BBQ Chicken Chili

My BBQ chicken chili is a smoky, slightly sweet slow cooker dinner with fall-apart tender chicken, beans, corn, and a splash of bourbon for oaky depth. Just add everything to the crockpot, walk away, and come home to a rich, cozy pot of chili.

My BBQ chicken chili is one of those slow cooker recipes that feels almost too easy for how good it tastes. Just add everything to the crockpot, walk away, and come home to a chili that’s smoky, slightly sweet, and full of rich barbecue flavor.

As it simmers, the chicken becomes fall-apart tender and mingles with the beans, corn, and vegetables into a hearty, satisfying meal. Crushed tomatoes form the base, and barbecue sauce brings that signature smoky sweetness, but the ingredient that really sets this apart is a splash of bourbon. As it cooks down over those long hours, the alcohol simmers off and leaves behind a warm, oaky depth that makes the whole pot taste richer and more complex, like it took far more effort than tossing everything in a slow cooker. Cumin and smoked paprika round it out with earthy warmth.

I love topping a bowl with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, though a drizzle of honey is lovely if you like a touch more sweetness. It’s the kind of cozy dinner that’s perfect for busy days, chilly evenings, and anytime you want your slow cooker to do the heavy lifting.

How to use leftover chicken chili

All of my chili recipes are amazing as leftovers, so make extra for tomorrow! If you want something new, turn your leftovers into chili stuffed peppers. Or, make a version of these taco salad fries, using this chili in place of the taco meat. Or opt for indulgent chili dogs!

Can you freeze BBQ chicken chili?

Yes! This chili recipe freezes very well. Make sure that the chili has cooled to room temperature and then package it and put it into your freezer. These large stasher bags work well.

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BBQ Chicken Chili Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 hours hrs

Total: 10 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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A smoky, slightly sweet BBQ chicken chili made in the slow cooker with fall-apart tender chicken, beans, corn, and a splash of bourbon for extra depth. Just add everything to the crockpot and let it do the heavy lifting, then top with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

6

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 medium onion (diced)
• ▢ 2 carrots (diced)
• ▢ 2 red bell peppers (diced)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ ½ cup BBQ sauce
• ▢ ½ cup bourbon (can sub light beer or chicken stock)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Each: cumin, smoked paprika, and sea salt
• ▢ 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• ▢ Optional: 1-2 tablespoons honey (see notes)
• ▢ 3 chicken breasts (can sub 6 chicken thighs)
• ▢ 19 ounce can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn
• ▢ Optional toppings: grated cheese, sour cream, and cilantro

Instructions 

• Add all the ingredients EXCEPT the chicken breasts, kidney beans, corn and honey to your crockpot and stir to mix well. Taste the chili and add the honey if you would like it to be sweeter.
  1 medium onion, 2 carrots, 2 red bell peppers, 3 cloves garlic, ½ cup BBQ sauce, ½ cup bourbon, 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon Each: cumin, smoked paprika, and sea salt, 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, Optional: 1-2 tablespoons honey
• Nestle the chicken breasts on the top and set your crockpot to high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
  3 chicken breasts
• Remove the chicken from the crockpot. Add the corn and beans to the pot and stir. Shred the chicken using 2 forks then stir it back into the chili. Taste and season with sea salt then let the chili reheat for a few minutes before serving it. Serve topped with any or all of the toppings.
  19 ounce can kidney beans, 1 cup frozen corn, Optional toppings: grated cheese, sour cream, and cilantro

Notes

BBQ sauce can vary in sweetness. Taste the chili before adding the honey and only add it if you would like it to be sweeter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 335kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 48g (16%), Protein: 21g (42%), Fat: 3g (5%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 36mg (12%), Sodium: 1186mg (52%), Potassium: 1226mg (35%), Fiber: 11g (46%), Sugar: 19g (21%), Vitamin A: 6181IU (124%), Vitamin C: 69mg (84%), Calcium: 113mg (11%), Iron: 4mg (22%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

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