Serve this creamy chicken chili with homemade dinner rolls and a quick Italian salad.
Chicken Chili
A few months ago, I hosted a bridal shower for my sister, and we served soups, salads, had a caramel apple bar, and a few desserts (the mini fruit tarts were a huge hit!).
One of the soups was Chicken Chili, inspired by my family’s favorite chicken enchilada chili from Zupas®. It was a big success—there wasn’t a drop left!
I made it again for my family, and everyone agrees it’s even better than the original. It’s warm, creamy, and bursting with flavor, plus it’s incredibly easy to make!
Ingredients
- Red enchilada sauce: Adds flavor, thickness, and spice; pick your preferred heat level. I love using Old El Paso’s mild sauce.
- Diced tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes add extra flavor with no extra effort.
- Chili beans: These come with seasoning, making the chili more flavorful.
- Black beans: Rinse to remove extra starch and salt.
- Frozen corn: Use straight from the freezer, no prep needed.
- Chicken thighs or breasts: Thighs are extra tender and make the broth richer.
- Chicken stock or broth: Adds depth; choose a good-quality brand.
- Cream cheese: Softened for easy mixing, making the chili smooth and creamy.
- Seasonings: Adjust to taste; add more heat if you like!
Chicken Chili Toppings
While Chicken Chili is great on its own, toppings take it to the next level. Here are some ideas:
- Cheddar cheese: Freshly grate sharp cheese on top and let it melt into the chili.
- Sour cream: Light or fat-free works great, or substitute with plain Greek yogurt.
- Fresh lime juice: A few squeezes add brightness and enhance flavor.
- Chips: Crushed corn or tortilla chips add a nice crunch.
- Fresh cilantro: Adds freshness and a citrusy flavor. Don’t like cilantro? Use parsley!
- Avocado: Diced ripe avocado adds a nice creaminess.
How To Make Chicken Chili
- Prep: Add everything except cream cheese and toppings to the CrockPot.
- Cook: Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours or low for 5-8 hours.
- Shred: Remove and shred the chicken, then set aside.
- Add cream cheese: Soften and whisk it into the CrockPot until smooth.
- Finish: Add the shredded chicken back, stir, and serve with toppings.
Quick Tip
Have leftover Chicken Chili? Try these ideas:
- Shepherd’s Pie: Use chili as the base and top with mashed potatoes.
- Baked Potatoes: Add chili, cheese, chives, and sour cream to a baked potato.
- Navajo Tacos: Top fry bread with chili, cheese, and sour cream.
What To Serve With Chicken Chili
- Cornbread: The classic pairing and easy to make or buy.
- Grilled cheese: Perfect for dipping into chili.
- Salad: A light garden salad adds freshness.
- Fruit: This winter fruit salad is a great option.
Storage
Leftover Chicken Chili
- Fridge: Store cooled chili in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Warm on the stove or in the microwave over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth if needed to thin it out. - Freeze: Freeze in a flat airtight bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Popular Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Chili winner of dozens of chili cook-offs!
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili with fire-roasted green chiles
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup with carrots and broccoli
- Taco Chili with ground beef
- Creamy Vegetable Soup with potatoes and corn
Chicken Chili
This simple Chicken Chili is loaded with chicken, corn, and beans—the perfect hearty meal for any day of the week!
Equipment
- Crock-Pot 6-quart, or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce see note 1
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (16-ounce) can chili beans see note 2
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, see note 3
- 1 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
Seasonings
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- Toppings as desired see note 4
Instructions
- Add everything except the cream cheese and optional toppings to the Crock-Pot. Stir well, press chicken below liquid.
- Cover and cook on high for 3–5 hours or low for 5–8 hours, until the chicken easily shreds.
- Remove chicken, shred it with two forks, and set aside.
- Soften cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute then add to CrockPot. Briskly whisk in the softened cream cheese until fully melted and smooth.
- Add shredded chicken back into the CrockPot. Stir and taste for seasoning. Optionally, add 1–2 tablespoons lime juice.
- Ladle into bowls and add your favorite toppings.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Old El Paso® mild red enchilada sauce is my favorite.
Note 2: These beans come in seasoned chili sauce. If unavailable, use pinto or ranch beans and add more seasoning. Do not drain or rinse the chili beans before adding.
Note 3: Use 2–3 large breasts or 6–7 thighs. Thighs make the chicken extra tender and the chili base richer. Trim excess fat or gristle as needed. If using breasts, cut each into 3–4 pieces.
Note 4: Add extra flavor with toppings like extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, sour cream, lime, avocado, and tortilla chips.
Storage: Store cooled chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, warm it on the stove or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth if needed to thin it out. If freezing, transfer the cooled chili to a flat airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 584mg | Potassium: 532mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have all the ingredients except for a can of chili beans and cilantro (a must for me for anything related to chili or enchiladas). So excited to make this tomorrow!
Awesome!! I hope you love the soup! 🙂
Where can I find the nutritional info?
I would recommend My Fitness Pal 🙂 I’m working through adding nutrition labels to old recipes, but right now I only have them on my more recent ones
I made it with only one pound of chicken (since that’s what I had on hand), but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. (It was delicious by the way). With everything added up, the entire pot was 3,075 calories. Just divide that up into servings. I’m not sure on the other nutritional info, but that’s how the calories pan out anyway. It’s a great recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing the nutrition info Jade! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this soup!
What a fantastic recipe! We loved it! The flavors were even better the next day for lunch. Thank you for sharing
So happy to hear that Tina! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Can I skip the cream cheese and still have it come out good?
I’ve never tried it without cream cheese, but it is pretty integral to the creaminess and the overall recipe.
Totally, I skip it every time to cut out dairy and extra calories. Although I love cream cheese and know that it probably tastes even more amazing with it, it’s still delicious without. I actually have it in the crock pot right now(:
Can something else be substituted for cream cheese like sour cream or half & half? I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese flavor except on bagels. I used it in another recipe recently and it gave the food a weird flavor.
Just made this tonight. AMAZING. Entire family liked it, even my picky HUSBAND lol
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks so much Kimberly!
Can I use taco seasoning instead of spices?
I would stick to the spices if you can! They make a huge difference for this soup 🙂
I made this today for dinner and everyone loved it, including a picky 2 year old. Thank you for all of the great recipes! I will definitely be coming to your site more often.
I LOVE hearing that! Thank you so much for the comment Amanda! 🙂
I’m wanting to cook this, but can I use beef instead of chicken? If so would I need to substitute the chicken broth with water or just keep the recipe the same? Thanks.
Are you cooking the beef first? I would probably substitute beef broth in place of chicken broth. I’m not sure how well all the other flavors will go with it, but I think that should be better..
For the petite tomatoes with green chilies, can I use rotel instead?
Absolutely! 🙂
I made this the other week and it was so tasty. I’d like to make a big batch and freeze it in small portions for lunches. Do you think it would freeze well? I’m worried about the cream cheese.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! I haven’t ever tried freezing this, but I don’t think it would do too well because of the cream cheese. Wish I knew for sure! Hopefully someone else can chime in here!
Hm, maybe I’ll try freezing without the cream cheese and add that right before eating. I suppose freezing it would do strange things to the texture.
I make it all the time – it makes so much and I freeze the leftovers – it freezes great!
So glad to hear it! Thank you!
Oh so glad you said it freezes well. I deliberately searched recipes that freeze well on pinterest and this was in a huge compilation of them so when I saw that note in the recipe my heart sank. I’m making a week’s worth of frozen single meals for my truck driver boyfriend and this is in the crock pot now. All his favorite things so he should love it!