Crack Chicken Chili

4.98 from 44 votes

Crack Chicken Chili is hearty and flavorful comfort food that cooks itself in the crockpot. Loaded with protein, fiber, and plenty of ranch seasoning and cream cheese, there's nothing better than a big bowl of homemade chili.

Prep Time10

Cook Time4

Total Time4 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cup servings

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

2½ cups chicken broth
15.25 ounce can of southwest corn with poblano and red peppers do not drain
10 ounce can mild Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies do not drain
1 ounce packet ranch seasoning mix
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 medium-sized boneless skinless chicken breasts
15.25 ounce can of black beans drained and rinsed
1¼ cups cooked and crumbled smoked bacon
8 ounce package of cream cheese cubed
2 cups fresh shredded Colby and Monterey jack cheese
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro optional garnish

Instructions

Lightly spray the inside of a 5 to 7-quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray, or use a disposable crock pot liner.
Add the chicken broth, southwest corn, Rotel, ranch mix, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine.
Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom of the prepared crock pot.
Sprinkle the black beans on top of the chicken.
Pour the chicken broth mixture over the black bean layer.
Sprinkle the crumbled cooked bacon over the broth mixture.
Top the bacon layer with the cubed cream cheese. Cook on high temperature for 4 hours or 6 hours on low temperature.
When the chili has finished cooking, remove the chicken breasts. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
Before returning the chicken to the crock pot, stir the broth and cream cheese until the cream cheese is evenly distributed and melted.
Stir in the shredded cheese.
Add the shredded chicken back into the crock pot and stir to combine. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve while hot.

Notes

Servings: 10 - 1 cup servings

Cook Time: 4 hours on High - or - 6 hours on Low

Storage:

To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: This chili freezes very well for up to 3 months. Allow the chili to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To Reheat: Reheat the chili on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.

Tips:

I prefer to use full fat cream cheese for this recipe. You can use reduced-fat cream cheese, but it won’t be as thick or creamy.
Use fresh shredded cheese instead of packaged pre-shredded cheese. They have additives in the bags to prevent clumping and they do not melt as well as a block of cheese that you shred yourself.
If you choose to freeze the chili, you can freeze it in individual containers for a school lunch or work lunch option.
You can serve the chili with crackers, over rice, with cornbread (my favorite), or with corn chips.

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