January 18, 2016

Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili with Quinoa

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This super easy slow cooker green chicken chili is healthy, protein packed and full of flavor! A game day or dinnertime staple, it’s filled with quinoa, bell peppers and salsa verde. Let your crockpot do all the work! Dairy free and gluten free.

A white bowl filled with Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili topped with avocado and cilantro.

I made us dinner! A slow cooker dinner. That’s perfect for a regular day or even for that big fat football game coming up. You know the one.

And, there’s salsa verde involved. Which I love. Hence the green in this slow cooker green chicken chili.

Even though it clearly is not at all that color. Hence my attempt to make it look that way with the avocado and cilantro.

So, this may sound ridiculous, but I always feel like such a champ when I have dinner going in the slow cooker before I start work. 

More than likely, this sense of accomplishment stems from the fact that I know I can just park my butt on the couch after work and not have to do anything. Yesss.

But I digress. Let’s actually discuss the chili shall we?

Today’s recipe is pretty much the chicken version of this white bean salsa verde chili with lentils and quinoa.

So to all my vegetarian and vegan readers – you should totally 100% absolutely go check that one out. It’s still hands down my all-time favorite veggie chili.

A white bowl filled with Crockpot Chicken Green Chili with a spoon in the bowl.

Now, if you read that post from last year, you’ll know that I attempted way too many times to get that veggie version to work in my trusty crockpot.

Which was a complete disaster. 

And since I have an obsessive personality, I still haven’t been able to let it go. Well over a year later. Oy.

Bu, the good news for me is that I finally gave up slightly and tried it with chicken instead of lentils (and a few other minor modifications). Which finally, finallllly, resulted in success.

Packed with protein, plenty of flavor and a sort of almost creaminess from the quinoa … this chili wins. Especially, especially, if you load it up with toppings.

Which in my mind is one of the very best parts about any sort of chili. Am I right or am I right?

A white bowl filled with Slow Cooker Green Chili Chicken with a spoon in the bowl.

Additional Chili Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

A healthy and protein packed slow cooker green chicken chili recipe! Filled with quinoa, white beans, peppers and salsa verde! So easy to make!

Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili with Quinoa

Yield: 5 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

This super easy slow cooker green chicken chili is healthy, protein packed and full of flavor! A game day or dinnertime staple, it’s filled with quinoa, bell peppers and salsa verde. Let your crockpot do all the work! Dairy free and gluten free.

Ingredients

For the chili:

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium green peppers, diced
  • 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup your favorite salsa verde
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • ¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Topping ideas:

  • sliced green onions
  • chopped fresh cilantro
  • sliced avocado
  • shredded regular or dairy free cheese
  • plain greek yogurt or dairy free plain yogurt
  • tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large crockpot. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
  2. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the chili to the crockpot and give it a stir. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours. The chili should have thickened up and the chicken should be really tender.
  3. Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and shred with two forks (alternatively, you can do this right in the slow cooker). Add back to the crockpot. Give the chili a good stir, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed (I usually add about ½ teaspoon more salt, but this will depend on the salsa you are using!).
  4. Spoon into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Notes

As with all slow cooker recipes, know your crockpot! They all cook a bit different and yours may cook slightly slower or faster than mine.

As written, the chili is nice and thick. If desired, you can always add additional broth after cooking to loosen it up to your desired consistency.

Be sure to serve with appropriate toppings to keep this dairy free.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 367Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 1096mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 12gSugar: 7gProtein: 28g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dish
Crockpot, Dairy Free, Freezer-Friendly, Game Day, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes (ALL), Soups
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