Want a light and healthy crockpot recipe for a busy weeknight? Look no further than this deliciously easy spicy chicken taco chili. Our family loves to use it for topping a baked potato but picky eaters may prefer a homemade taco bowl!

A baked potato is stuffed with crockpot chicken taco chili and then topped with corn and a dollop of sour cream.

With the school year starting back up, our family needs new easy dinner recipes I can turn to for busy weeknights.

While I love all the popular quick dinners for busy nights on my super-popular post, even my family craves something a little different once in a while.

With the girls in two different schools and with two very different schedules this fall, it is fantastic to have an easy crockpot recipe that I can toss into the pot before I run around for all the pick-ups.

Why This Recipe Works:

Just because we're busy doesn't mean I don't want something healthy I can feel good about feeling the family.

This crockpot chicken chili was a huge hit because:

It only takes 3 hours to make so I don't have to worry about it in the morning when I'm getting the kids off to school. I pop it in the crockpot right after lunch.
It uses ground chicken so it is lower in fat and better for our dinner.
It's loaded with seasonings so the meat isn't dry.
It's thick enough to use as for stuffed baked potatoes but also works great for a homemade rice bowl.

Jump to:

Why This Recipe Works:
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Serving Tips
Equipment
Storage
Top Tip
More Easy Crockpot Ideas:
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this chicken chili is nice and short.

Ground chicken
Your favorite jarred tomato sauce
Fire-roasted diced tomatoes
An onion
Your favorite taco seasoning

You can really mix and match the seasoning and sauces to make this dish as spicy or mild as your family prefers!

Instructions

First, build the chili sauce base:

A can of tomatoes and a jar of sauce are open and ready to be put into the crockpot.

Add HALF of a jar of your favorite tomato sauce to the crockpot.

Add the diced tomatoes, not drained. Sprinkle your favorite taco seasoning over the top and stir.

Browned ground chicken and a chopped onion are added to the sauce in the crockpot.

In a large skillet, add the canola oil and bring the pan up to medium heat.

Add the ground chicken and brown it while breaking it up with the back of a spoon.

Add the browned chicken and chopped onion to the sauce in the pot and stir.

Put the lid on the crockpot and cook on LOW for 2.5 - 3 hours.

Variations

The chili has been used to stuff a baked potato and also make a homemade burrito bowl with corn, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

You can tailor this crockpot chicken chili recipe to fit your family's preferences just by adjusting the heat flavor of the easy ingredients:

Mild - use a mild taco seasoning, plain diced tomatoes, and plain marinara for the jarred sauce
Extra-spicy - use Rotel with chilis instead of the fire-roasted and an arrabiatta tomato sauce
Super Veggie - add diced bell peppers to the saute pan and char them briefly before mixing with the ingredients in the crockpot

Serving Tips

I love that I can serve this thick chicken chili inside a stuffed baked potato or my picky eaters who don't like potatoes can make a homemade burrito bowl with leftover brown rice from another meal earlier in the week.

Toppings you may want to offer:

Corn: fresh cut from the cob or an easy bag of frozen
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Green onions or fresh chives

Equipment

Do not try to use a too-big slowcooker or your meal may burn at the bottom of the appliance. I tested this recipe in a 4.5-qt sized Crockpot and it worked perfectly with room to spare.

Storage

This recipe would freeze really well. You could store the chili in smaller, individual portions for thawing just a meal here or there.

Top Tip

While we love ground chicken in this recipe, you can also substitute ground beef or ground pork. Just be sure to completely brown the meat before adding it to the slowcooker.

More Easy Crockpot Ideas:

Need more inspiration for an easy weeknight dinner?

If you’ve tried this crockpot chicken taco chili or any other recipe on PeanutBlossom.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
FOLLOW along on Instagram @peanut.blossom as well as on Pinterest and Facebook.

📖 Recipe