BBQ Chicken Chili combines tender slow-cooked chicken, three types of beans, smoky spices, and tangy barbecue-style seasonings for a warm, comforting meal. Slightly sweet, mildly smoky, and loaded with hearty texture, this chili is easy to prepare and perfect for family dinners, meal prep, or crowd-pleasing game day feasts.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love this recipe because it transforms simple pantry staples into a deeply flavorful chili with minimal effort. The slow cooker does all the work, allowing the chicken to cook low and slow until it shreds perfectly into the rich, smoky broth. The combination of BBQ-inspired ingredients—ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and liquid smoke—creates a unique twist on classic chili that is both comforting and irresistible.

BBQ Chicken Chili

BBQ Chicken Chili is a delicious fusion of classic chili and smoky barbecue flavors, bringing together the best of both comfort-food worlds. With its tender shredded chicken, hearty beans, and rich tomato-based broth, this dish is satisfying, warm, and completely crowd-pleasing.

The beauty of this recipe lies in how simple it is to prepare. The slow cooker handles the bulk of the work, allowing the chicken breasts to braise low and slow in a flavorful mixture of spices, vinegar, mustard, beans, and broth. The result is chicken so tender it practically falls apart on its own.

What makes this chili stand out is its unmistakable barbecue flavor profile. Ingredients like ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard deliver sweetness, tang, depth, and complexity. These familiar BBQ flavors transform traditional chili into something bold, smoky, and incredibly comforting.

Liquid smoke and smoked paprika give the dish its signature campfire aroma without requiring a smoker or grill. Combined with chili powder and cumin, the spice blend adds warmth without overwhelming heat, making this recipe family-friendly and adaptable to different palates.

The mixture of cannellini, kidney, and pinto beans creates a hearty, thick texture that makes every spoonful satisfying. Each bean contributes a slightly different flavor and firmness, giving this chili balance and substance.

This recipe is also incredibly flexible. You can make it thicker by letting it simmer longer or thin it out by adding extra broth. You can also adjust sweetness, smokiness, or heat based on your preferences. It’s the kind of recipe that welcomes personalization without losing its identity.

BBQ Chicken Chili fits naturally into busy schedules because it’s almost entirely hands-off. Just load the slow cooker, let it run, then shred the chicken and serve. It’s perfect for workdays, busy weekends, or cold nights when you want something warm and ready to eat.

This chili also reheats beautifully, making it an excellent choice for meal prep or leftovers. The flavors deepen as it rests, producing an even richer taste the next day. It freezes well, too, so you can keep a batch on hand for quick dinners.

For gatherings, this recipe is a guaranteed hit. You can set up a chili bar with toppings like cheese, bacon, cilantro, and tortilla chips, allowing guests to customize their bowls. It’s perfect for football nights, potlucks, or casual dinners with friends.

Ultimately, BBQ Chicken Chili is comfort in a bowl—warm, smoky, tangy, sweet, and loaded with satisfying texture. Whether you’re looking for a simple weeknight dinner or a hearty meal to feed a crowd, this chili delivers flavor in every spoonful.

Servings & Time

Servings: 6–8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6–8 hours (low) or 3–4 hours (high)
Shredding Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6–8½ hours

Ingredients

Chili

• 1 pound chicken breasts

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 (16 oz) can cannellini beans, undrained

• 1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, undrained

• 1 (14 oz) can pinto beans, undrained

• 1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chilies

• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon EACH ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 (14.5 oz) can low sodium chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• Hot sauce to taste (added at the end)

Optional Garnishes

• Cilantro

• Cheese

• Sour cream

• Bacon

• Tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Grease a 6-quart slow cooker and place chicken breasts inside.

2. Drizzle chicken with olive oil.

3. Add all remaining ingredients except hot sauce, then stir gently.

4. Cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, checking early for thin chicken breasts.

5. Remove chicken, shred on a cutting board, and return to the chili.

6. Cook an additional 20 minutes on LOW to blend flavors.

7. Add extra broth or water for a thinner chili if desired.

8. Stir in hot sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

9. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese, cilantro, bacon, sour cream, or tortilla chips.

Tips

Ingredient Substitutions

• Use boneless chicken thighs for richer flavor.

• Replace ketchup with BBQ sauce for stronger barbecue notes.

• Swap beans for black beans or navy beans.

Make-Ahead & Storage

• Refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container.

• Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

• Chili thickens overnight—add broth when reheating if needed.

Serving Variations

• Serve over rice, baked potatoes, or cornbread.

• Add corn kernels for extra sweetness.

• Top with pickled jalapeños for heat.

Avoid Common Mistakes

• Don’t skip the cornstarch slurry—it’s key for thickness.

• Avoid overcooking chicken on HIGH to prevent dryness.

• Be sure to taste and season again at the end.