Crockpot Creamy Taco Chicken Chili: This classic taco chicken chili is every family favorite recipe! Mostly using pantry ingredients, it is a cross between taco filling and nacho toppings with cream cheese that adds mild, sweet taste with a pleasant slight tang.
Nothing says salty comfort food in the winter months better than a big bowl of chicken chili. A packet of taco seasoning makes this super-flavorful and simple Mexican ingredients stand up to even the pickiest eaters. This is one family favorite meal, passed down from my mother to me, that doesn't disappoint! It is just as simple and delicious as this slow cooker BBQ Shredded Chicken recipe, and it belongs in your chicken freezer meals rotation.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 4-6 hours on low
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 to 6 people
- ⚡ Calories: 592kcal
- 🥣 Ingredients: 7 pantry items plus chicken breasts and cream cheese
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Taco-spiced, creamy and mildly tangy from the cream cheese, with sweet corn and black beans
- ✋ Difficulty: Dump, cook on low, shred the chicken with two forks. That is the whole recipe.
Quick Answer
Place 2 chicken breasts in the bottom of a crockpot and top with a drained 15 ounce can of corn, a rinsed 15 ounce can of black beans, a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilis, a drained 3.8 ounce can of sliced black olives, 8 ounces of cream cheese and one packet of mild taco seasoning. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally, then remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, stir it back in and serve with avocado, cilantro and tortilla chips.
Jump to:
It is bursting with a creamy rich blend of cream cheese and loaded with protein, fiber, vegetables, and lean shredded chicken breasts.
Creamy Taco Chicken Chili Tip: For a healthier meal with less calories and fat, use light or whipped cream cheese which has less fat than regular cream cheese.
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Low and slow keeps the chicken juicy. Four to six hours on low poaches the breasts in the tomato juices so they shred with two forks.
- Cream cheese melts into the base as it cooks, turning the canned tomatoes and chili juices into a creamy, mildly tangy sauce.
- One taco packet seasons everything. A 1 ounce (28 gram) packet is exactly enough for two breasts and four cans.
- Canned corn, beans and tomatoes mean no chopping, and the beans and corn add fiber that thickens the chili.
- Shredding at the end lets the chicken soak up the sauce before serving.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ten minutes of prep, the crockpot does the rest.
- Pantry ingredients plus chicken and cream cheese.
- Picky-eater approved, it tastes like taco night in a bowl.
- Naturally gluten-free; black beans are naturally gluten-free too, and my are beans gluten-free guide explains what to watch for in canned ones.
- Leftovers become nachos, burritos or healthy chicken enchiladas.
Key Ingredients and Equipment
Just a few pantry items, chicken breast (we love our Butcherbox organic chicken), cream cheese, and your favorite toppings is all you need to make a creamy taco chicken chili recipe.
- 2 white meat chicken breasts
- 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained, or use a bag of frozen corn
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilis, or a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 4 ounce can of diced green chilis
- 3.8 ounce can sliced black olives, drained
- 8 ounces cream cheese, we prefer light or whipped to keep the dish low fat
- 1 packet mild taco seasoning (or use spicy if you prefer), I like to use low sodium. A packet is 28 grams, which is 1 ounce net weight in case you are wondering how many grams in an ounce.
- Optional toppings: small avocado chunks, cilantro, tortilla chips
- Equipment: a crockpot or slow cooker, or an Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting
Full recipe ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below.
Using a Crockpot or Instant Pot Slow Cooker
Both a crock pot or an Instant Pot can be used for this creamy taco chicken chili recipe. Simply set a crockpot on low and cook for 4-6 hours, checking after 4 hours as it will be done by then. To use an Instant Pot Multi-Use Pressure Cooker set the setting to "slow cooker" and it should automatically go for 5 and a half hours. Shoot for anywhere from 4-6 hours like a crockpot.
Variations: Swap the chicken for ground turkey the way I do in my turkey chili with sweet potatoes, add a chipotle in adobo for smoke like my chicken chipotle chili, or leave the chicken out entirely for my vegetarian creamy taco chili.
How to Make Taco Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese
1First add the chicken to a slow cooker or crock pot. Then top it with the remaining ingredients of drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, tomatoes with chilis, drained olives, cream cheese, and the packet of taco seasoning.
2Set the crockpot on low and cook for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. Once done, remove the chicken and shred it on a cutting board with two forks.
3Return the shredded chicken to the pot, mix the ingredients together and serve with any optional toppings.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Check at 4 hours. Crockpots run at different temperatures; the chicken is done when it shreds easily.
- Let the cream cheese soften in. Stir once or twice during cooking so it melts evenly instead of sitting in a lump.
- Rinse the beans so the chili is not gray or overly salty.
- Lighten it up with light or whipped cream cheese and low sodium taco seasoning.
- Freeze it. The chili freezes for up to 3 months; thaw overnight and reheat on the stove, adding a splash of broth.
- Make a soup night of it with vegetarian tortilla soup, chicken tortilla soup or corn chowder another week.
Serving Ideas
Creamy taco chicken chili is mouthwatering to serve warm in bowl and enjoyed with your favorite toppings such as avocado, extra cheese, jalapenos, and fresh cilantro! But you can also serve it over tortilla chips as nachos, or in a tortilla and turned into a burrito. The same shredded chicken makes my healthy chicken enchiladas an easy next night dinner. Add a bowl of guacamole and a tray of simple nachos and it is game day.
Taco Chicken Chili FAQs
4-6 hours on low, depending on your crockpot. Check after 4 hours; it is done when the chicken shreds easily with two forks.
Yes. Set the Instant Pot to the slow cooker setting, which runs about 5 and a half hours, and shoot for 4-6 hours like a crockpot.
For food safety, thaw the chicken first so it spends less time in the temperature danger zone. Thawed breasts also shred more evenly in the 4-6 hour window.
Use light or whipped cream cheese, which has less fat than regular cream cheese, and choose a low sodium taco seasoning.
Yes, as long as your taco seasoning packet is labeled gluten-free. Canned black beans, corn, tomatoes and olives are naturally gluten-free.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of broth or water to loosen the cream cheese sauce.
Creamy Crockpot Taco Chicken Chili
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Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 15 ounce can whole kernel corn drained, or use a frozen bag of frozen corn
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilis or 1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes and a 4 ounce can of diced green chilis
- 3.8 ounce can sliced black olives drained
- 8 ounces cream cheese use light or light whipped for a low fat version
- 1 package mild taco mix I like to use low sodium
- optional toppings: small avocado chunks, cilantro, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Place chicken in the bottom of crockpot or slow cooker (can also use an Instant Pot with a slow cooker setting). Top chicken with corn, diced tomatoes and green chili, rinsed black beans, olives, cream cheese, and taco mix.
- Cook in crockpot 4-6 hours (depending on your crockpot) on low. Stir occasionally. When done, remove chicken and shred with 2 forks.
- Return chicken to chili and serve with any optional toppings.
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