquid.
- Use a large, 6-quart slow cooker for this Crockpot Quinoa Chili.
- Season to taste. If you’re sensitive to heat, add the spices slowly.
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer to remove its bitter layer before adding it to the pot.
- Quinoa absorbs liquid as it cooks, so the chili will thicken over time. If cooked too long, the quinoa may burn on the edges.
Variations
Variations- To make Crockpot Quinoa Chili vegetarian or vegan, I recommend following this recipe instead (we “replace” the chicken with sweet potatoes).
- To boost the flavor, add in a finely diced yellow onion and a few cloves of garlic. I don’t add those in this recipe because I wanted the prep to be as quick as possible! (The onion powder and garlic powder do give you a nice flavor without the actual ingredients.)
- To increase the spice, use spicy chili beans and add in a few tablespoons of diced jalapeño or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
- To make Crockpot Quinoa Chili milder, reduce or omit the cayenne pepper.
Leftovers?
Cool it down: Let the chili cool to room temp. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Freeze: For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Crockpot Cowboy Casserole
- Crockpot Chili reader favorite!
- Instant Pot or Crockpot Mexican Tortilla Soup
- Crockpot Quinoa Tacos
Crockpot Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white quinoa
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) chicken breast boneless, skinless
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 2 and 1/4 cups salted/seasoned chicken stock (can use chicken broth)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can (15 ounces) chili beans in mild sauce (Note 1)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes (Muir Glen recommended)
- Optional toppings: fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, sour cream, Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Line the slow cooker with a plastic liner or coat with cooking spray. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve to remove the bitter saponin coating. Drain and rinse the black beans. Cut the chicken breast into 2-3-inch-long, 1-inch-thick pieces.
- Add the quinoa, black beans, chicken, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, chicken stock, frozen corn, (undrained/unrinsed) chili beans, (undrained) and diced tomatoes to a large 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2.5 to 4 hours. (Ours is always done right at 3 hours.) Check occasionally and stir every once and a while if around.
- Once the liquid is mostly absorbed, remove the slow cooker insert from the heat. Season to taste with any additional salt/pepper as needed, or any additional seasoning. I like to add a few tablespoons of lime juice here. Shred the chicken in a separate bowl with two forks (or chop it coarsely with a knife) and add back to the pot.
- Top individual bowls with favorite toppings. We top ours with a good handful of freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese, another squeeze of lime, a good spoonful of sour cream, and some chopped cilantro. Don't forget the toppings; they make this chili!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We just had this for dinner and it was delicious! The only problem, and it was all my fault, was that it was too spicy. When putting in the cayenne pepper, I was ‘sprinkling’ it in but it came out way too fast. Again, all my fault! We will make this again but be more careful with the cayenne!
I’m so happy you liked it even though there was a bit too much cayenne (don’t you hate when that happens!) Thanks for the comment Stephanie!
You say to eat immediately. So is it best not to save left overs and reheat? I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Leftovers are fine and we love them, it just because less soup like as the quinoa continues to absorb liquid. Hope that helps!
I made this today and my family absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing!
That is so great to hear! I’m so happy you all loved it! Thanks for the comment and review 🙂
mm this looks delicious, thanks for posting up this recipe, looks quite simple to make.
Simon
Thanks Simon!!
This chili looks great. I just bought a 6 quart crock pot with a programmable timer and 3 temperature settings. I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you David!! Sounds like a great crockpot, I LOVE the programmable timer settings!! Enjoy 🙂
Oh my goodness, this looks great! And it sounds like something my whole family will love. Pinning!
Thank you so much Heidi! 🙂
Wow this chili looks absolutely delicious, Chelsea. I love your slow cooker recipes and already pinned it for later. Ah I forgot to say that I made your flourless pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and they turned out very delicious. I posted on my blog. Thank you so much for the inspiration 😉
Mmmm perfect chili for this time of year thanks for sharing 🙂
Another delicious crockpot recipe! And again so many healthy and delicious flavors.
This chili is just gorgeous, Chelsea! You are definitely the queen of quinoa recipes, so I’m loving this fun twist. Sounds like the perfect comfort food for the colder weather!