Deliciously simple, this Green Chili Chicken Crockpot Recipe is the ultimate meal prep idea for busy nights. The chicken cooks up tender and juicy with bold, zesty flavor in every bite. Made with just 5 main ingredients, this gluten-free weeknight dinner is as easy as it is reliable.
"The chicken is so juicy and the salsa verde adds the perfect kick. Used it in a chicken taco and it was the perfect meal. So simple to make yet so delicious!" -Elizabeth
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 6 hrs
- 👪Serves: 8
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 129 kcals and 24 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, salsa verde, diced green chiles, and dairy-free cream cheese.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, high protein, and low carb.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This crockpot green chicken chili is tender, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
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Busy weeknights just got better with this green chili chicken! It’s a super creamy, flavor-packed shredded chicken you can make effortlessly in the slow cooker. Recipes like this (and my slow cooker beef fajitas) are exactly why I lean on crockpot meals when the day gets hectic.
We use it for chicken tacos, piled onto burrito bowls, or mixed into noodles for a quick pasta night. It’s a versatile dinner, much like this gluten-free sheet pan Hawaiian chicken, and one you’ll want to bookmark. Before you start, learn everything you need to know about slow cookers so this recipe turns out perfectly every time.
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💭Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: This gluten-free dinner is a dump-and-go slow cooker meal. Add the main ingredients into your crockpot in the morning and come home to finish it off in just a few minutes.
Meal prep: It makes the juiciest shredded chicken with green chilis, which can then be used in so many ways to create new dinners.
Adjustable: This chicken comes with a bit of a kick from the salsa verde. Scale back the spice by adding a little less and making it a bit more kid-friendly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Make sure to use boneless chicken breasts, as you’ll need to shred them. You can also use chicken thighs, but know that much more juice will be given off. The same goes for this 5-ingredient crockpot chicken.
- Dairy-free cream cheese: Regular cream cheese works too. Use whichever brand suits your personal preferences (I personally like Violife).
- Diced green chilis: You buy these in a can at the store (they are what make the dish spicy), or you can chop up some fresh jalapenos yourself. Make sure to only add the seeds of the jalapenos, though, if you LOVE spice. This slow cooker Chipotle chicken is a great one for spice-lovers, too.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Make a full meal: Add some black beans and frozen corn for a heartier meal. This is a great way to stretch it for large families.
Regular salsa: If making this for kids, you can replace the salsa in place of the verde one to cut back on the spice.
Seasonings: Make your own tastes by adding garlic powder, cumin, or poblano peppers.
How To Make Green Chili Chicken in the Crockpot
Step 1: Add the chicken breasts, salsa verde, and salt to the slow cooker and stir to coat.
Step 2: Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low.
Step 3: Use a fork to shred the chicken.
Step 4: add the dairy-free cream cheese and green chilis.
Step 5: Stir until the cream cheese is melted and everything is mixed.
Step 6: Serve with your favorite toppings
Expert Tips
Soften the cream cheese before adding it. This way it blends quicker. Also, make sure to use a full-fat one. The light cream cheese blends don’t mix as well and you'll have a waterier base.
Likewise, to eliminate a bit of spice in the shredded chicken, scale down the green chilis.
Store leftover green chili chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe bag or container after letting it cool for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave in intervals or in a small pot on the stove over low to medium heat.
How To Serve The Shredded Chicken
The reason that this slow cooker green chili chicken makes such a great meal prep recipe is that it can be used for almost everything. Plus, it packs a punch of protein. Learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet and why you want to amp it up!
- Tacos: Serve the shredded green chili chicken with warm gluten-free tortillas (or keto tortillas if necessary) along with cashew sour cream, lime wedges, avocados, and veggoes.
- Pasta: Mix the chicken in with gluten-free noodles to make pasta, on top of zucchini noodle bowls, over rice for stir fry, or just on top of my salad for lunch.
- Quesadilla: My daughter especially loves this crockpot green chili chicken in a quesadilla with extra cheese for lunch, or you can learn how to make hard shell tacos for a whole new, tasty dinner.
Crockpot Green Chili Chicken FAQs
For the most part, green chilis and jalapenos are the same. Both come from the green chile family. Some cooks may use them uniquely in dishes, but for everyday cooking, they can be interchanged.
Salsa verde is a spicy salsa made from tomatillos (green tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, lime, and seasonings.
Yes! Let it cool completely and then store it in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Like this, it will keep for roughly three months. To thaw it, let it sit in the fridge overnight (there may be some extra liquid). Reheat it on the stove over low to medium heat.
Chicken breasts are the best cut to use for shredding. They cook easily, don't release as much juice as breasts, and shred easily with two forks.
It's not recommended to use frozen chicken in the slow cooker as it doesn't cook quickly enough to stay out of the danger zone. Instead, thaw your chicken first in a water bath before using it in your slow cooker.
More Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Recipes
If you tried this Crockpot Green Chili Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
- 16 ounce jar salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 8 ounces Dairy-free cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces Diced green chiles
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts, the jar of salsa, and salt to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to coat the chicken evenly in the salsa.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
- Carefully shred the chicken breasts in the crock pot with two forks.
- Turn to low and add the cream cheese, and green chilis, stir together until cream cheese is melted and everything is mixed well.
- Serve as is, or in warmed tortillas and served with toppings of your choice.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Sapphire says
I made this crockpot green chili chicken for a dinner party last weekend. Everyone loved how tender and flavorful the chicken was and the spice level was just right for my taste. We enjoyed it in quesadillas and it's definitely a perfect meal that I'll be making again and again!
fitasamamabear says
Omg in quesadillas, yum!
Elizabeth says
The chicken is so juicy and the salsa verde adds the perfect kick. Used it in a chicken taco and it was the perfect meal. So simple to make yet so delicious!
fitasamamabear says
Happy you liked it!
Hannah says
I'm shocked by how delicious this is! With so few ingredients, I was a little hesitant. But it was awesome! The people at our Super Bowl party LOVED it. Thanks!
fitasamamabear says
Simple is key lol
Yuri says
Used regular salsa instead of salsa verde to tone down the spice a bit, and it was perfect. The cream cheese added a nice creaminess to the dish - definitely making this again! Thank you for the tip about softening the cream cheese first, made it so much easier to blend!
fitasamamabear says
Ohh perfect! Yep any salsa should work, and that's an easy flavor switch.
Ross says
Used dairy-free cream cheese for a lighter version, and it added a nice creaminess to the dish. Loved how versatile it was, served it over cauliflower rice for a complete meal.
fitasamamabear says
So happy you liked it!
Joanna says
I loved this with tacos! Very simple too. The flavors are amazing, It was creamy and a bit spicy.
fitasamamabear says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Maya says
I went on adding some sprinkles of chili flakes (was really craving some spicy) - literally the ones I made were devoured by my friends and me! What a bomb
fitasamamabear says
Mmm chili flakes make everything better!
Tommy says
This was my first time using Daiya cream cheese and loved it! The chicken came out great and I'm actually looking forward to the leftovers.
fitasamamabear says
I don't use it all the time but it's a nice twist when I do! Glad you liked it.
Pearl says
The salsa verde and diced green chilis add so much flavor to the chicken. And the chicken was fork-tender. My husband is super impressed with my cooking.
fitasamamabear says
Yay!
Kari says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! My taste buds are forever grateful! ☺️
Love how this is easy to make.
The spice level is just right but if you want more kick, it's pretty easy to adjust.
fitasamamabear says
Glad you enjoyed it!