This easy Green Chili Chicken is perfect for nachos, tacos, stuffed peppers, and more! This low carb, gluten free, slow cooker chicken recipe is the best busy weekday dinner.
This easy slow cooker chicken recipe is creamy and full of flavor! It is incredibly easy – Just toss all the ingredients into the pot, turn it on low, and ignore it while the slow cooker does all the work! All you have to do is shred the chicken and stir the mixture. It is perfect for beginner cooks, busy families, and meal preppers!
This Green Chili Chicken can be made ahead of time and reheated easily, or you can even portion it out and freeze it for long-term meal planning! While it does make AMAZING nachos, you will also love it in a tortilla for chimichangas, in a shell for hard tacos, or wrapped in lettuce for a healthy wrap. This recipe is so versatile, and you will find many uses for this delicious chicken.
Green Chili Chicken Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what you will need for this chicken recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card.
- Chicken – Boneless & skinless. I used breasts in this recipe, but you could easily use tenders or thighs if you prefer. I recommend trimming your cuts well; leaving fat or skin on your chicken can lead to the dish feeling a bit greasy.
- Cream cheese – You can use full fat or low fat in this recipe. Allow your cream cheese to soften and come to room temperature before cooking. This will help the cream cheese dissolve smoothly.
- Green chilis – These canned peppers aren’t super spicy, but they give a nice, flavorful kick to the chicken! If you prefer spicier, swap these out for jalapenos. If you like it milder, stick with one can instead of two.
- Taco seasoning – I used a packet of seasoning, but you could make your own using this easy recipe.
How to make Green Chili Chicken in the Slow Cooker
This is SO incredibly easy! It is a great dump-and-go recipe; here is a step-by-step guide.
Cook
Place the chicken, cream cheese, taco seasoning, and green chilis in the slow cooker. If you want the mixing to be super quick, you could mix together the softened cream cheese, taco seasoning, and green chilis before adding the chicken, but it is not necessary.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 3-4 hours.
Shred & Stir
Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. While the chicken is out of the pot, give the liquid in the pot a good stir – Mix until cream cheese is smooth. Add the chicken back in and stir to coat the chicken in the tasty, creamy sauce.
Serve
Once the mixture is well mixed, scoop and serve immediately! This is amazing on a bed of chips for some Air Fryer Nachos or on a bed of lettuce for Taco Salad. Use it as a filling for Taco Zucchini Boats or in these easy Crispy Tortilla Hacks. It’s also delicious as a dip with sweet peppers, salsa, queso, and salsa verde!
Storage and Freezing
This chicken dish should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days. Allow the chicken to completely cool before placing in a freezer-safe container. Any residual heat will turn into condensation which can lead to freezer burn. For individual portions, divide into 6 bags, 1/4 pound each.
Reheat
You can reheat this green chili chicken in the microwave, in a pot on the stove, in the oven, or in a slow cooker. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each blast, until warmed throughout for the quickest method. This works great for potlucks–You can reheat on low in a slow cooker and keep it warm for hours if needed.
FAQs about slow cooker chicken
What size slow cooker should I use?
This recipe works best in a smaller crock pot, preferably a slow cooker between 1.5 quarts and 3 quarts. I used this 2-qt crock pot. Using a very large slow cooker may cause the ingredients to burn.
Is this chicken spicy?
No, the green chilis are quite mild, and the addition of cream cheese tones down much spice. If you prefer spicier, you can use a spicy taco seasoning, use jalapenos instead of green chilis, or add a couple tablespoons of hot sauce.
Why is my cream cheese clumpy?
Cream cheese has to heat up VERY slowly to melt super smoothly. If the cream cheese is still cold when it goes into the pot, there is a good chance it may not be very smooth. But that is okay! Mix it up as well as you can, then continue mixing when you add the chicken back in. It will become creamy.
More easy meal prep recipes:
Slow Cooker Green Chili Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or tenderloins work great
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1-ounce packet taco seasoning or homemade
- 2 4-ounce cans green chili undrained
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- Remove chicken and shred. Stir cream cheese until dissolved. Add chicken back to the pot.
- Stir well to coat the chicken, then serve immediately.