Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
I love my slow cooker and this chicken chili is a delicious, low point, high fiber meal. It's so easy to make and it is great over rice, with multi-grain chips, topped with low fat cheddar cheese or low fat sour cream.
I love my slow cooker and this chicken chili is a delicious, low point, high fiber meal. It's so easy to make and it is great over rice, with multi-grain chips, topped with low fat cheddar cheese or low fat sour cream.
- Carbohydrate 16.9767543345254 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.625671500458229 g
- Fiber 3.24815823644259 g
- Protein 1.85462933368471 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0916105500552925 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (116g)
- Sodium 696.870100015109 mg
- Sugar 13.7285960980828 g
- Trans Fat 0.0778022834063139 g
- Calories 70 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker.
- Place chicken on top and cover.
- Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.
- Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.
- Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.
- Top with fresh cilantro.
Rich red tomatoes infused with chilies, earthy cumin, and smoky chili powder merge into a thick, aromatic broth that coats tender shreds of poultry. Understanding how components interact in a slow cooker ensures structural integrity and optimal flavor extraction during long simmering cycles.
Ingredient Substitutions and Their Consequences
Swapping canned black beans for pinto or navy beans alters the starch release, producing a thicker broth due to their thinner seed coats. Dried spices like cumin and chili powder lose potency over six to ten months, so older jars require a twenty percent increase in volume to match fresh aromatics. Using chicken thighs instead of the specified 24 ounces of boneless skinless breasts introduces higher fat content, which enriches the sauce but changes the final nutritional profile. Frozen corn retains moisture better than canned varieties during prolonged heat exposure, preventing the chili from drying out at the edges of the ceramic insert. Pre-packaged taco seasoning frequently contains sodium chloride as a primary filler; substituting a homemade spice blend allows precise salt regulation to prevent overly saline results.Equipment Mechanics and Thermal Control
Slow cookers operate through low-wattage heating elements embedded in the walls, requiring six hours on high or ten hours on low to fully tenderize connective tissue in white meat. Ceramic stoneware retains heat efficiently, meaning cooking continues for twenty minutes after powering off the unit. Lifts should be minimized during the cooking cycle because removing the glass lid drops internal temperatures by ten to fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, extending overall processing times. Standard four-to-six-quart oval slow cookers provide adequate surface area for liquid evaporation without scorching the bottom layer of beans.
