Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili is the answer to “what’s for dinner?” With an abundance of tex mex spices and tender chicken, this tasty chili is going to be hit in your home. I know it!
Love chili? Be sure to try our classic slow cooker taco chili (made with beef)! Or this vegetarian chili recipe is a reader favorite.
Why this Recipe is Best
Here’s what I love about cooking in the crockpot: I can toss is a bunch of ingredients, and there’s a 90% chance it’s going to taste amazing.
Partly because I haven’t had to slave in the kitchen (easy food tastes better, it’s a fact), and partly because chili and soup in the crockpot is always amazing.
- The slow cooker is ideal for these kinds of recipes because the longer cooking time means all the flavors have a chance to mingle, meld and marry.
- That’s the key to amazing food in the crockpot: YOU HAVE TO SEASON IT. You can’t just toss in meat and veggies and expect delicious food.
And speaking of seasoning, have you all started making your own taco seasoning yet? No? You should. It’s so easy. Keep a small mason jar in your cabinet at all times people. ALL TIMES.
Ingredient Notes
This chili recipe calls for very few ingredients in proportion to the incredible flavor it delivers, compared to many similar taco chili recipes.
They’re also ingredients you’re likely to have on hand in your pantry and fridge already:
- Chicken breast– can also use chicken thighs
- Jarred Salsa
- Canned Beans
- Tomato Sauce
- Sweet Corn
- Taco Seasoning
- Optional toppings: sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, guacamole, shredded cheese, tortilla chips
Because it used all shelf-stable ingredients (minus the chicken), it’s a fantastic choice for winter when fresh seasonal produce is harder to come by.
How to Make Chicken Taco Chili
Writing out directions for making slow cooker chili almost feels laughable because it’s just so easy!
STEP 1. Put all ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook for six hours on low.
STEP 2. Shred the cooked chicken with a fork and serve!
That’s it. Truly. I can’t emphasize enough how nice it is to not have to chop, dice or sautee anything and still have a homemade bowl of delicious warming chili at the end of the day.
Slow Cooker Chili is easier than grabbing take out or fast food and so much more nourishing, too! I love the way the spices make my kitchen smell while this dish is cooking. By the time dinnertime arrives, we’re all anxiously awaiting diving into a hot bowl of taco chili.
I’ve also left this chili in the slow cooker for as many as 8 hours while out and about and it’s been great!
What should I serve with taco chili?
Most of the time I’ve made Chicken Taco Chili for dinner, I’ve served it with a batch of corn muffins and a simple side salad. It’s also heavenly with this Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread and Instant Pot Cornbread.
To really emphasize the “taco” in “Taco Chili”, serve this with crunchy corn tortilla chips on top! I also like to put diced avocado and a little shredded cheese on each bowl.
A few more fun topping ideas for Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili:
- Diced fresh or pickled jalapeños
- Minced red onion
- Fritos
- Pico de Gallo
- Cojita cheese
- Guacamole
- Taco sauce or hot sauce
If you’re making the chili in advance, be sure to wait until serving to add your toppings!
Tips and Tricks
- Salsa: Use a salsa you love! Most of the heat in this recipe comes from the jarred salsa. If you’re cooking for kids or folks who are sensitive to heat, start with a mild to medium salsa and adjust the other spices accordingly. I recommend a thick and chunky salsa style–the chunks of tomato and onion add so much to this chili!
- Beans: I used black beans and red kidney beans for our taco chili because that’s what I had on hand. Pinto beans would be a delicious substitute for either one, or you could use all black or all red beans. I drained the black beans but didn’t drain the red beans, as I like the thickness and saltiness it adds to the finished chili.
- Tomato sauce: Use a canned, unseasoned tomato sauce for this recipe. I almost always keep a few jars ready in the pantry for use in all kinds of recipes, including this chili.
- Storing the chili: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes well!
- Mango Guacamole: add a dollop to the top for a delicious, cool burst of flavor!
More Easy Dinner Recipes:
- Instant Pot Chili
- Smoky Sweet Potato Chili
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef
- Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Pumpkin Chili
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section below!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- 1 can sweet corn, don't drain 15.25 ounce
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 15 ounce
- 1 can dark red kidney beans, don't drain 15 ounce
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 ounce
- 1 cup salsa I used a thick and chunky style
- 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
- garnish with plain greek yogurt, shredded colby jack cheese and diced avocado
Instructions
- In a large crockpot, add chicken, corn, black beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, salsa and taco seasoning.
- Heat for at least 6 hours on low. Before serving, use two forks to shred chicken.
- To serve, top with shredded cheese, plain greek yogurt and some diced avocado. Serve with a salad and corn muffins! ENJOY
Notes
- Salsa: Use a salsa you love! Most of the heat in this recipe comes from the jarred salsa. If you’re cooking for kids or folks who are sensitive to heat, start with a mild to medium salsa and adjust the other spices accordingly. I recommend a thick and chunky salsa style–the chunks of tomato and onion add so much to this chili!
- Beans: I used black beans and red kidney beans for our taco chili because that’s what I had on hand. Pinto beans would be a delicious substitute for either one, or you could use all black or all red beans. I drained the black beans but didn’t drain the red beans, as I like the thickness and saltiness it adds to the finished chili.
- Tomato sauce: Use a canned, unseasoned tomato sauce for this recipe. I almost always keep a few jars ready in the pantry for use in all kinds of recipes, including this chili.
- Storing the chili: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes well!
Just made this for dinner and everyone loved it..I only had 3 chicken breasts so I added a can of pinto beans. I also added some chicken broth as it needed a bit more liquid. So good. Will definitely be making this again
This recipe is a big winner! My picky boys oved it!
This chili was super hearty and delicious, it was the perfect bowl of goodness to curl up on the couch with!
So delicious!!
This is hands down the best chili recipe ever! I could eat bowl after bowl of this! So yummy!
This was a nice change from my ground beef taco soup. I realized I didn’t have a can of corn, so I had to use frozen. I added a bit of water and salt to compensate, and it turned out delicious!
The pot and the recipe looks amazing!
This was a bit to spicy for me but I still really enjoyed it so am grateful for the share. What kind of camera did you use for this awesome dish?
I use a Nikon D5300 with a 50mm f1.4 lens 🙂
I’ve made this recipe before and loved it! Thanks for sharing. Do you think it’s doable without the chicken?
Absolutely!
I made this chili for dinner the other night. Was quick to put together and was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I agree – seasoning is key to good crockpot food. There aren’t many dishes where some caramelized onions wouldn’t be a good idea, either.
Mmmm. Taco chili. Yum!