This time of year always makes me want something hearty and comforting to eat that won’t break the bank. After a long day, I just want a warm meal, but not something that is going to derail my healthy way of eating.
It seems like my days (and evenings really) keep on getting more and more busy as my kids are getting older. I’ve started using my slow cooker more these days and it makes getting a healthy meal on the table a breeze. Don’t let busyness be an excuse for not eating healthy!
My Slow Cooker Chicken and Quinoa Chili could not be more simple to throw together. The only prep work is dicing the chicken into bite-size pieces. Other than that, you are just throwing things in the slow cooker. Easy peasy!
If you’d like to make this meal even more budget-friendly, you can substitute brown rice for the quinoa. I just love quinoa because it is packed with so many nutrients.
Just be sure to always rinse your quinoa really really well. If you do not your dish will have a very bitter flavor to it. Nothing worse than ruining your whole dish, so please DO NOT skip that step ever!
You can also make this dish vegetarian by omitting the chicken and replacing it with another can of black or pinto beans. You would also want to swap vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
If you follow the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating, this is an E meal.
To make this very simple recipe start by preparing your chicken and vegetables. Make sure you really really rinse your quinoa. If you do not, it will have a bitter taste to it.
Once you have your ingredients chopped and ready to go place them all, except for the toppings, in the slow cooker.
Put on the lid and cook on high for 4 hours. You can cook this on low for 6-8 hours if you have time to prep in the morning.
Taste and check for seasonings and adjust as needed.
Serve and top with green onions, jalapenos, a pinch of mozzarella or cheddar cheese or 0% Plain Greek Yogurt.
I hope your family enjoys this easy-to-make recipe as much as my family does!
If you want to add more slow cooker meals into your repertoire be sure to check out this list I put together of Trim Healthy Mama Slow Cooker meals. That way you can always have an easy to prep recipe in your arsenal.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Quinoa Chili (THM: E, low-fat)
Yield 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2# boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced in bite-sized pieces
- (2) 15 oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
- (1) 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 5 c. chicken stock
- 1 c. quinoa, rinsed well (I usually rinse it for 2 minutes under warm water)
- 3 T. chili seasoning
- 1 t. salt
- green onions, chopped jalapenos, a pinch of cheese, 0% Plain Greek Yogurt - optional toppings
Instructions
- Place all ingredients, except for the toppings, in the slow cooker. Put on the lid and cook on high for 4 hours.
- Taste and check for seasonings and adjust as needed. Serve and top with green onions, jalapenos, a pinch of cheese or 0% Plain Greek Yogurt.
Could I add the chicken breasts whole in there and shred them after it's cooked?
Yes that would work too
Are the chicken breasts cooked or raw when added?
Raw
I have never bought, cooked, or tasted quinoa. Do you precook this for this recipe? Any certain brands better than others?
You do not need to pre-cook it. Make sure you rinse it really really well before adding it to the crock pot. All the brands I've tried have been good.
Could I use rice instead of quinoa?
This is delicious! First time making it today ☺️Could I freeze leftovers? Thank you so much for this!☺️
Yes, absolutely!
I am making this today. Would it hurt to put can tomatoes in this recipe? I like tomatoes in my chili 😊
Go right ahead and add them!