Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili is ridiculously creamy and jam-packed with zesty flavor! It’s one of Hubby’s favorites, and because it cooks low and slow in the slow cooker, it’s one of mine too! Conquer those hectic winter days with a fabulous dish packed with white meat and peppers! You will love this unique twist on traditional chili made with tomatoes and ground beef. Be sure to try my Slow Cooker Southwestern Beef Chili recipe for another delicious dinner option!
What makes this dish so amazing? It’s all in the roasted peppers! Poblano peppers are chili peppers that have a very low heat index. Their mild flavor make them an excellent addition to family-style meals when you want just a pinch of heat, but not a punch! If you’d like a spicier version, feel free to throw in some chopped jalapeños or canned chili peppers. The cream cheese in this chili produces a rich creamy sauce that is absolutely heavenly!
Favorite Soups
Smoky Corn Chowder 
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup 
Slow Cooker Southwestern Beef Chili
How to roast Poblano Peppers (or any pepper!)
Roasting peppers enhances their natural flavor and adds a hint of smokiness to your dishes. I like to roast peppers for soups, chilis, and stews. It sounds like a lot of extra work, but roasting is actually very simple. While the peppers are in the oven, I go ahead and prep the other ingredients so no time is wasted.
- Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Wash and dry peppers. Cut peppers in half and remove the seeds. Place peppers (skin side up) on baking sheet. Broil on LOW for about 15 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred.
- Allow peppers to cool before handling. Carefully, remove the peeling. It’s okay if some of the peeling remains. Chop peppers into pieces and set aside.
How to make Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili
This Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili Recipe requires some roasting and chopping, but after that, everything goes into one pot and cooks easily. Set your slow cooker and feel free to go about your day! And bonus…leftovers taste even better!!
Equipment Used
- Cutting Board – used for chopping vegetables
- Baking Sheet – used for roasting peppers
- Slow Cooker – used for cooking the chili
- Lemon/lime Press – used for juicing lime into the chili
Ingredient List
- Meat – rotisserie chicken
- Vegetables – poblano peppers, onion, garlic, creamed corn (canned or fresh), cannellini beans
- Fruit – Lime
- Herbs and Spices – cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, coriander, salt and pepper, cilantro or parsley (taste preference)
- Creamy Sauce – chicken broth, half and half, cream cheese, cornstarch
There are a lot of spices in this chili, but most of these spices are ones that I keep readily on hand. If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken to shred, feel free to use frozen chicken breasts (cooked and shredded) or any other cooked chicken option. As for the cilantro, my family is not crazy about its overwhelming flavor, so I substituted with parsley. Parsley has the same look, but it has a very mild flavor.
Recipe Preparation
- Peel and chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Wash the cilantro or parsley well, and chop roughly,
- In a large slow cooker, add the chopped onion, cloves of garlic, and parsley. Drain and rinse cannellini beans, then add to chopped vegetables. Add chopped roasted poblano peppers, creamed corn, chicken, all spices, chicken broth, and half and half.
- Cut cream cheese into chunks and add to the slow cooker.
- Cut lime in half and juice half a lime into the chili mixture using a lemon/lime press.
- Stir all ingredients well to combine. Cook on LOW for 6 hours, or until cream cheese is completely melted and chili is creamy.
- If the Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili is thinner than you prefer, you may add a roux of cornstarch and water to your desired thickness. Add half a cup of water to a bowl and stir in 2 Tablespoons cornstarch until blended smooth. Slowly add the cornstarch, stirring the chili to combine, until thickened. Note: Chili will thicken as it sets.
Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded (or cooked chicken breasts)
- 3 poblano peppers roasted and chopped
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1/3 cup cilantro or parsley chopped
- 2 cans creamed corn
- 2 cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 8 oz. cream cheese cubed
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch if needed for thickening
Instructions
Roasting Poblano Peppers
- Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking oil. Wash and dry peppers. Cut peppers in half and remove the seeds. Place peppers (skin side up) onto baking sheet. Broil on LOW for about 15 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred. Allow peppers to cool before handling. Carefully, remove the peeling. Chop peppers into pieces and set aside.
Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili
- In a large slow cooker, add chopped onion, garlic, and parsley.
- Drain and rinse cannellini beans, then add to chopped vegetables. Add chopped roasted poblano peppers, creamed corn, chicken, all spices, chicken broth, and half and half.
- Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to the slow cooker. Cut lime in half and juice one half lime into the chili mixture using a lemon/lime press. Stir all ingredients well to combine.
- Cook on LOW for 6 hours, or until cream cheese is completely melted and chili is creamy.
- If chili is too thin, add half a cup of water to a bowl and stir in 2 Tablespoons cornstarch until blended smooth. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture, stirring the chili to combine, until thickened. Note: Chili will thicken as it sets.
