This Slow Cooker Sweet & Smoky BBQ Chicken Chili is seriously amazing and a family favorite around here! A touch of smoky, a touch sweetness, and incredibly delicious. I can guarantee it’s going to become a favorite of yours too.
(First Posted this Slow Cooker Sweet & Smoky BBQ Chicken Chili November 7, 2016 – REPOSTING IT TODAY BECAUSE IT’S SOOO GOOD)
It’s November which usually in Utah means cold temps and most likely snow. Well, we have no snow and it’s still in the mid to upper 60s.
I’m not complaining, I am loving this weather, but soups and chilis are my favorite things to make this time of year, and eating a bowl of soup or chili for dinner when it’s 65 degrees outside just isn’t quite as warm and comforting.
Clearly I’m not letting that bother me though.
I have been so excited to share this recipe with you. This Slow Cooker Sweet & Smoky BBQ Chicken Chili completely blew us all away the other night. We ate every last drop. Braydon informed me he could eat it every night and not get sick of it. Now coming from Braydon you have no idea how HUGE that is because he is so, so picky!
I actually made it two nights in a row because I didn’t get any photos the first night. I didn’t have a single complaint when my boys sat down to eat it a second time for dinner.
This slow cooker chicken chili is one of the easiest slow cooker recipes you’ll ever make, There’s no browning or sautéing before hand. It’s just one of those dump and walk away recipes. The smoky flavor paired with the sweet it spot on. The flavor is out of this world. It’s a nice change from your traditional ground beef chili and/or white chicken chili.
Line up of ingredients:
- Chicken Breasts: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. I’m just not a fan of them.
- Onion Powder: if you’d rather use chopped onion you can, I just like the convenience of onion powder.
- Garlic: if you love garlic, feel free to add more.
- Ketchup: adds flavor.
- BBQ Sauce: give this chili such great flavor.
- Brown sugar: adds a little sweetness and balances out the spices and tang in this dish.
- Yellow mustard: just a little adds a slight tang to the chili.
- Apple cider vinegar: pairs perfectly with the smoky-spiciness of this chili.
- Worcestershire sauce: adds flavor.
- Beans: I use a combination of pinto, kidney and cannellini beans. You can use a different combination if you’d like. DON’T DRAIN THEM!
- Green chiles: canned green chiles add flavor and a little heat.
- Liquid smoke: adds a fantastic smoky flavor to this chili.
- Spices: Lots of yummy spices that add great flavor! loaded up this chili with chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin.
- Chicken broth: low sodium or regular is fine.
- Cornstarch: helps slightly thicken the chili
A few tips and tricks:
- Make sure you use smoked paprika, it truly makes all the difference in this chili.
- If you’re not familiar with liquid smoke it’s usually found down the condiments aisle next to the BBQ sauces. It’s really inexpensive and is definitely a star ingredient in this chili. Don’t leave it out!
- Use a good quality BBQ sauce. Sweet Baby Ray’s is our absolutely favorite BBQ sauce and it’s what I use in this recipe.
Please just promise me you’ll try this. I can almost guarantee you will be so happy you did.
Can I make this on the stovetop?
Yes you can and it’s really simple! Brown the chicken for a few minutes in a large pot, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred it and put it back in your pot.
If you love this chili, I think you’ll love this Turkey Pumpkin Chili and this 30-Minute White Chicken Chili.
Print
Slow Cooker Sweet & Smoky BBQ Chicken Chili
- Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cans (16 oz) cannellini beans undrained
- 1 can (16 oz) kidney beans undrained
- 1 can pinto beans undrained
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz. can) mixed with 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- Hot sauce or Sriracha, optional
Garnishes:
- Cilantro
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips/strips
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker drizzle with olive oil.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and give it a good stir.
- Cook on low 5-6 hours or on high 3-4 hours. When chicken is tender, remove to a plate and shred, return to slow cooker. Cook an additional 20-30 minutes.
- Add a few dashes of hot sauce or Sriracha, if desired.
- Garnish with cheese, cilantro, sour cream, and chips.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Soups/Chili
Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from Carlsbad Cravings
I made this tonight with the cornbread recipe you recently posted, and it was all amazing! Even my 18 month old loved it.
Thanks Chelsea! I’m so happy you loved it. It’s become a favorite at our house.
Does the chicken need to be defrosted? Thanks!
Hi Heather! The chicken can be frozen or defrosted.
The last couple weeks have been a 5 boys baker kitchen. I have been making something from your blog every day and today was no different. We had my married kids over for their Anniversary dinner and made this chili and I got 2 thumbs up from both of them. This was SOOOOO GOOD and so simple. I keep thinking there is bound to be something we don’t necessarily care for, but so far EVERYTHING I have made has been a hit. Yippee!!!
Thanks Shelly! I love getting comments so thanks for taking the time to leave them. Glad I can help make you look amazing in the kitchen (lol!).
What size crockpot.. how many servings in this recipe?
I use my 6 quart slow cooker. This easily serves 8-10. I hope you love it.
Can this recipe be doubled to serve more people. And is so, how long should it cook
Hi Peggy! Yes, of course you can double this, as long as your slow cooker is big enough. You will not need to increase the cooking time if you double it.
Do you think a 6 qt is large enough? I am entering a Chile cookoff and saw this, it would be different from your regular one. I need at least one that serves 12-15 people.
Thanks
Hey Peggy, a 6-quart should be fine. It might be filled almost to the rim, but I think you should be ok. This chili is honestly one of my favorites. It’s different from most chilis and anyone I have ever made this for, has asked me for the recipe. It’s delicious! Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Thank you!!
My chili is more like a soup, not thick. What can I do to thicken. Was thinking of making second batch, draining all beans & mix both
together.
Hi Peggy! This isn’t a thick chili, but if yours is runnier than you want it to be, you can dissolve a tablespoon or two of cornstarch into a little water and make a slurry, then stir it into your chili. This should help thicken it up.
I was looking to try a new chill recipe and came across yours. I made a few substitutions (Due to not having everything on hand, and didn’t feel like going to the grocery store). Anyway, I used ground chuck instead of chicken, and added a green bell pepper, white onion, and jalapeño (with seeds). I also didn’t have any ketchup on hand, so i used a can of tomato sauce. I cooked it in my pressure cooker for 20 minutes. When it was ready, it was too soupy for my liking, so I added a little water and flour slurry and cooked it for 5 more minutes in the pressure cooker. I paired the chill with some Cheddar Cornbread.
Everyone in my home enjoyed it. I’ll try making it according to the recipe next time.
Thanks for sharing.