We’re in the midst of a very cold stretch of weather in Nashville, so I decided to make her belly-warming Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili and am so glad I did – it turned out amazing! This chili is made low-and-slow in the crock-pot with bone-in chicken, which results in super tender, flavorful chicken.
It’s packed with sautéed onions/garlic/jalapenos, white beans, hominy, green chiles, and bold spices for lots of depth, plus lime and cilantro for brightness. My husband and I loved it (which wasn’t surprising, as we love soups/stews like this), and I was thrilled to see that my 2-year-old gobbled it up, too!
While it has a ton of flavor, it’s not super spicy (jalapeños mellow out significantly after sautéing), so she devoured it. After a chilly day, this was a perfect way to deliciously warm ourselves up.

Slow-Cooker Chicken, White Bean, + Hominy Chili
Ingredients
Method
- In a blender, puree 2 cups of the broth and 1 can of hominy until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 6-7 quart slow-cooker.
- In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili powder, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onions are softened. Add the remaining 1 cup of the broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add this mixture to the slow-cooker.
- Add the beans, remaining 1 can hominy, + diced green chiles to the slow-cooker, and stir everything to combine well.
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and place the pieces into the slow-cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the slow cooker to a plate or cutting board, and let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat into large bite-size pieces with two forks.
- Skim any fat off of the surface of the chili in the slow-cooker with a ladle.
- Add the shredded chicken back into the slow-cooker, along with the juice of 1 lime, cilantro, and salt + pepper to taste.
- Cover, and leave the cooker on warm until you are ready to serve.
- Serve with the toppings of your choosing, such as extra cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, and/or cotija cheese.

